Couloir 9/06 DriClime Windshirt

Travel Extras

If you’re one of the few people who hasn’t tried Marmot’s DriClime Windshirt, get yourself one before your next trip. The ultimate double-duty layer, the Windshirt’s soft lining adds warmth, comfort and excellent wicking as a mid or outer layer for touring and skiing, while its DWR coating shields from wind and rain while traveling. While I wish it had looser wrists instead of tight elastic, the packability and versatility of Marmot’s Windshirt makes it an excellent travel companion. By Graham Gephart

Skiing December 2007 DriClime Windshirt

It’s Like a Shirt That Blocks the Wind

My dad skied in a windshirt in the ‘70s. It was midnight blue with Western snaps and a fat collar. He tucked it in beneath an insulated parka on cold days, and wore it as an untucked shell in the spring or when driving his ’76 Dodge Dart Sport. It went well with his red, white, and blue I-Ski sunglasses, making it the perfect piece of ski clothing – except it didn’t breathe or wick moisture, and if he fell, he’d accelerate at a sickening rate, frightening his offspring. The nylon was faster than the P-tex on his Hexcel Honeycombs. Great idea, bad execution.

Marmot saved the windproof midlayer when it introduced the original DriClime windshirt in 1991. It wasn’t that complicated: polyester long-underwear material (the DriClime) served as a liner inside a lightweight nylon shell. Armpit vents, a zipper, and a dress-shirt-style hem round it out. Like Dad, I wear it under my puffy on those witch’s-tit days, or as a shell when I’m hiking. I also wear it Nordic skiing and raking leaves and when I’m riding my bike to the packy for a six of Belgian wheat. Which is to say, I wear it all the time. - by M.P.

The Great Outdoors March 2008 Original DriClime Windshirt

TGO Recommended

Marmot designed the first microfleece-lined windproof many years ago and it has stood the test of time. The design is basic and the weight very low. With no elastication or drawcord at the hem and an extended back, it’s ideal for wearing as a shirt and tucking into trousers. The high DriClime lined collar keeps the neck warm but there’s no hood. The mesh pocket is okay for a compass or a snack bar but not much more. There are mesh panel under the arms for ventilation, which I don’t like as you can feel cold winds through them. The garment is breathable enough not to need these. The DriClime bi-component lining wicks well and the windproof outer sheds light rain. It was all I needed over a thin base layer on a day of drizzle, wet mist and a strong wind, with a temperature not far above freezing – as long as I kept moving. If weight is more important than features such as a hood or large pockets, this windshirt is a good choice.

Marmot does offer other designs in the same fabric: the DriClime Jacket with a hem drawcord and a vertical-zipped pocket; the DriClime Vest; the DriClime Stretch Pant with stretch panels on the back of the legs; and the DriClime Side Zip Pant with full length side zips. The last looks excellent for walking in cold weather.