Gear

I need a windproof for the rest of summer and for Australia in a week! (yay) - it'll all be high activity stuff so breathable is the name of the game.

It'll also be used in the winter as a midlayer for high movement sports (so I'll need reasonably free arms!)

As I need them in a week it'll all be from Hike-Lite as their delivery times are top-notch. And so its down to the 3 in thread description - but I'm leaning towards the Kinetic. The problem is nobody seems to have one. Anywhere. In the entire world.

Can anyone help?
Chris

PS. I'm a "poor" student so cheaper is better in my books. The reason I'm not going for the featherlite is breathability and robustness - am I wrong in thinking so?

The Featherlite is a windproof not a mid-layer, you could wear is as a mid layer but it has virtually no insulating properties.

The Kinetic is a mid-weight base-layer which would work fine as a mid-layer but isn't windproof.

So if you want one garment I'd go for the Dynamo. Personally, I'd buy two garments to do the two different jobs, a Featherlite as a windproof and then a separate mid-layer.

Hikelite appear to have the Kinetics in stock. This link ..
http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/shop/shop.php?c=viewproduct&pid=7&cat=23&maincat=3&start=0&sid=sid35fd25dd1088dadbd424d5952b7327eb

seems to be the cheapest @ £39.99 and free P&P (next day is their pledge!)
On google several others came up with them at varying prices. Getting one shouldn't be a problem!

Cheers guys so far!

Anyone tried the Kinetic?

I'm a bit confused about what you actually want, the Kinetic is really a mid-weight baselayer with minimal wind resistance. It's not a windproof.

The Dynamo is the closest to what you seem to want, viz a windproof which can also be used as a mid-layer, though it's wind and water resistant rather than proof and has very little insulation value. Very breathable and high wicking though and a decent DWR.

Have you looked at the Jetstream which is their ultra-lightweight, small-packing windproof? One of those and a Dynamo would pretty much sort you out, then again it'd cost you around £110...

kinetic has some wind resistance bur it's difficult to describe unless you have had experience of different fabrics. it's better than a fleece. i used it as a top during spring when it performed very well when the wind wasn't strong and or cold.
it's warmer than it looks and is extremely comfortable. a windproof went over the top at stops.
i'd go with john. buy two garments to do specific jobs which then gives you the flexibility of each and both combined.

Not sure how good the Featherlite would be for extended hikes.

Surely it's just something for the weekend.

Right - getting the Kinetic. I'll write a review when I get it as the internet seems to be rather lacking in them!

at £50 i think it is overpriced but at £40 as per the link above it's getting in the right area.
i'll get another one when the sales come around.

Three really different garments, each of which have decent features and benefits, as they say.

I love my Kinetic. Great tailoring, fits well, feels like a polartec power stretch, reflective piping, ideal midlayer or warm base layer. Wore mine across Scotland and it beat hands down my previous midlayer fleeces 100 Rab and 100 sprayway. Small chest pocket. Advertised as an activity top, but I think it can be used for a whole variety of things. Love it. I've also just taken delivery of the last few black ones which will be advertised soon ;-) I think this is a seriously underated garment and I will be putting some major effort into promoting them soon! Recommended.

The dynamo is equally tailored (Julie really has done these garments proud!) Chest pocket and 2 hand pockets. Feels great and very smart. Not sure about how to use it best though. I don't find the wind resistance to be noticable and it certainly isn't as warm as the kinetic. Very subtle features, logo and no reflective piping. Good DWR, but I can't think of an activity that I do, where I would not choose the kinetic instead. Looks and feels great though.

Windshirt - any of 'em, any time. They are great. I would certainly (and did for that matter) use the kinetic and windshirt all day long, every day in Scotland.

I've been to oz in August and even though it is their winter/spring, you will be very warm. Probably high humidity, so a warm shirt would be useful at night and that's all, if you are doing high activity stuff. A windshirt may be a worthwhile bonus. They might be walking around with jumpers on, but I can assure you, you won't be!

Enjoy your trip and I bet you fall in love with your Kintetic shirt ;-)

Montane Kinetic £28 (but Large only):
http://www.outdoormania.co.uk/Product.aspx?Product=Montane_Kinetic&ProductID=460

I know you're looking at Montane, but I can't help recommending the Paramo Fuera Smock when people talk about a windproof that can be - sort of - used as a mid-layer. It's heavier than the Montanes, but it's warmer too, and if you Nikwax it then it's highly water repellent.

It's in my mind because atm Stuart Cunninghams have them on offer - £30 (instead of £50) or you can get the smock and the (new) Fuera trousers for only £50 all in. I ordered both today: can't have too many Fuera smocks :)

We were having a nice little Montane-centric discussion and then PW has to ruin it all by using the p word.

<blush>

I like Montane too!

thanks bob! I'm thinking of getting the featherlite in the future for that time between summer and Buffalo s6 weather - sounds an ideal combination.

Can't wait until its cold again! Been missing my bufallo :(

Couldn't see the P****o offer online. Did you phone?

Yes, Robin - I read about it in the Bargain thread. I rang Stuart Cunningham's in Ambleside this morning and asked if it was right that they were doing the both for £50 offer, and they were.

They only offer the smock in grey or olive, and the trousers only come in navy (like the Cascadas). I thought grey (apparently it's quite light) and navy would be a very fetching combination, and set off my pink complexion very pleasingly :)

Does anyone know how the Kinetic differs from the Terra stretch shirt? Is the latter a better and more expensive version of the Kinetic? Or are they rather different things?

The Terra Stretch is a Pertex Equilibrium Stretch shirt, so I think it is more like a windshirt than the Kinetic. I guess that maybe makes it a sort of pull-on version of the Dynamo, although I haven't seen a Dynamo in the flesh to check that. The Terra Stretch is unlined on the inside, and has stretchy reinforcement panels on the shoulders and arms.

I love it, although the Equilibrium flavour of pertex doesn't seem to be as wind-resistant as traditional Pertex. It breathes very well. I wear mine instead of a 100-weight fleece when it's windy.

Chris - if you like Buffalo and want something similar but lighter for when its warmer, checkout the Montane Duality Smock. Pertex/microfleece, hood, cross ventilation, like the Buffalo activity shirt but cleverer ... Might even make you checkout the Montane Extreme Smock when it gets to winter, since the ventilation is much better thought out.