One piece of gear that I’ve coveted for a long time but have never pulled the trigger on is the Hill People Gear Windcheater Jacket.
Hill People Gear Windcheater Jacket
This season, I finally got my hands on one in ranger green and I’ve worn it most of the winter. The Windcheater is made from a nylon Cordura variant called Ambush. Unlike standard Cordura, Ambush is a brushed material, which gives it breathability along with a soft feel. It also has a Durable Water Repellant (DWR) finish. It will shed a light rain or snow, but will wet through if it gets too soaked.
In terms of features, the Windcheater has two zippered chest pockets with zipper garages…
Long pit zips for ample ventilation…
Generously sized cuffs that are glove friendly and can be adjusted to fit..
And a oversized hood that can be adjusted in the front…
And in the back.
Despite it being oversized, I can easily adjust the hood to fit properly over a ball cap or a wool beanie.
The HPG Windcheater is a modified version of the FirstSpear jacket of the same name (its manufactured by FirstSpear with mods for Hill People Gear). HPG lists all the differences between the two versions on their website so I won’t repeat the full list here. For me, the biggest selling point of the HPG jacket was the ability to attach a coyote ruff. The optional ruff adds warmth to the back of the neck when the hood is down.
In white-out conditions, it shields the face from blowing snow and creates a micro climate that warms the air that you breathe in when the temperatures drop below freezing; which under heavy exertion can damage your lungs.
The Windcheater’s fur ruff was great on a hike when the temperature dropped quickly to sub-zero.
If you hike in the winter, the ruff is an absolute must and HPG routinely sells out of it when it’s stocked.
Overall, the fit of the jacket is a little different from anything I’ve owned to date. I didn’t want a baggy fit so I went with the XL. It was the right choice as overall the jacket fits perfect with room underneath to layer but one issue I ran into was how short it’s cut in front. I often paired the Windcheater with an insulting mid-layer. Early in the season, the Triple Aught Design Javelin Insulator. Later I replaced the Javelin with an Arc’teryx Naga Full Zip Hoody.
The Hill People Gear Windcheater and Arc’teryx Full Zip Naga Hoody. A great combo for cold weather hikes.
The Naga is great as it provides just enough warm. It even adds insulation to the Windcheater’s hood. The only problem is the Naga is longer than the front of the Windcheater.
So was the Javelin and just about every other mid layer I tried. The shorter cut is great if you spend a lot of time in a vehicle as it doesn’t bunch up. But I really wish it was an inch or two longer. And the v-cut is just a little odd. But maybe that’s just me. I should also note that I’m 6’4 with a long torso so shorter humans may not have an issue with the jacket length. Your mileage may definitely vary.
Length is not an issue in back as the jacket has a long drop tail providing ample coverage.
There’s no stretch in the Ambush material but the sizing is generous enough that it doesn’t restrict movement; even when wearing a layer underneath.
The other distinguishing feature compared to the FS version are the Napolean pockets, which are situated in such a way that they will not interfere with a load bearing waist belt or pack harness. Here I’m wearing my HPG Connor and as you can see, I still have full access to all the Windcheater’s pockets. Just another reason to opt for the HPG version of the jacket if you’re considering it for trail use.
The Ranger Green is a great color. My Connor is Manatee, which I feel still has a greenish tint, but is more grey in appearance when next to the Ranger Windcheater.
The durability of the Windcheater has been very good. It’s seen many hours of trail use and the only wear I can find is some fuzzing under the arms caused by the friction from my pack straps. Long term it bears watching, but now it’s purely cosmetic and doesn’t impact the performance of the jacket in any way.
Overall, I’ve been very pleased with the Hill People Gear Windcheater. It’s not perfect, but I’ve found it to be a very versatile outer layer that can be worn in a range of conditions. Possible alternatives to the Windcheater would include light wind shell jackets like the Outdoor Research Ferrosi Hoody and the Arc’teryx Incendo Hoody. But neither have a helmet friendly adjustable hood or the option to add a coyote ruff for cold weather hikes.
The Hill People Gear Windcheater retails for $215 and is available in manatee, ranger, and two- tone ranger/manatee. The optional coyote ruff retails for $68. Both are sold exclusively on Hill People Gear’s website.
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