Got one of these recently. I will post a review when I have had a chance to test it more fully.
Initial impression is that it is very light ( 70g!) , windproof with a good DWR finish. Downside is that is seems about as breathable as a bin liner! Took the dog for a gentle walk for 30 mins and when I got back the condensations inside was very noticeable.
I had hoped it would be more breathable than Goretex but it seems it is not. Any one else tried one of these and come across the same problems?
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 Yes. It has an acrylic coating that makes the fabric just about waterproof but not very breathable. It's a poor compromise between a waterproof top and a windproof top, being neither fully waterproof (the seams leak) nor very breathable. I guess it would do as a waterproof in area where rain is very unlikely, such as the High Sierra in California, but for UK conditions I reckon it's only suitable for short trips where getting a bit damp from condensation and rain isn't too much of a problem.
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Chris,
Thanks - I note you are quoted on the Golite Site as saying " the one (garment) I wear more than any other is a thin, single layer nylon or polyester wind shirt" I assume you do not mean the Wisp? Can you recommend a breathable one for UK use? I note they also stock Montane ones, one of which uses pertex.
I am trying to find an alternative to Goretex for dry but windy conditions - or would I be better just going for Paclite or similar? I tend to run quite hot so breathabilty is an issue for me.
I should have done more research before going for the Wisp!
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You might want to try the Craghopper Energy Jacket http://www.craghoppers.com/men/waterproofs/ which is made out of Epic which is v. showerproof but not waterproof and is v. breathable. I've got one and am very pleased with it. I use it mainly to go to work as I want something that is water resistant but v. breathable. If you want a lightweight windproof top, it's difficult to beat the Montane Featherlite, but it's not very water resistant. The Paramo Fuera jacket is another alternative.
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Mike, I certainly didn't mean the Wisp, or any of the other current GoLite windshirts, which are all made from the same fabric. In the past I have given good reviews to the GoLite Bark and Flow windshirts, both now dropped.
My current favourite windshirt is the Montane Lite-Speed, made from Pertex Microlight. At 150 grams it's not as light as the 85 gram Montane Featherlite smock, also made from Pertex Microlight, or the 75 gram Montane Aero, made from Pertex Quantum, but it does have a good hood, a full length zip and a mapsize chest pocket, all of which I find useful. If you don't want these features then the Featherlite or Aero would be a good choice. I've used the Lite-Speed a great deal, including on last year's TGO Challenge, and it's proved very breathable, comfortable and showerproof. It won't keep out heavy or continuous rain though.
Paclite is more breathable than standard Gore-tex but nothing like as breathable as Pertex Microlight or other uncoated windproof fabrics.
It has a good hood made from double layer fabric and a map size chest pocket. The Lite-speed is comfortable, windproof and shrugged off showers, meaning I only needed a waterproof jacket in continuous heavy rain.
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 Seen the GoLite Wisp on sale at £17. Anybody know of GoLite have changed the fabric in the last couple of years or whether the Wisp still offers rubbish breathability?
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GoLite has changed the fabric and the current Wisp is meant to be far more breathable than the original. I haven't used it myself. I'd check that the sale Wisp is the current model. By the way, the Montane Litespeed I mentioned above - over three years ago! - is still going strong and was used on the TGO Challenge this year.
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 PHD have a hooded drishell windsmock on offer at £46 - weighs 126 grms. Haven't tried it for real yet; but, if it's like other drishell-ed stuff it should breath, and, shed water fairly well (obviously not waterproof). Nodrog.
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| Edited: 03/06/08 14:08 |
 By the way, the Montane Litespeed I mentioned above - over three years ago! - is still going strong and was used on the TGO Challenge this year.
Isn't 3 years how long a product should at least last, you sound suprised? Just curious as to when the last time you actually bought any kit, I'd imagine you never need too as you have close links (or seem to) with alot of companies eg. go-lite. Have you bought a rucksack in the last 10years for instance?
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| Edited: 03/06/08 14:12 |
Woooooooooooooooooow! Steady. Nodrog.
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I was only asking. Perfectly reasonable question I thought, I wasn't in any way saying mr townsend is showing any favouritism by being gifted upon. No . if he does have new gear to try all the time which is quite plausible how can he give a true indication of durability?
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| Edited: 03/06/08 14:31 |
Chris - I've currently got an early version of the Litespeed. It had an elasticated hem, which I removed and sealed with hemming tape. It has given me five or six years good service, although my 'handywork' is now starting to fray. The rest of jacket is is remarkably good nick. I think the version of the Litespeed after my one (the first one with the hem drawchord) was perfect. While Montane onviously have a commercial imperative to 'improve' their product, I reckon their use of reflective dots and other 'features' have diminished the product. Nodrog - I'm a fan of PHD, and might go for the MX version of the windsmock, but the Wisp is half the price!
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No, I'm not surprised but I thought it worth mentioning as many people think ultralight gear isn't durable. I've posted on another thread that I've found some Paclite garments tougher than many people claim. How long products depends on how often and where and how they are used of course. I reckon the Litespeed has had several months use. I do buy kit occasionally! I haven't bought a rucksack in the last 10 years though - but then the Dana Designs Astralplane I bought for ski touring in 1991 is still going strong. The last kit I bought was a pair of sandals in Fort William last month and that was despite having many pairs at home! However I was on the TGO Challenge and it was very hot and I was about to climb Ben Nevis, which I decided would be most comfortably done in sandals . I found a pair of Hi-Tecs at £18 in a shoe shop and bought those - I wore them over Ben Nevis and then the Aonachs the next day and they were fine. The reason I don't buy gear isn't because of close links with companies - though, as with any gear tester, I have these with most companies - but because I have a constant supply of test gear so there's no need.
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David, Don't know about the Golite wisp. I too am a fan of PHD gear and it has proved to be worth investing in... so far. It may cost a bit more, but, I do think, with PHD, you get what you pay for. Nodrog.
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| Edited: 03/06/08 14:42 |
The version of the Litespeed is the one with the drawcord and the double layer hood. The question about durability is a good one. Anyone reading TGO can see that I test a bunch of packs, tents, sleeping bags, stoves, waterproof etc every year. Obviously I can't test durability for all of these. Where products remain unchanged I continue using them and include them in future tests when durability can be assessed. As it is, my reviews, and those of other gear testers, are mostly of products after a short period of use. Of course knowledge of fabrics, construction methods and designs means probably durability can be assessed but this is only an informed guess. A problem these days, which didn't exist when I began gear testing, is that many products only have a life of a year before they are changed or replaced. By the time durability is assessed the product may no longer be available. Sometimes products are supplied for review and then withdrawn before the review even appears.
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 The Trekmates wind jacket and wind top are £15 at Go Outdoors. Anyone tried either of them?
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 Ben, they were also selling cheap in TKmaxx, but when I took a closer look the construction and fabric seemed fairly inferior. As Chris states above, you can get a fairly good impression of how something will last or perform even before you try it on! I don't know if anyone else has used the Helly Hansen Motive wind jackets / trousers before but I have had a couple of them for the last four or five years and they are excellent and showing good durability. Unfortunately, I think they have been discontinued in favour of the lighter but less breathable Mars jackets. I also have a Montane Featherlite Smock that comes in at well over the stated 85g that Chris mentions and I find it to be flappy and baggy compared to the Helly Motive. The HH jacket has stretch panels that add a little to the weight but make it a far more effective for running and biking when you don't have a rucksack to hold everything down. The Montane is a more generous cut so works better with a fleece underneath. None of them cost me more than £20.
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 The Trekmates wind jacket and wind top are £15 at Go Outdoors. Anyone tried either of them? I have the grey ripstop breathable one not the waterproof one- i wanted to try a windshirt but wasn't sure if i would get on with one and it was cheap in tk maxx. it's super light, breaths well, packs down extraordinarily small and blocks wind pretty well. the fit pretty small i think, i have a medium and i go for small in everything else. on the minus side, the seams have fraying threads coming out of them, i have to give it a haircut every now and then, so construction isn't the best- you get what you pay for. i am looking for a new windshirt now but only in a very minor not particularly arsed way. i was pretty happy with it.
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thanks SH "it's super light, breaths well, packs down extraordinarily small and blocks wind pretty well" couldn't really ask for much more then at the price... JB interesting to hear a couple of alternatives, most threads on here it's either the Montane Litespeed or Paramo Fuera that get recommended
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| Edited: 08/06/08 22:13 |
