Doesn't the fluffy fleece have much more warmth for the weight than the windproof stuff?

Edited by justin_baker on 02/21/2013 13:01:58 MST.

Dale, thanks for the feedback on my question about more water resistant fabrics. You wrote:

"Windstopper is great for gloves and beanies, but all the tops I have seen were just sweaty and heavy, not to mention expensive. Once you are stopped, it doesn't provide much warmth other than blocking wind. It's just another kind of soft shell fabric, with all the weaknesses."

The fabric I was referring to is the windstopper active shell material. While I agree, it looks rather pricey, it's not a typical soft shell in the sense of what I think of a soft shell to be. Gore advertises it as more breathable than WPB Active Shell, but not water proof. And I believe it's air permeable - unlike typical gore membrane. Jackets are available in the 4oz range, putting them in the same league (in terms of weight and pack-ability) as the other windshirts mentioned here.

Thanks for the words on Epic fabric. Never handled it personally, only heard of it. I remember looking at a Wild Things shell made of the fabric a few years ago.

Sitting here with a brand new Montane Lite-speed jacket, I sort of have my decision process fresh in mind:

My walks are in the mountains of Norway (sidetracking into Sweden). Mostly the weather is impossible to predict, but one thing is a safe bet: wind and most likely something howling out of Siberia.

My previous walking jacket is a very nice soft-shell that weighs in at 680 grams and takes lots of volume. It stops wind and breaths great. It also add a bit of warmth and water-resistance (15 minutes in light drizzle). These last two points are already covered by an insulating mid-layer, a wool shirt, an umbrella and a bomb-proof poncho.

The way I see it, the wind-shirt gives me a lighter, trimmer pack and better options on windy days. There is a sacrifice at the lower end of the temperature scale, but that is what the rest of the gear in the pack is for.

It is a specialized item, but given that the rest of my clothing system is specialized as well, one might throw out the jacket of all trades (but it comes back on in winter).


By the way; Montane Lite-speed jackets seem to run small in sizing. I'm happy in U.S. Medium, but Large is a snug fit with this one.

Here is my take on it: In most cases it is a luxury. So is a pillow (use a rock-stone like Bob Marley). But it is a very light luxury item that comes in handy for a lot of uses:

1) As mentioned, as a compliment to a poncho. This is a very light system that can provide protection for wind, rain and bugs. Unless you are carrying breathable Cuben, this is probably the lightest system that provides really good protection for all three.

2) It compliments fleece for day hikes. For a lot of my day hikes, I bring a fleece jacket and a windshirt. I leave the rain jacket at home if the forecast calls for 0% chance of rain. Worse case scenario I high tail it down the trail to my car (I always bring a rain jacket when backpacking).

2B) The same combination works great for skiing. I sweat a lot going uphill, so the fleece is usually just fine. But if it is really coming down (especially as slush) then I'll throw on the windshirt. When I go downhill, I'll probably have both a windshirt and down jacket on.

3) It adds a middle layer when combined with a puffy jacket and rain jacket. A very lightweight puffy jacket (like the Cocoon Hoody) is much warmer than a fleece jacket of a similar weight. Because it is much warmer, you can get by with a lighter sleeping bag. The drawback is that a puffy jacket is often too warm. In other words, you are too cold for just a base layer, and too warm if you put on your puffy jacket. The windshirt solves this problem by providing a nice middle warmth.

In all these cases it provides a much more comfortable layer than a rain jacket, which means that when I use it for bug or wind protection, I am a lot more comfortable. As mentioned, it is way more durable than Propore, which means I am a lot less likely to damage my gear.

I just got my houdini yesterday and went out for a walk in the neighborhood today in blizzard conditions. Merino wool base layer, houdini, and a Patagonia syn pullover and I was perfectly comfortable while not even really exerting myself. Temps at 19 degrees and 30-40 mph winds with lots of dry snow falling.

Im excited to try it out some more and bummed I havnt until now!

Edited by cfionthefly on 02/21/2013 19:01:49 MST.