Remember the rain and wind shells of yore? Stiff and a little crinkly,听with Velcro cuffs and micro-fleece chin guards? We听hardly can. Performance apparel has evolved over the past decade, and听jackets are lighter, thinner, and more streamlined than ever.
In fact, apparel makers have grown so obsessed with shaving weight that a听profusion of technical shells have appeared weighing听less than a smartphone, packing small enough to fit in your back pocket, and designed to make you feel like you鈥檙e wearing nothing at all.
Of course, you might reasonably听wonder how these听眉ber-pared-down jackets听manage to stand out from one another, and how light听they can go before they start to lose functionality.听We rounded up a few听to find out.
The North Face Flight RKT ($160)
This shell is so freakishly thin that the cuffs and bottom hem are pretty much all you notice. It鈥檚 made from a single layer of DWR-treated, ten-denier ripstop nylon鈥攅nough to block wind and repel light precipitation鈥攁nd folds into an arm pocket roughly the size and shape of听a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (though it鈥檚 much lighter: just 2.8 ounces for听the men鈥檚 version).
As with most featherweight apparel, the Flight RKT听makes some compromises. There are no adjustment cords, and the fabric is more snag-prone than some other shells in the same category. But if you鈥檙e going fast and light for long distances, you鈥檒l be hard-pressed to find a more lightweight option.听
The North Face听bills the Flight RKT as a running shell, and the jacket performs well in high-output situations that call for protection without the encumbrance of听layers. Given how thin it is, we'd听be wary of taking it on scrambling missions where we know we'll听be dragging听our gear over听rock.
Mountain Hardwear Ghost Lite ($100)
The Ghost Lite is similar to the Flight RKT鈥攊t鈥檚 made from DWR-coated听nylon听and designed primarily for running鈥攂ut it鈥檚 a bit more built up. The men鈥檚 version is 3.1 ounces,听and it鈥檚 longer听and听baggier. The loose fit is a boon if you want to wear your shell over lots of layers, but can also impede movement. That鈥檚 partially alleviated by the cinched hem and a Velcro tab to fold away the hood.
The 15-denier ripstop nylon has a soft, buttery feel, and it鈥檚 substantial enough to add听confidence in brambles and on abrasive rock. When folded into its chest pocket, the Ghost Lite is a tad bigger than the North Face jacket; it鈥檚 also slightly easier to zip up, since the zipper falls on the side of the pouch instead of across the top. The slightly longer fit also makes this jacket a great trail-to-town crossover piece; it鈥檒l keep you warm and relatively dry in the hills but won鈥檛 look (as) out of place in a coffee shop or bar.
Patagonia Houdini ($100)
The Houdini is sleek and trim, hitting right at the hip, without听excess fabric. But at 3.6 ounces in the men鈥檚 version, it鈥檚 the heaviest jacket here. That鈥檚 because it doesn鈥檛 skimp on features or durability. In addition to a chest pocket, it has a drawcord听at the waist and in the hood, and the fabric is 15-denier nylon, the same as the Ghost Lite.听
The papery quality of the Houdini offers superior听next-to-skin comfort; you can wear it over a short-sleeve shirt without that听clammy shell sensation against your arms. It also makes the jacket a little more rugged than the others we looked at. The Houdini听is billed as a trail-running shell, but we听wouldn鈥檛 think twice taking it climbing or scrambling.
The Upshot
The lightweight, DWR-treated wind shell deserves听a place in your pack. It鈥檚 the perfect layer for windy summits, drizzly mornings, and other occasions when a听thick fleece or听full-on waterproof piece would be overkill, and it's great insurance against unexpected storms.听It won鈥檛 keep you from getting soaked in a downpour, but the DWR coating goes further than you鈥檇 expect.
That said, there's no need to shell out extra cash just to save a few tenths of an ounce. All of the shells in this review function the same, differing only in price. They weigh within an ounce of one another, they're made with similar fabrics and DWR finishes, and they have similar features.听If you're tackling听fast and light missions or long hauls in high-alpine听terrain, it's worth the added expense to have the absolute lightest, most packable gear. But the average athlete could be served just as well with a slightly heavier, less expensive option.听Buy the one that fits best, and you can't go wrong.