Squamish Jacket - 2 (+1) pockets, 0 hoods, many thoughts.
Headline: great choice for a specific consumer, but if it’s your only wind shell and/or you’re going to be using it beyond casual city use, maybe get one with a hood that can pull double duty in a pinch.
The Squamish jacket in Forage arrived the other day to replace (augment) a Squamish hoody from around 2017, a Norvan wind shell from ~’22, and a couple of Patagonia wind shells. Before getting too in the weeds it’s important to remember what the Squamish is and what it isn’t: this is a wind shell with a DWR. It would be a mistake to consider this a rain jacket or a shell. This is a sandwich baggy that turns into a wind-blocking layer, or an extremely light windbreaker that saves you from having to put on a full jacket on crisp mornings.
The Hood. I spend far too much time debating if I need a hood when looking at jackets, so I rely on Bayesian behavior to lead me: if my current jackets in that style have a hood and I haven’t been cursing their existence, the next one does, too. Shells all get hoods. Casuals don’t, gammas don’t. This layer serves as a wind layer only for me, I have a separate 2L rain shell if the weather is significant and temps moderate. If the weather is either barely coming down, or my realistic exposure is minimal (parking garage, close parking, etc.), I can and will comfortably forego the hood. I’ll add that, for whatever reason, hoods tend to bug me more often than not. They flap on the back of the neck like a misplaced piece of anatomy, get caught on straps, add to the weight of the garment, and get used relatively few times.
I’ve been looking for Arc’teryx to offer a simple, light, casual wind layer with no hood and more than one pocket for years. I can dress in my day-appropriate outfit and throw this on to mitigate a brisk morning and be a buffer if the building is too cold. I’ll also throw this on when it’s absurdly windy in the spring and I want the extra pockets. The Norvan does great but it’s so shear it draws attention to itself. Here we have the Squamish with more opacity, two hand pockets plus one additional pocket in the left hand that serves as a stuff sack or “secret pocket” if you choose, and DWR so that if a sprinkle starts I’m not worried.
I would not buy this if: I didn’t already have a 2L rain shell, I needed a wind layer for outdoor/technical use and didn’t already have one with a hood, I didn’t have the disposable income ($160 is a lot to ask for this - find a used Patagonia Houdini online if funds are tight).
I would by this if: I wanted an extremely light outer layer for 3 season, dry use that can disappear when I’m not wearing it, my outdoor/technical needs are in dry areas and/or I have headgear to cover my wind needs, I don’t like wearing thick coats and instead wear a warm enough base outfit and this blocks my wind for short outdoor transits in the city or suburbs, I’m in a very windy area, don’t mind my hair getting tousled, and value 2 hand pockets.
I hope this was helpful - cheers to your future adventures.
PS - I’ve also got the new Delta Hoody and Gamma Lightweight hanging around, hoping to write those up soon.
Headline: great choice for a specific consumer, but if it’s your only wind shell and/or you’re going to be using it beyond casual city use, maybe get one with a hood that can pull double duty in a pinch.
The Squamish jacket in Forage arrived the other day to replace (augment) a Squamish hoody from around 2017, a Norvan wind shell from ~’22, and a couple of Patagonia wind shells. Before getting too in the weeds it’s important to remember what the Squamish is and what it isn’t: this is a wind shell with a DWR. It would be a mistake to consider this a rain jacket or a shell. This is a sandwich baggy that turns into a wind-blocking layer, or an extremely light windbreaker that saves you from having to put on a full jacket on crisp mornings.
The Hood. I spend far too much time debating if I need a hood when looking at jackets, so I rely on Bayesian behavior to lead me: if my current jackets in that style have a hood and I haven’t been cursing their existence, the next one does, too. Shells all get hoods. Casuals don’t, gammas don’t. This layer serves as a wind layer only for me, I have a separate 2L rain shell if the weather is significant and temps moderate. If the weather is either barely coming down, or my realistic exposure is minimal (parking garage, close parking, etc.), I can and will comfortably forego the hood. I’ll add that, for whatever reason, hoods tend to bug me more often than not. They flap on the back of the neck like a misplaced piece of anatomy, get caught on straps, add to the weight of the garment, and get used relatively few times.
I’ve been looking for Arc’teryx to offer a simple, light, casual wind layer with no hood and more than one pocket for years. I can dress in my day-appropriate outfit and throw this on to mitigate a brisk morning and be a buffer if the building is too cold. I’ll also throw this on when it’s absurdly windy in the spring and I want the extra pockets. The Norvan does great but it’s so shear it draws attention to itself. Here we have the Squamish with more opacity, two hand pockets plus one additional pocket in the left hand that serves as a stuff sack or “secret pocket” if you choose, and DWR so that if a sprinkle starts I’m not worried.
I would not buy this if: I didn’t already have a 2L rain shell, I needed a wind layer for outdoor/technical use and didn’t already have one with a hood, I didn’t have the disposable income ($160 is a lot to ask for this - find a used Patagonia Houdini online if funds are tight).
I would by this if: I wanted an extremely light outer layer for 3 season, dry use that can disappear when I’m not wearing it, my outdoor/technical needs are in dry areas and/or I have headgear to cover my wind needs, I don’t like wearing thick coats and instead wear a warm enough base outfit and this blocks my wind for short outdoor transits in the city or suburbs, I’m in a very windy area, don’t mind my hair getting tousled, and value 2 hand pockets.
I hope this was helpful - cheers to your future adventures.
PS - I’ve also got the new Delta Hoody and Gamma Lightweight hanging around, hoping to write those up soon.