cragging in a Windy place- clothing options

First time climbing outside for what seems like (and is in fact) ages.
After a somewhat fabulous evening meal of Honeyed Lamb, (which featured rather a lot of Cayenne), we headed out over to Windgather rocks to meet some friends.

It was an easy evening, just getting back into the swing of things, and the hardest thing that was lead was a Severe. I ended up doing 6 routes, but there were a couple of interesting things.

The first was my choice of clothing- I was wearing a Helly Ice top- the one with Merino wool, a cheap craghoppers fleece and my Montane H2O velo top. And I was Toasty.
It was great because as you can imagine from the name, Windgather rocks does indeed somewhat gather the wind, making it a pretty chilly place to stand around waiting for either the leader to get the damn thing led, and a belay sorted, or for you second to get his shoes on/ fiddle with getting gear out.
The combination of climbing in the fleece, and then having a totally windproof top dangling off the back of the harness just to throw on over the top was brilliant. If it rained, it would have provided a modicum of waterproofing, but given the situation, we would have just wandered back to the car.

So that combination on a chilly evening is a winner. I believe that this is the kind of combo that vapourize and the Mountain Equipment lightweight something or other jacket (I need to look that up) have in mind. However, they don't have the option of removing the fleece. Its there, laminated to the outer windproof fabric.

So, until I manage to get hold of a Vaporise top, the fleece and Montane windproof will do just fine! It also means that I can take one or the other layer off - which you can't do with the Rab... maybe you don't need to.
Any thoughts anyone?

Montane Featherlite Smock

I needed a ridiculously lightweight water resistant windproof as a top which would get me through 8 hour adventure races- something without a hood- extraneous weight- something that was light- and packed down crazy small.

I saw the montane featherlite a few years ago- no hood, made of pertex microlite- at 52g per m squared.
its a smock, (less zip to weigh it down), drop tail for on the bike, and packs down to the size of a small squashy apple.

Ive used it on about 15 races now, its always in the pack, and is un-noticable in terms of weight, and pack size. I tend to wear it just over a helly- but only when it starts to get a bit nasty. If you're getting cold, youre not moving fast enough.

When running, I have noticed that because I cinch my pack down on my back massively- so that it just doesnt move, it has melted and deformed the back of the jacket. However, thats the heat from the friction, and really, nothing is going to stop that apart from not wearing a backpack.



This is an image of the bobbly melted patch on the back of the jacket... as you can see, a crease has been melted into it.







Limitations...
horrendous rain and gale force winds, races that demand hoods and taped seams.
The closest Ive come to hypothermia was with this jacket, in spring on Brighton Downs. I went out for a run, it was a lot colder than anticipated, and the rain really came in, and it got nasty.
Despite having this layer on, we bumbled through another 10 miles or so, getting colder, and more depressed, it wasnt nice, and I sat in a space blanket on the train on the way home. If I had a bigger, slightly more waterproof jacket, it might not have been so bad.
However, that was my own stupid fault- but at least I found the limits of the smock.

At £45 its done me well for about 3 years of wear, I use it for cycle commuting when it gets nasty and is generally the top layer in the depths of winter. Anything else would be too damn hot.

It doesnt breathe particularly well, do not expect to stay bone dry, but expect it to keep the worst away from you for a short time, be windproof and comfortable when dry, brilliant when commuting, an excellent emergency jacket, or a top layer for an 8 hour race- (but probably not overnight- get something a bit beefier for that).

Yays!
Light
windproof
good layer
excellent "just in case" smock for people who need light light light.

Nays
melts a bit on the back with friction
not waterproof
not crazy breathable (but what is?)
might not be enough in dire situations. (but at least better than nowt)

http://www.montane.co.uk/products/men/windproof/featherlite-smock/40