Rain Gear
I have been going back and forth and side to side and all over trying to decide what rain gear I'm going to get! Any suggestions guys?
I have always just used a poncho, but have recently bought Frogg Toggs. Have not used yet, but from what I read they work pretty good and inexpensive. So if I don't like or they don't work not out lots of money.
Probably not much help here. I am interested to see what others have to say also.
I also just picked up Frogg Toggs. No chance to use them in rain yet, but the price and weight sure are appealing. The jacket + pants are 1/4 the price of just my normal rain jacket and only weigh 2 oz more together than the jacket alone.
I'm still a hopeless poncho fan. They vent well. They protect your gear better than any other option. They provide a convenient "tent" to work under while walking or sitting to look at a map or work a cell phone. They are multi-purpose in also being able to be a shelter on their own, an extra shelter for more dry space if you already use a tent, but want someplace outside that is also dry to eat or cook. They work as sit pads, ground cloths, wind breaks, "table cloths", etc.
I'm not lost. I'm exploring.
I'm also in the cheap and simple camp. My favorite is homemade of non-breathable silnylon, seven ounces for pants and jacket, packs the size of two fists. On the AT, the rain gear you carry is not a really important decision. How you use what you have is more so. An experienced hiker with a plastic poncho is often better off than a newbie with the highest tech, most expensive garments.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
I brought a pair of Frogg Togg rain pants and within 5 minutes of putting them on they had ripped at the seam. Duct tape worked until the trip was over but I learned my lesson on them.
Gotta go over and check out the O2 raingear. Similar to Frogg Toggs. Equally ugly. Surprisingly durable. Very breathable. About $10 more than Frogg Toggs.Originally Posted by soumodeler
I'm not lost. I'm exploring.
Check out a Packa if you haven't.
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Packa or poncho. Mostly use the poncho in the warmer months. Love having my pack completely covered.
Outdoor Products Packframe Poncho, Dri-Duck pants, MLD eVENT Rain Mitts. Total weight: 18.6, which is less than a Marmot Precip rain jacket and pack cover alone.
Use the rain mitts as a stuff sack to hold the poncho and pants -- you'll probably never use them, but they're lighter than the stuff sack that came with the poncho and they have the room to hold your entire rain kit.
You can hardly buy cheaper or lighter rain pants than Dri-ducks, and since you'll hardly ever use them, there's not much point in buying any better. If you tear them up, just buy another pair for $15.
For an extra $50, you can lose another 5 oz with a lighter, bigger, but less rugged silnylon poncho.
Add a 4oz Houdini wind jacket for less than the weight of the pack cover you don't need and you're ready for anything. You can probably find one on Ebay in an ugly color for half the price of REI.
On the AT, a poncho for sure! Although a LW rain jacket will be a nice wind shirt and will help keep you warmer in the early/late months.
Anything to say about the sizing of the O2 products?
Palatial?
Their "Original Hooded Jacket" is a very roomy cut, but pretty standard sizing for length and shoulders.
I'm not lost. I'm exploring.
Umbrella , OR pertex jacket, Helium equipment rain skirt
I have a The North Face HyVent rain jacket. It's a basic "waterproof/breathable" unlined rain jacket. Got it on sale so not too expensive. Since "waterproof/breathable" is a myth, I don't chase down the latest (and expensive) technologies. It's not ultra light and doesn't pack real small, but it has a nice hood, nice pockets, and very generous pit zips, which are essential for making it functional. It's the same jacket I use all year when it's raining. And it's an attractive blue color so I look really good on the trail (woot woot!)
That, or similar jacket, but I don't look good in a skirt so I have Golite rain pants when it's cold enough or nasty enough to need them.
+1 on the umbrella plus rain jacket. Have never owned rain pants usually hike in shorts in the rain. Considering rain pants for chilly rain.
IMO skirts never look good with hiking shoes. Go with a pair of stilettos.
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LightHeart Gear Rain jacket, rain wrap, hoodie pack cover for summer time, rain pants - all made in America, VERY light weight.
I'm thinking about doing this. That way I could get away with a water resistent wind jacket and not have to carry a sweaty rain suit. Any umbrella fans out there?
I carry a hoody wind jacket and OR rain jacket. Umbrella 8oz OR rain jacket 6.5 oz rain skirt 1.6 oz. No rain jacket ? I have to think about that
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