My litespeed is always in the bag 'just in case'. Being a slow hector I don't generate much heat and usually wear a Montane Quickfire. Sometimes in winter I find the wind can penetrate my Montane Extreme but the litespeed is enough to block it.
I've got the Paramo Fuera smock and Peak jacket which are both fine garments but not as 'invisible' in the bag as a litespeed.
Looking a Nigels post - I've also got the Summit Hoodie which I wear virtually all year round. I used to wear Paramo tops without a hood but have become a hoodie convert - in the same way I'd never buy a coat/jacket without a hood - I like having all the bits warm.
The Summit Hoodie feels very very warm. Wear all year round? I was thinking winter, to fill the gap as I raised my Analogy up to a warmer temperature with a Quito and not carry an overlayer. Mostly its a very comfy fleece with strong waterproof features.
The SH has a hidden inside drawstring for the hood its very warming.
Nigel, I didn't mention gloves as I already have a few pairs and I have a range of neckers - Buff to neoprene as I had a motorbike;but thanks for the suugestions.
I like the idea of a smock, so that if I'm using my binos or camera I can store bits and pieces in the chest pocket without too much movement.
Mike, understand, and I did the same with a Velez.
Smocks are lighter as less zips, and less to catch and rub around the backpack line and obviously a single through chest pocket can take large items and hand-warm as you interleave your sleeves and less of a wet vulnerability.
However, venting is more challenging, adding/removing harder, and many of my active jacket have chest pockets (Quito internal, Summit Hoodie external, Feura external). I have a Explorer which is a smock basically with one venting chest pocket, and that works very well.
Low-down pockets I find annoying, you're basically lifting the weight of their contents as you walk. Chest pockets, you'll get a bounce as they swing in the overhang of the chest muscle/bone and wack the upper abdomen. Assume the torso is that shape
Consider a bumbag, you rotate to the front and have external for accessing stuff, and rotate to the rear under to protect contents. That has some synergy with a small backpack which doesn't have hipbelt, it helps raise and lift the backpack. Damned annoying though with larger backpacks.
In warmer conditions, a bumbag with some windproofs hanging over the waiststrap is a very workable system.
Nigel, off topic but related to your bumbag comment: This summer I started using a decathlon cycle tee-shirt with a large back pocket and found that worked pretty well for short summer walks - it has pretty good wicking.
Jim, I'm not familiar with Decathon model. I have 2 decent cycling tops with 3 pocks. The issue I find is it tends to squash and hold the items close to me and blocks evaporation and I get more wet-back. Bumbag if I pack it right is sufficiently flat to not dig but not so wide I get wet-back.
I agree, some pockets round the back are useful but I use less than the manufacturer thinks we should. Possibly I'm just a little more hot around the kidney area.
I have windproof cycling top with a rear zipped water-resistent pocket, that's sufficiently low down it tend to not block my sweat areas, possibly your Decathlon is longer than my t-shirts.
I see a lot of cyclists use rear pockets.
On-thread, the external chest pockets for carrying stuff is much more viable for larger items when stationary, such as photography, but when moving its just a little annoying the wack the top of the tummy every stride. Pick your problem.
I couldn't see a hood<img />, which would be good;if it hasn't a necker+hat would sort it.Reversibility sounds interesting.
Bumbags. I have a couple - a Lowe( TARDIS -like) and a Karrimor with bottle pouches - more kit from when I had my bike. I've used them off-bike;but I didn't find them particularly comfortable - either too much bounce if loose-ish(is that a word) or if tightened, restrictive when I'm breathing heavy. I'll need to give them another try.
Mike, I have a Trekker Hoodie reversible, its a jacket hoodie, on offer. PM if interested. Its a jacket, not a smock, currently in California but will be in UK at end of the month.
Chest vent on Explorer. I tried the Trail Shirt, issue is the pockets are not accessible from both sides. With the Explorer, you have a chest pocket, if you remember to zip it closed, then reverse, you can access the contents via zips on the other side. As its a smock you're throwing the whole thing with its pocket contents over your head. Pick your problem. The Explorer is one of my keepers.
When you open both sides of zips, the pocket becomes a thru-vent. That is very useful for cycling as the Explorer is loose in a forward leaning position that's air through and out. So long as you're mindful you can still use it as a pocket whilst its venting but clearly items can fall out.
Nigel just to say I do wear shorts as long as the temperature is above about 15 degrees. Between 14 - 10 degrees I wear lycra shorts for a little extra warmth. Below 10 I start to wear trousers and below 4 degrees the trousers need to have some insulation.
My overheating seems to be getting a little worse as I get older. It's also difficult to break out of the collective mold. When you are out walking and you see everyone else all wrapped up you know it's cold, but I'm still sweating a lot and you think it's lunacy to strip off layers. In the end I do because I'm getting too hot and I do wear less than most people. Not everyone but most people. Standing on top of Robinson, having arrived drenched in sweat and emerging on to the plateau in 40 mph winds, shorts for me aren't an option. It was too cold. That's why I recommended Fuera trousers with their 3/4 length zips for venting.
I have some nice Rab trousers which are fine for walking down in the South. But one day in the Lake District convinced me that they're not breathable enough for me to be comfortable i.e. sweat free
