I'm looking at these two rain jackets and wanted to get some feedback from users...
Thanks,
Blackgrass

Get an EMS Thunderlight... last day of the sale is today, but a waterproof breatheable jacket made with System III, for only 63.00 dollars. Well worth it, great jacket breathes well, and only weighs 14.5 ounces.

I suggest that you also consider the Red Ledge Thunderlight jacket. 13 ounces $50 at Campmor

Like all gear, lots of good choices.

Go for the Mountain Hardwear Epic. It is light weight, and has good ventilation.

No matter which one you decide on just make sure you try it out before you make it your choice of outerwear on the trail. I say that in all seriousness. All that stuff is good but if it doesn't work for you it ain't worth the powder it would take to blow it away.

Case in point ...I started off with the Sierra Designs Peak Bagger in 2003. It had a great reputation and I was working at REI at the time so I got it at a great price. Out on the trail however, once I got caught in a heavy downpour (which was a steady diet in 2003) the outer fabric "soaked out" and the jacket doubled in weight and took a long time to dry out. I was so fed up with it that when I got to Hot Springs I bought some FrogToggs and used them all the way from there to Katahdin.

I'm not saying you should go out and buy FrogToggs but I would suggest that you really look long and hard before you leap. All that fancy GoreTex waterproof/breathable stuff sounds nice but the bottom line is that once you start hiking and generating heat there isn't a one of them that really keeps you dry and cool. In the end what meant more to me was that the jacket didn't retain water and take on added weight in the rain and that the moisture that did collect on the jacket dried out relatively fast.

Just my .02

Hey Footslogger I went to their web-site pretty impresive price for the pants & the jacket, But I didn't see any where on their site where it told what the weight of the pants & jacket together were do you happen to know this?

I have had my eye on this inexpensive lightweight suit from hikelight.com but I have no clue are they worth the money or how they perform I just know that they are lightweight & inexpensive here is the link if ya wanna check it out.

http://www.hikelight.com/

the rainwear I mentioned is under clothing it's the yellow suit there called rainshield outwear it weighs 9 1/2 ozs

Blue Wolf :D

I don't spend lots on rain jackets...I have a moutain hardware with pits zips.

and a lowe alpine anorak..well I have a patagonia too LOL

over the long haul I tear'em and burn'em and replace'em and don't worry about em....

I still use my frog toggs that I bought in 2002, used for three months on the trail, and have used on section hikes since then. Very lightweight, obviously very durable, breathable, and doubles as a great wind breaker (the hood is really helpful as the icy breezes come over the mountain).

Pants and Jacket 16.2 ounces

What about the marmot precip, does it shed h2o without soaking it up and dry out fast.

What about the marmot precip, does it shed h2o without soaking it up and dry out fast.

Yes, mine appears to, but I never weighted it wet and dry, nor tried to time the drying time.

Note: Frogg Toggs have their benefits. However, they are strictly for on trail use, not off trail. They tear easily. The saying goes, that if you use Frogg Toggs, bring along the duct tape.

My solution is frogg togg bottoms, mainly because I don't wear long pants often during the warm weather, and a Pre Cip jacket.

I have the GL Newt, not made anymore, and the Marmot Precip. IMO, the Marmot Precip is a better garmet, because of the fabric and the pit zips. While wearing the Newt in an all day cold downpour while hiking the ALT in May of 2000 I became drenched on the inside of the garmet not from sweat but from outside moisture working it's way inside. For me, the Newt was ok for sprinkles and some protection from the wind, but not in a deluge. Bought the Precip next and love it. While hiking through some torrential rains in the Smokies in March 2002 I stayed dry and was able to regulate the upper body temp with the pit zips. Maybe GL improved it's WPB fabric with the Reach but the jacket length looks short.
Cin

I have the Precip. I got it a couple of months ago and have only had it on the trail a couple of times. I like it a lot so far. Seems to be good in wind and rain. Be sure to try one on first if you can. The front pocket design is a little weird. It seems like they are too high on the jacket and that makes it a little uncomfortable to walk with your hand in your pockets. Of course that may not matter if you only use them for storage. I also like the hood design. I wear glasses and the hood keeps the rain off of the lenses.

Does anyone have any experience the packa Raincoat/pack cover ?
http://www.thepacka.com/
Looks to be a good product and I like the idea of keeping the shoulder straps and hip belt belt dry as well.

I have lots of experience with the Packa, and it rocks. By far the best garment for backpacking in cold or rainy weather. Check out the Packa reviews here at Whiteblaze.net (under gear reviews), thru-hiker.com, and backpackgeartest.org
Links to these reviews are located on the Packa's reviews and comments page. Thanks,
Cedar Tree

I have the GL Newt, not made anymore, and the Marmot Precip. IMO, the Marmot Precip is a better garmet, because of the fabric and the pit zips. While wearing the Newt in an all day cold downpour while hiking the ALT in May of 2000 I became drenched on the inside of the garmet not from sweat but from outside moisture working it's way inside. For me, the Newt was ok for sprinkles and some protection from the wind, but not in a deluge. Bought the Precip next and love it. While hiking through some torrential rains in the Smokies in March 2002 I stayed dry and was able to regulate the upper body temp with the pit zips. Maybe GL improved it's WPB fabric with the Reach but the jacket length looks short.
Cin

I find my Marmot Precip better than any Gore-tex I have had. I also think GL makes their jackets and tops too short waisted. I got the C-thru top and bottom(mid-weight) a few weeks back, great stuff. Wicks better than anything I have tried thus far, including several different brands of poly-pro and capilene. But if the top was any shorter I would feel the need to add some to it. Guess they save weight this way huh ?

I'll put my vote in for Frogg Toggs also. Lightweight and cheap. They will tear given enough abuse, but you can buy a second pair and still come out ahead. The only gripes I've heard are with the hood design, which is simpler than the Marmot and doesn't turn with your head very well. Hasn't bothered me, though.

Frog Toggs. Although the hood is a bit constricting. As 'Slogger says, they do not soak up water and they dry out rapidly. Works as a windbreaker as well.

The one person I know who hiked last year with the packa loved it.

I have FroggToggs, but you need to try it on and see if it is what you want. FroggToggs are durable (I know people you used them thru-hiking a couple of seasons and they still hold up) they are light weight and not so expensive. Lots of time they have a closeout sale on discontinued colors or overstocks!
http://www.froggtoggs.com/

I have both, like Minerva. I tend to use the Precip more though mine is the anorak style. They are both similar, but I think the Marmot is a bit thicker and probably less likely to wear under the shoulder straps of a pack. The Golite is a generous fit. It is probaly the only garmet I wear that is a Small. In rain, I use them to keep me warm rather than dry. If it is warm enough, I'll hike in rain without using rain gear. One time in the fall, I kept hiking without raingear even when a bit chilled, because I thought I might have to wear the extra layer to bed in order to keep warm and I wanted that layer to be dry. Anyway I do not think you can go wrong with either jacket. When I've used them to keep me dry, they have worked. They are great windbreakers. I use them year round. Why do I have both? My wife was using the Golite as a rain jacket at home, so I got the Precip for myself. I hiked in it as my outer layer this winter in 20 below F, not including windchill. It worked!

My kid used FrogToggs this summer during a climbing trip in southwest Colorado. She said that they kept her dry during a day of heavy rain (as well as a couple of days of drizzle) and they didn't sweat up badly. I liked them because they were relatively cheap (about $60 for pants and jacket). The only possibly negative comment she made is that they seem to be sized a bit large. She wears a Small and she said they looked/felt as if they were a Medium.

So far it has performed very well. I have the jacket and pants and have put them through some tough cross country scrambling in all types of terrible weather. I always use gaters, this helps keep boots, feet and pant bottoms in good shape.

I have a Precip Jacket and it works very well in pouring rain. Once I got
the ventilation set ( Pit zips and wrist cuffs) I was good as gold. I have not had a problem with the jacket and I have had it for two years now. I treated it this year to keep the waterproofness with Nikwax.

Sparky!

My Frogg Togg jacket died on the Trail this summer. Had it since 1999, and 4000 miles. The sleeves gave out, and would not repel the rain any longer. Probably too many washes in a washing machine. Anyway, I had to replace it, and there were no Frogg Toggs at this small outfitters, just off the Trail. So I purchased a Red Ledge rain jacket with TH4, whatever that is. This jacket has no pit zips, and Red Ledge advertises their Thunderlight has pit zips. Does anyone have an idea which Red Ledge jacket I purchased, or is this just an older version of the Thunderlight? This one weighs 11.0 oz. on the button, has a hood, two zip pockets, and stuffs into it's own mesh pocket.

:o A ....Yea....Seems unless the rain jacket dosen't have a proprietary secondary layer, or a liner of some sort, preferably two.....you are not able to achieve a certifiable waterproofness over a reasonable amount of time. This allows all the more for weight. Stronger outer fabric to acheive a 'reasonable amount of wear', more inner layers to achieve more water-fastness, and permeability, and to dry faster.....all this 'high tech' design allows for a jacket, in this market range, to be both waterproof, strong, and long lasting.

There are many suitable all weather outer wear jackets out there. Some of the more popular LDH type jackets are lasting as long as a Thru-Hike, costing under $100, and weighing less than a lb.

Marmot makes the Pre-Cip Jacket. It is one of these new-er 'High Tech' jacket fabrics, and designs weighing in at around 12oz. Compresses to nada, takes no space.
Does well in a thunder-storm, but not as good as gor tex....weighs generally less than a typical, similar gortex lined rain gear.

I had issue with the durability factor as some of the inner seam-taping around the neck area became lose with time and wear. I replaced it simply, with iron on seam-sealer material. Other than that, it has been with me on several month long and longer walks and pretty well stood the test of time, for me, that makes it a classic. KZ@ What-a-ya-walkin'-at-me-for?