Which windproof jacket???

[Magic girl]

Hubby has offered to buy me a new coat for Christmas/birthday,What I'm looking for is something windproof as where i live and walk regularly it's open countryside and farm land and in the colder months the wind gusts across and i end up getting battered.Im currently using a craghoppers compresslite jacket which is fine given what i paid for it but i want something a bit more robust.I'm very short at 5ft1 so would like something a bit fitted as anything boxy just turns me into the michelin man and also synthetic as opposed to down,it doesn't need to be waterproof as i have another coat for that and I'm more of a fair weather walker anyway.Could any of the ladies here( or men) recommend a nice jacket under £200 also it needs to pack down smallish so i can stuff it in my daypack when i get to warm TIA XX

[MichaelUK]

I have a ME Vulcan Jacket, Gore winstopper. Very windproof, though not an insulated/warm jacket. Good fit with hood.

[NeilC]

So are you looking for a pure windproof or something with a bit of insulation?

[gunwharfman]

My windproof is from Decathlon, £15. Its a thin one skin jacket, with a hood, which I put on over my clothes, (usually baselayer and shirt) I then wear my jacket, waterproof, etc over the top. If need be I can just use it without putting a jacket on, for me its very effective, incredibally lightweight and when not needed rolls up in its own little tennis ball sized bag.

[Magic girl]

It's something with insulation that I'm after,something similar to my craghoppers compresslite but a bit more upmarket and more fitted as the one i have now is a bit boxy and I definitely need a hood x

[Davidedgarjones]

I have a Paramo windproof jacket and a smock as I'm very keen on the windproof system. The smock weighs about 300g in medium, the jacket a bit more due to its zips underarm and from the neck. But these may be a bit lightweight for you. Perhaps a one of the Rab Vapour lite models would suit you better. Or one of the numerous softshells on offer would suit you as made by all the leading brands.
Dave

[RogerA]

I also have a craghoppers compresslite - which is ok for the walking I do most of the time - it does however feel very thin & light compared to others I tried on in shops.

Windproof / waterproof I use a craghoopers kiwi long. (annoying that theres no way to stow the hood)


Last winter when it got very cold I added a very thin cheap fleece from millets underneath the compresslite.

Not the solution I suspect you're looking for - indeed I have considered getting a heavier duty downlike insulation layer that I can swap the compresslite out for - but havent yet been able to justify the expense. I am however toward the fair weather walker end of the spectrum and dont scramble over mountain tops in snow / go out for days at a time.

[NeilC]

It's something with insulation that I'm after,something similar to my craghoppers compresslite but a bit more upmarket and more fitted as the one i have now is a bit boxy and I definitely need a hood x

Ok then in that case it sounds like you want an insulated jacket as opposed to a windproof, which has a rather specific meaning to backpackers and hillwalkers - a thin, non insulating, single waterproof layer to stop wind.


I'm gonna be even less helpful and say can't suggest anything better than visiting a shop and trying some on. Sorry!

[Magic girl]

I'm looking at an arcteryx atom lt on the trekkit website reduced to £120 that looks good,I've never had anything by them before,are they true to size or would i need to size up? Unfortunately there aren't a lot of outdoorsy type shops where i live so have to buy online mainly 😭 Has anyone got one of these jackets? What do you think of it,its got good reviews x

[Davidedgarjones]

Arcteryx have a very good reputation, but are too expensive for me.


Personally I wouldn't walk in an insulated jacket as it would be possibly too warm and would be bulky to carry. Having said that I do carry one in very cold weather as an emergency layer/for stops, For most of the year in the UK the combination of base layer,  fleece, windproof and waterproof suits me. It's usually the windproof or the waterproof in cooler weather but wearing both is another option. None of the above need to weigh too much say between 300 and 500 grams. If you buy via mail order you'll be able to return them if they don't suit you.
Dave

 

[Magic girl]

I went ahead and ordered the arcteryx atom LT hoody from trekkit as it had been further reduced from £120 to £100 which was half the original price so i will let you know what i think when it arrives,thanks for all your replies xx

[Magic girl]

My arcteryx atom LT arrived yesterday and I'm very pleased with it,I just need the weather to turn cold and i will test it outdoors x