If you didn't have a wind shirt currently, what one would you go for and why? I'm currently leaning toward the Patagonia Houdini and the Stoic Wraith.

I've heard the Houdini has superior breathability compared to other wind shirts and the DWR is above par.

The Wraith is obviously the lighter of the two and and is supposed to be relatively more breathable than other similar ultra thin/lightweight wind shirts.

Also open to other suggestions. I have also peeked at the MontBell Tachyon Anorak, but am not a fan of the 1/3 zipper and it doesn't seem too breathable compared to the Stoic Wraith.

TIA!

Edited by f8less on 08/16/2012 11:26:14 MDT.

I'd go for the lighter and cheaper one. Plus the hue of the green on the wrath is less easter egg'ish.

Do you need a hood on your windshirt?

How about pockets?

Edited by 7sport on 08/16/2012 11:34:11 MDT.

In my opinion a hood on a windshirt is highly useful. Without it you might as well forget it being much use in light rain. Also considering how much heat you lose through your head, stopping wind from raking your noggin is a good thing.

I do want a hood to keep more heat in. Pockets are not so important to me.

FYI, I'm really factoring in versatility too. If the jackets uses can be stretched enough to save weight elsewhere, that is a plus to me.

Edited by f8less on 08/16/2012 11:43:12 MDT.

Well said Randy. Clearly you're someone that factors in versatility.

Edited by f8less on 08/16/2012 11:44:47 MDT.

So far I've been impressed by the wraith. It has an athletic cut and can fit pretty tight when I layer my FA down shirt underneath. I plan on ordering another size up for when I need to layer.

+1 on Wraith. I abused the crap out of it on my last trip and it held up great. I mostly used it as mosquito protection. Even when it was hot out it seemed pretty comfortable.

Am I correct in saying that the Wraith does NOT have elastic cuffs?

I have both of these jackets. The Houdini is a far superior jacket IMO. It has great fit and features. But of course you pay for it. Issues with Stoic I have. 1) The cut is tight around the chest. I'm 5'9" 155 lbs and wear size M for most everything but the Stoic is a little tight as I mentioned. Sizing up could help but the rest of the jacket fits well so i really think this is design flaw. 2) It's too short, they need to add 2 to 3 additional inches on the length. I know this would add weight but it would be miniscule. The Stoic does has a nice hood. There are no adjustments like the Houdini has but with the collar zipped up it fits really well. I had it is some major wind gusts and it never blew off.

I still plan on keeping the Stoic. It will become part of my backpacking kit, purely for the low weight. For everyday use and day trips I will use the Houdini.

Yes good point on the wraith. The cuffs don't have elastic, nor does anything else on the jacket. It fits me perfect, so I never had any issues. ;) But I suppose it depends on how it fits you.

Everyone seems to love the houdini, so there is probably something to that. I recently got the wraith for $40. I'm definitely impressed with the breathability. I like the simplicity of it, and I actually thing the unelasticized wrists helps with breathability. The fit seems made for runners. My only issue (and this is true of everything except for rab for me) is that when reaching high for some climbing moves the the waist rides up (why I didn't pay top $ for a houdini).

I guess this makes me a gram weenie, but I'm much more likely to find a reason to bring a 2.5 oz wind shirt then a 4 + oz windshirt on backpacking trips.

I ended up ordering the Houdini in the new Brown. Not bad and kinda matches the brown of my Granite Gear Blaze A.C. 60. I also ordered the "Paintbrush Red" to compare...but good lord is that a bright red. Borderline neon.

I'm very happy with the design on the Houdini. The hood can be made to essentially lock onto your head and I really appreciate the cinch-able bottom/back. At 5'9"ish 130lbs., the size small I felt fit me the best. I'm pretty much between a small or medium.

I actually chose the small because I could still squeeze my Marmot Zeus (S) jacket under it without smooshing the down (though the Zeus actually has a bigger torso diameter than the Houdini in Small). The Medium fit better over the Zeus jacket, but left more of a gap under my chin with the hood up and also left "wing outs" of the hood at my ears. Additionally, the cinch at the bottom of the jacket required a LOT of cord to be pulled to get it tight.

It kinda dawned on my that should I be in a weather situation where I would be wearing the Zeus jacket...it's probably too cold for skeeters. So, I sided on the Small for it's tighter fit to better keep me protected from the wind and skeeters due to the tighter fit...also less loose jacket to flap in the wind.

For those that are wondering, the size Small Houdini weighed in at exactly 3.5oz.

Edited by f8less on 08/21/2012 11:04:48 MDT.

@ Ken

I'm 5'4", 134 pounds. I wear small in other Patagonia tops, but do you think I should go with an extra small? I won't be doing much layering. Maybe just a cap 2 underneath.

Was back n forth betwwen the Wraith and Houdini, but the Houdini won out for new at $62.. Mine is XL, my digital scale has it at 4 ounces.. I am broad shouldered, 6 ' 195, the XL is a good fit..

Emil

Hard to say. I could take a picture of my Small on me with just a t-shirt so you could see the length and fit. I am leaning toward saying get the XS just to see that the hood and body aren't too tall. I also have a long torso, so if you are about average the lowered tail on the small might even be a length that could go as far as below your rear. At 5'9" mine is 1/2 way covered. I also find the smalls sleeves just barely the perfect length and feel my arms are on the long side. ...So in 5000 too many words, I guess I'm saying...

...I'd lean toward getting the XS.

Edited by f8less on 08/21/2012 22:08:27 MDT.

Thanks a ton Ken, I appreciate it!

Finally got around to ordering the Houdini to find that my size and desired colored are completely out of stock. Patagonia customer service says they are not producing more until next season and that all of their partners are back ordered. I've scoured the internet with no luck. Any suggestions as to where I can find a Houdini in XS suede brown? Thanks.

I'm not so sure you XS is the way to go, the Houdini fits pretty true to size and having just a little extra room is darn handy for layering over a insulating layer (lighter down jacket, vest or mid-layer)

the Houdini is a true 4 season piece of gear- I use mine as much (maybe more?) in the winter than I do in the summer

Emil, I'm your same height and close to your weight. I've tried a small Houdini and it fits perfectly. I ended up getting a medium because that's what I could find for a good price on ebay. The medium is a relaxed fit that I can wear over a puffy but is still not ridiculously oversized when I'm wearing it with just a t-shirt underneath. So I think you'll be fine with a small.
But obviously fit is a very personal thing.

Edited by GregPehrson on 10/25/2012 13:10:24 MDT.