ISO: Packable Windbreaker

April 14, 2015 2:03 PM

As much as I love it when spring comes to Chicago, these days of 45 degree mornings leading to 65 degree highs drive me batty with my clothing choices. I generally have to choose between either being cold in the morning, or wearing a light weight coat that I'm just going to roll up and stuff in my small messenger bag in the afternoon. I try to travel light -- I hate being the guy on the train who looks like he's lugging around a small luggage store -- and even cramming a light REI coat into my bag is a drag.

I'd like to have one of these nice modern super-lightweight jackets which can provide some warmth in the mornings but practically disappear in my messenger bag in the afternoon. Most of what I've seen seems to either be high-end techical gear for hikers (or those who want to pretend to be one), or barely a step above a "buy it in a bag" poncho.

Any suggestions for something in the middle? Bonus points if it's waterproof for rainy mornings, but if the compromise has to be made I'd opt for "not overly warm/bulky" vs "waterproof" I could go above $100, but I'd rather keep it under. $200 is an absolute hard limit, unless it comes with a pony.

I found this previous, but it's aimed at women, which I am not. It also didn't seem to focus on the packability as much, which is a key requirement for me.

posted by jammer to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (11 answers total)

I really like the Uniqlo Ultra Light Down puffer. It's warm enough and doesn't allow wind to cut through and comes in a water resistant version. I can wad it into a ball and put it in my purse and it also comes with stuff sack. It's nuts how much you can compress it.
posted by quince at 2:16 PM on April 14, 2015 [3 favorites]

I came to suggest the Uniqlo jacket too. They make them for men, women, and children. A marvel of ingenuity!
posted by cecic at 2:23 PM on April 14, 2015

I live in San Francisco, where we're perpetually locked into the need for a jacket to appear out of nowhere at any hour. I'm grateful for this Puma peak jacket because: it wasn't expensive (they seem to go on sale a lot), it's not 100% impenetrable (I'm a sweaty dude and hate windbreakers that feel like wearing a garbage bag sauna), and it has this light mesh lining that keeps your skin from touching the chilly poly exterior without bulking up when you need to ball it up and cram it in a bag. I've had mine for about three years and it's still in excellent shape. It's decently waterproof (resistant?) for heavy mist and a bit of light drizzle, but the longer it's wet the more you'll start to feel the water bleed through.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 4:04 PM on April 14, 2015

Here is an alternative to finding a very compressible coat: hook carabiners on your messenger bag (I'm sure there's SOMEWHERE they can go), sew some D-rings into your existing coat, and hang the coat from your bag. I put the D-rings on the inside, a little above the hip pockets of an ankle-length coat, so I don't have to worry about stuff falling out; figure out what'll work with yours.

As a bonus, sometimes I'll stick my wallet/phone/keys in the coat pocket, stick the carabiners on the coat's D-rings, and hang a water bottle or a folded-up shopping bag from them, and go out for a walk/some errands without anything heavier.
posted by egypturnash at 5:47 PM on April 14, 2015

Best answer: It looks like the Patagonia Houdini might be a good option. It seems to be one of the very lightest options out there. I have a perfect super lightweight REI brand jacket that would be perfect, but it is discontinued. The Houdini packs into its own pocket, which is a really nice feature.
posted by rockindata at 6:36 PM on April 14, 2015

Check out the Arcteryx Solano.
posted by TrinsicWS at 7:41 PM on April 14, 2015

just got this. I like it.
posted by persona au gratin at 2:51 AM on April 15, 2015

The Klim Stow Away jacket is a hooded, full-zip Gore-Tex windbreaker that packs into a burrito-sized pouch.
posted by workerant at 10:10 AM on April 15, 2015

Best answer: I have a Marmot Precip, which is recommended from MeFi. It's great and even my XL packs down to a small size in my backpack.
posted by KevCed at 10:49 AM on April 15, 2015

Response by poster: The Precip and the Houdini both look very much like what I'm after. Thanks for those suggestions, and the rest!
posted by jammer at 11:24 AM on April 15, 2015

Just a warning- I have the Houdini and while it's very lightweight and packable it offers zero warmth. It's like literally a tissue.0
posted by pintapicasso at 1:05 PM on April 15, 2015