Ultra light windshirt for backpacking

The nimbus on the other hand is just plain elusive Never seen one.

Guess that you could try asking Cotswolds as they've the odd size of it in their sales section and do stock light speeds. Otherwise maybe RAB.

The hood design looks very nearly identical in the pictures. 

personally i wouldnt go Ultra lightweight for a backpacking wind top,i would get something a bit tougher for pack wear.

Save the Ultra light stuff for day walks away from camp and back perhaps and something like the Rab alpine jacket @ 290g

for slogging along the trail with....

Just took delivery today of a very nice black one in size small tho its quiet a big small...

 These people have the Nimbus in stock (full price, though). 

http://www.thewalkingshop.co.uk/product/2616/Rab_Nimbus_Windtop

Well.... The litespeed pretty well is that sort of compromise, as is anything using a microlite weight sort of fabric rather than ~quantum.

The durability of quantum weight ones does seem to be a bit debatable. One fabric I would worry about with a pack etc is GL -  Montane put abrasion ratings up on their website and it rates to a quarter of microlite..... Pricy too.

(I'm pretty sure its 1/2 that of 'standard' quantum, although as Montane seem to have dropped that from their range now, hard to be certain!). 

In some ways my ideal would be a hooded version of the featherlite - can't see why it'd come in above ~130g.

Martin Carpenter wrote (see)

In some ways my ideal would be a hooded version of the featherlite - can't see why it'd come in above ~130g.

Are there any hooded smock windshirts available in the UK now? (apart from the Fuera). Rab dropped the smock alpine one in favour of a full zip, maybe there's not much market for them. Rab do have the Boreas, which they classify as a windshirt now (I wonder what its wind resistance is compared to the pertexes?) 

Still some: Montane, PHD and maybe that TNF Verto.

They're all fairly light fabrics mind - the only one not in GL is the PHD one. (~ Quantum weight.). Quite primitive hoods too, so probably a bit random if those fit well enough to be truly effective.

Its just a thought really Suppose most people who want a hood/heavier fabric etc are happy with a bit of extra weight as in the light speed.

* THE DIDSTER * wrote (see)

personally i wouldnt go Ultra lightweight for a backpacking wind top,i would get something a bit tougher for pack wear.

Save the Ultra light stuff for day walks away from camp and back perhaps and something like the Rab alpine jacket @ 290g

for slogging along the trail with....

Just took delivery today of a very nice black one in size small tho its quiet a big small...

Have to agree with The Didster about durability.  I own three windshirts/jackets; a Paramo Fuera Ascent, Patagonia Houdini and a Rab Alpine Pull-On.  Each have their strong points but the Fuera Ascent is definitely the most robust which means I feel warmer in it compared to the other two.  The Alpine Pull-On is made of Pertex Equilibrium so when the wind really howls you can feel it through the material.  The Patagonia Houdini is surprisingly tough but it doesn't have a wired hood and does have a tendency to blow around in a strong wind. 

I guess for warmth, durability, total windproofness, a great adjustable hood, a piece that can be layered under even in cold weather and give very adequate protection (except in rain) I'd have to relinquish the weight factor and go with the Paramo Fuera Ascent.  The fit is a little "boxy" and may be somewhat flappy in a strong wind, but that just isn't a factor for me as it is for some.  Cheers.  Good luck.