Question:
Dear Richard,
Can you help? I'm after a windproof to take to the Alps. I want something to wear over my beloved patagonia R1 hoody. Its got to be lightweight, windproof and have a hood that fits a helmet. I've seen the new RAB Alpine Pull-on, but I'm after something light in colour to keep off those roasting rays. Any suggestions? Answer:
Hi there,
The name is Gear, Richard 'Alpine' Gear and I appreciate just what
you're saying about lighter-hued  garments on glacial alpine
terrain.
 Unfortunately black and darker
colours appear to be the default colour choice for wind shells and
lightweight soft shells. And just to make your life even more
complicated, very few windproofs these days also feature
helmet-compatible hoods.
Ironically, were it not for the colour issue, my first thought would
indeed have been Rab's Alpine
Pull-on. At 260 grammes it's reasonably light, the hood
takes a helmet and the fabric - Pertex Equilibrium, while not fully
windproof is very wind resistant and also breathes and wicks better
than most windproof fabrics. Colour choices are black - a real no -
dark blue, which is slightly better and 'Firecracker', a red colour
which I'd rate as a 'maybe'. Certainly better than black...
It may be slightly too heavy for your tastes, but the Haglofs Viper II
Hood - around 500 grammes - from Haglofs is a really nice piece of kit
made from very effective and tough, very wind resistant ,stretch soft
shell FlexAble fabric and because it's 10% Spandex, gives lots of
stretch and a really good fit.
It also comes in a nice burnt orange colour or Haglofs signature budgie
green, both of which should be quite sunshine friendly. If you're
feeling rich, the Arc'teryx Venta SV does a similar job and is also
helmet comptatible
I'm sure there are other options out there, though to be fair, they're
quite elusive. Thinking aloud, I wonder whether you'll need a windproof
at alll in the sort of hot conditions where colour matters, but that's
a personal choice.
Happy helmeted windshell shopping.
Yours limitedly
Richard G
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