Hyper D / Airwave Wind Pants

2 ounces! (small, Hyper D). These pants have a simple drawcord waist with the option for large cuffs so they can be put on without removing shoes or other layers. They are constructed from 1.0 oz Hyper D (uncalendared), which is a 20d fabric that has more breathability than the Argon Wind Shell options. These can also be built from 1.8oz Airwave for a more durable option. If you’re sticking to pretty buffed out trails, the Hyper D version will be fine and save you some weight. If you’re off trail, or on any overgrown trails, the Airwave will be a smarter option for pants, while still pretty light.

The functionality of an ultra light wind shell should not be understated. I have replaced many of my light/mid weight insulation layers with wind shell layers due to the shocking amount of warmth provided at such a low weight. Not only does it block wind and prevent evaporative and convective cooling, but it holds a pocket of warm air around your body that provides decent insulation. The Argon 90 wind shell layers provide a good balance of breathability to windproofness (40cfm) that is suited to lower levels of activity with great wind protection. Hyper D / Airwave is a large jump up in breathability that is much better suited to higher levels of activity while still maintaining good protection from wind. At 20mph you will start to feel some wind cutting through a bit, but it still stops a lot of it. While I don’t know the actual cfm rating of this fabric I would estimate it somewhere around double that of Argon 90 and it is much more comfortable when putting out a higher effort. It also has a very soft feel that is nice against the skin. These can double as cozy sleep layers.

While it has a DWR coating, I wouldn’t expect much moisture resistance. Since it is not calendared, it can develop “runs”, which are purely aesthetic. Omitting the calendaring process is what allows Hyper D to have such high breathability, but it means that individual fibers can get pulled and slightly misaligned with the fibers next to it. This shows as “pulls” across the weave. Usually they can be pulled back out and over time as more of them occur, they show up less. As mentioned, they are purely aesthetic and don’t affect the performance in any way. Airwave provides the same high breathability but has much better durability than Hyper D.