Enlightened Equipment Copperfield Wind Shirt - Men's Review

The Copperfield Wind Shirt is an extremely light and packable windbreaker. This is the lightest wind layer we've found, and is best suited for those who prioritize weight savings above all else. It's so light you can throw it in your pack just in case for any adventure where you might need wind and weather protection. Combined with a lightweight midlayer, it can even replace your puffy jacket on summer backpacking trips.

Wind Resistance

The Copperfield Wind Shirt is made with ultrathin, light 10D nylon fabric, which does an excellent job of blocking the wind. It performed quite well both in the field and in our at-home wind-resistance fan test.

The Copperfield Wind Shirt is one of the most wind-resistant shirts we tested. On a cold morning at camp while backpacking, we could hear the wind whipping through the aspen leaves after blowing across an alpine lake, but this jacket kept us surprisingly warm even though we only had a sun shirt underneath.

In a manufactured breeze (we turned a fan on high), the Copperfield Wind Shirt allowed virtually no air to pass through it — not through the fabric, the zippers, or anywhere else.

This jacket is very light, and Enlightened Equipment still managed to include some nifty wind resistance features as well. It has an ultralight shock cord with tiny toggles to tighten the hood around your face. This keeps the wind from whipping off your hood and keeps your head warmer. It has the same thin shock cord in the waist hem, so you can tighten it below your torso as well. The tiny ultralight zipper doesn't have a storm flap behind it, so it allows a slight amount of air to pass through, but we were never bothered by any drafts during our testing.

Breathability

While the Copperfield Wind Shirt is extremely wind resistant, that comes at a slight breathability cost. It's scored just about average here compared to the rest of our lineup. However, it's breathable enough for ultralight missions where every ounce counts.

The Copperfield Wind Shirt is built with fastpacking and ultralight backpacking in mind. These are both relatively high-output activities, and you'll likely have to take this jacket off sooner than you would with some other models once you start to work up a sweat.

The Copperfield Wind Shirt doesn't have any ventilation features other than the main zipper. When it gets hot, your only option is the good old fashioned route of unzipping the jacket and pushing up the sleeves. The sleeves are roomy enough that we didn't have any trouble pushing them pu past our elbows.

When you start to sweat in the Copperfield Wind Shirt, the slippery ultralight fabric sticks to any bare skin uncomfortably. It dries quickly, but since the fabric isn't the most breathable, you'll have to unzip the jacket and move the sides up and down like a fan to create enough airflow for it to dry. Frankly we'd recommend just taking it off and stowing it in an outside pocket of your bag before you get to this point.

Versatility

The Copperfield Wind Shirt is less versatile than many windbreakers, because it's intended for a specific use case where every ounce counts. You probably won't want to wear this around town, since it's not the most fashionable, although it will give you instant ultralight street cred if the right person sees you wearing it.

We ordered our normal size for testing, and found that the Copperfield Wind Shirt fit loose enough that we were able to easily layer underneath. However, it doesn't fit too loosely that it gets in the way while moving in any way. You can wear this while riding a bike, hiking, or carry it as an emergency layer while mountain running or climbing. It isn't the most durable, however, so you could tear it if you use it while jamming your body against rock, as you would while rock climbing.

There are no pockets on this jacket at all, for the simple fact that if there were pockets, that would make it weigh more.

Packability

Our size medium Copperfield Wind Shirt weighs 2.2 ounces. This is the absolute lightest jacket we've found, and it packs down so small we don't think twice about tossing it in our bag. Aside from its ultra-lightness, it has no extra packability features, like a zippered stuff sack pocket, but it really doesn't need them. That would be extra weight, of course.

We resorted to stuffing the Copperfield Wind Shirt into the outside mesh pocket of our backpacks, which is incredibly easy. The thin, slippery fabric slides and compresses into the smallest corner of any pocket. We even packed this into a fanny pack, and it left plenty of room to spare for other items we wanted to carry.

You can roll the jacket up into its hood to use in lieu of a stuff sack. You can then tighten the hood cinch to sort of keep it packed in this way, but it's not as effective as a stuff sack.

Water Resistance

The Copperfield Wind Shirt is relatively water-resistant. Don't rely on it to keep you dry during extended rain showers, but it will protect you during a brief storm.

We always pack this windbreaker when the weather looks good for a backpacking trip. On one trip, the forecast was mostly clear, but we ran into some afternoon storms in Colorado. We used this to fend off some of the rain, and while we didn't stay completely dry, we stayed dry enough to keep warm while we hurriedly pitched our tent.

At home, we further tested the Copperfield Wind Shirt's water resistance using a garden hose and sprinkler. While this model wasn't the most waterproof, it also wasn't the least water-resistant. It provides enough protection from light rain, which is surprising considering the incredibly low weight and light fabric.

Should You Buy the Copperfield Wind Shirt?

The Copperfield Wind Shirt is incredibly light, making it ideal for weight-conscious backpackers and other ultralight enthusiasts. It provides excellent wind-blocking properties and fits well enough to wear on top of other layers. This could be the ultimate shell for the ultralight layering system that takes you farther into the backcountry. Ultralight gear is notorious for being expensive, but luckily, the Copperfield is comparable to other jackets we tested, and it's handmade in the USA.

What Other Windbreakers Should You Consider?