DriClime Flex Windshirt

A very comfortable, light-weight and form-fitting jacket that you can wear in the mountains and around town. Great for transition seasons such as spring and autumn. The stretch material makes all the difference in comfort and makes this my choice over the standard Marmot windshirt or the Mountain Hardware Tempest SL windshirt. The best thing about the stretch is that you can push the sleeves up above your elbows making this much more versatile when I'm exerting myself. With other windshirts, without stretch material, I've found that if I push the sleeves above my elbows, the elastic cuff pinches my arms and the shell material bunches up around my biceps. The stretch solves that and is way more comfortable.

I've worn this as an outer layer over a t-shirt for spring skiing and I've also worn this as the middle layer in a 5 layer system (long sleeve t, short sleeve t, windshirt, fleece jacket, hardshell) ... also for spring skiing though much colder and with higher winds. A great extra piece to tie around your waist or stuff in your pack just in case. The more muted colors and solid color pattern (vs. the Mountain Hardware piece) also make it nice to wear around town.

The only thing I wonder about when I take this out is whether or not it will rain since this is most likely less water-resistant than the Conduit SL-based Mountain Hardware Tempest SL. I haven't taken this bushwacking so I don't know how it will hold up against branches etc. Usually when I bushwack, I let my arms and legs take the abuse though one day I may tire of that! I also find myself searching for the hand pockets that don't exist when I wear this as an outer layer. I guess that's why it's a windshirt and not a windjacket. Overall, a great piece, though a bit on the expensive side - isn't everything these days?

I have this shirt and wear it as a layering piece between a fleece and shell if I'm on a pitch or as outerwear in town. It is very versatile but I would warn against wearing it as your outerlayer for climbing as the material doesn't look like it will stand up to much abrasion. I particularily like wearing it as a mid-layer with my Gamma MX softshell as the sheer outer material of the windshirt will not snag the fleece inners of the Powershield fabric thus allowing for more freedom of movement and not having your inner sleeve ride up your softshell everytime you reach up to place a tool or loosen it. I've used the Patagonia capiliene expedition weight underwear with my softshell and managed to get the sleeves to ride up so this is what the windshirt corrects for me.



Details, I know, but staying as warm and comfortable on the pitch is a HUGE component to having found a day of ice climbing FUN.