Southern Terminus, Pacific Crest Trail, 2012 (Montbell Tachyon Anorak – Mark 2)
Over the past seven years, the Montbell Tachyon Anorak wind shirt has been a mainstay of my backpacking kit. Indeed, rarely does a day in the backcountry go by when I don’t wear it at some time or another. Considering that it weighs about the same as a Snickers bar and packs down smaller than a tennis ball, I find it hard to justify not bringing along this versatile item on most backpacking trips.
I’m now on my third model of the Anorak. The first two incarnations each lasted me at least 8,000 hiking miles (12,875 km). The current edition has around half of that and is still going strong. Suffice to say I’m a fan of this wind shirt. Hope you weren’t expecting a drumroll.
Specs (As per the Montbell website)
Price: $99
Weight: 1.9 oz / 55 grams (Men’s Medium) / Regular Snickers Bar – 1.86 oz / 52.7 grams
Fabric: 7-denier Ballistic Airlight rip-stop nylon
DWR: Polkatex® DWR treatment
Compressed Size: 4.5 x 3.3 x 1.6 in. (11 x 8.5 x 4 cm)
The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Southwestern Horseshoe, 2012 (Montbell Tachyon Anorak – Mark 1)
Design
No pocket. Shortish zip. Just the essentials.
- Zipper: For this type of garment, I find the 10 inch (26 cm) front zipper to be just right. With something so thin and light, I’ve never found the need for a full-length zipper.
- Hem & Hood: Both are adjustable, which is key in helping to keep out the drafts. I’m a fan of hoods on all my jackets whether they be wind, rain or insulated. I take the same approach to my noggin as I do with the my hands and feet – multiple lighter layers are best for all around flexibility over a wider range of conditions.
- Elastic cuffs: Good for sealing out the drafts
- Sizing: I’ve found the US sizing of the Montbell range to be on a par with most other gear (Note: Japanese sizing runs smaller). In regards to wind shirts and rain jackets, I generally size up so that I can layer over the top of insulated garments. For example, in the case of the Tachyon Anorak I go with a large, whereas for my insulation garments of choice (i.e. Montbell Superior Down Parka, Montbell Thermawrap Jacket, Patagonia Nano Puff) I use a US size medium.
Sierra Nevada Del Cocuy, Colombia, 2015 (Montbell Tachyon Anorak – Mark 3)
Field Experience
I’ve used this wind shirt a lot over the past seven years (20,000 miles plus). In addition to the distance logged, the testing grounds have been varied and often extreme. They have included Southwest Tasmania (one of the wettest and windiest places on the planet), the Colombian and Peruvian Andes, Mexico’s Copper Canyon region, and much of the United States and Canada during the 12 Long Walks journey of 2011/12.
Performance
- Precipitation: A wind shirt isn’t a rain jacket. Its purpose is to help keep out the wind and provide a little warmth. Therefore, the DWR label should be taken with a grain of salt. In my experience, wind shirts are ok in drizzle and a bit of light snow, but for anything stronger you will want to reach for your rain jacket and/or umbrella.
- Wind & Warmth: In short, the Tachyon Anorak does what its supposed to do. I regularly use it on top of a base layer on chilly, breezy mornings; over an insulation layer when the winds really pick up, and; combine it with a down or synthetic jacket when I need a little extra warmth at night. As a bonus, it’s scrunches up so small that I typically just shove it down one of the side pockets on my backpack when I’m not using it for easy access.
- The Niche: Over the years I’ve found that there are regularly times during the course of a hiking day, when a rain jacket or insulation layer is too warm, and a base layer on its own is not quite warm enough. That’s where the Anorak comes in. For a negligible weight penalty of less than 2 oz, it fills a niche in my layering system – which in a nutshell, is the principal reason I carry it.
- Quick Drying: No surprises here. Extremely light and thin, the Anorak dries very quickly. If it’s soaked by day’s end, chances are it will be dry by the following morning if you place it down your long johns at night.
Southwest Tasmania Traverse, Australia, 2016 (Montbell Tachyon Anorak – Mark 3)
Comparison: Over the past fourteen years, I’ve owned wind shirts from Patagonia (Houdini – 4 oz*/ Newer model weighs 3.6 oz), Montane (Litespeed – 5.2 oz) and Montbell. In regards to performance, they have all been pretty much a wash. The big advantage that the Anorak has is simply that its lighter. On the flip side, the other models sport more features (chest pocket and full zip).
“If I’m carrying a lightweight rain jacket, should I also carry a wind shirt?”: It depends. These days there are lightweight rain jackets like the Dri Ducks Ultralite, Outdoor Research Helium 2, ZPacks Vertice and Montbell Versalite all tipping the scales at around 6 to 7 oz. That being the case, I certainly wouldn’t carry a wind shirt that weighed almost the same, and performed many of the same functions. However, that’s not the Tachyon Anorak. It weighs 1.9 oz, not 4 or 5 oz. That’s the equivalent of less than a mouthful of water, for a garment that is both versatile and functional. To my way of thinking, carrying it constitutes a no-brainer (Note: I’m aware that some other experienced hikers think differently on this point. That’s fine. It would be a boring old world if we all thought the same).
Weight
Tipping the scales at just under 2 oz, obviously, the weight is a big selling point for the Tachyon Anorak. Basically it’s a garment designed for weight-conscious hikers and backpackers. ZPacks make a model that weighs about the same, has a full zip and costs about US$16 more. Not having tried it, I can’t personally speak as to its quality.
Late September in the Colorado’s San Juan’s, Continental Divide Trail, 2012 (Tachyon Anorak – Mark 2).
Durability
There is no way around it, upon first inspection the Tachyon Anorak feels a little flimsy. However, having logged so many miles with the jacket since 2009, I can personally vouch for its durability. It’s like the Doc Holliday of the backpacking gear world; fragile-looking on the outside, but somehow manages to last a lot longer than everyone expects. That said, I certainly wouldn’t recommend wearing it while bushwhacking and/or hiking through overgrown terrain.
Canyonlands National Park, UT, Southwestern Horseshoe, 2012 (Tachyon Anorak – Mark 1)
Conclusion
If you are looking for a wind shirt that is extremely light, durable, functional and versatile, the Tachyon Anorak fits the bill. As I mentioned above, it fills a niche in my layering system for a negligible weight penalty, and I imagine I’ll continue to use it for the foreseeable future. In summary – highly recommended.
Disclaimer: Of the three Montbell Tachyon Anoraks I have owned, I purchased the first with my own funds, and received the second two free of charge from Montbell. I was under no obligation to write a review, which is good because it has taken me seven years to do so. No point in rushing these things. 😉
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Do you find it to be fairly breathable or do you find yourself sweating much in it? As I remember from Richard Nisely’s analysis, I think it rated it fairly low on the breathability scale. Does that even matter to you from a practical standpoint?
I’ve never found it to be an issue. If I start to sweat, I take it off. If I then begin to feel cool again, I put it back on.
Great review as always Cam. I personally opt to just use a lightweight rain jacket, but I fully agree that any 2oz piece of gear you find yourself using regularly seems well worth it. I’ll have to check out the Tachyon the next time I’m in the Montbell store. Thanks!
No worries, Dave. Thanks for the comment!
great review Cam, i probably would have re-thought my wind breaker choice if i had read this 6 years ago, and reduced my pack weight by a couple of ounces. let’s see: 2 oz. X hundreds of miles hiked = ?calories? that could have been saved
I use the Montbell Versalite as my rain/wind jacket, it’s the same material, but 15 denier rather than the 7 denier of the Tachyon. I’ve seen people bring both. It doesn’t make sense to me.
Shermin, The reason I bring both an UL wind jacket and a rain jacket is that for two to three ounces, I wear the wind jacket a LOT and as a result the DWR of my rain jacket lasts a whole lot longer. I hate spending a good amount of money on a rain jacket only to have the DWR wear off “prematurely” and hence wet out under the shoulder straps and waist belt.
Hi. Would you consider it mosquito proof?
Thanks
That’s a good question. Over the years I’ve worn the Anorak in some pretty buggy places, and although it’s provided great bug protection for the most part, there have been a few times when I’ve noticed the odd bite get through. I think it’s really only in the places such as the elbow, where the material is stretched tight across the skin.
Hi Cam, thanks for the review!
Any chance you could post your height/weight?
That would help with the sizing of the jacket.
Thanks!
No worries. I’m 6’1″ (185 cm) and weigh around 180 lb (82 kg).
Thanks! This was helpful. I’m planning to get the EX Light Wind Jacket and am trying to decide between M and L. I’m 6′ 175. The M seems like it’d be a good fit w/o insulation but the L seems best with. I have a Montane wind shirt and it’s great except the sleeves could be longer. My concern with the Montbell is that the L might have a wide neck (hate that), but their customer service said the M is 8.25″ across and the L 8.5″.
Do you have any advice on the EX Light jacket?
I’m similar in size to yourself (6’1″ / 180 lb). I haven’t tried the EX Light Wind Jacket, however, generally I go with size Large (rather than medium) for all their rain jackets and the Tachyon anorak wind shirt. I like to have that extra bit of space in case I’m wearing an insulation layer underneath.
Thanks a lot, Cam.
Hi Mark,
I recently bought the Montebell Versalite (US version not Japanese) in size M.
My Montane Featherlite windshirt in L fits great but the sleeves could be an inch longer.
If I could buy the Versalite again I would get it in L because the hem is quite short, so the jacket rides up a bit whenever I raise my arms. The sleeves are actually decent and just long enough.
Mind you this is when wearing a light puffy and thin fleece sweater underneath.
I’m 5’11.5″ 160lbs and also have long arms like you (wingspan is 6’1.5″
Hopefully my measurements will help you decide.
Thanks a bunch, Jimmy. That is helpful.
Hi Cam,
I recently got the newer tachyon parka top bc my wife lost my other. How can I forgive her? Just kidding, that’s not my question. My question is, it’s lacking the adjustment Velcro on the back of the hood and I can’t manage to keep it out of my face. Also, sadly, there is no cord around the waist. Any suggestions or fixes you’d recommend? The material and full zip are nice but the prior model was close to perfection! Thanks.
Hi Adam,
Sorry to hear your old Tachyon was lost. Regarding the hood, do you not have the small cinch cords on either side of the top of the zipper? No suggestions about the waist other than to tuck it in!
Cheers,
Cam
Hey Cam-
I do have the cinch cords, but I find it goes too narrow and messed with my peripheral vision if I make it tight, in the absence of the Velcro thing on the back. I guess I need to just go a bit looser and embrace it. One day I might throw a piece of duct tape on there, but we’ll see.
Tuck it. I bet if I was cold in the wind for long enough I would have thought of that. Thanks!