What is the very best rain jacket?

[Doc Mike]

Can everyone give me your opinion. If money was not an issue what would be the very best rain jacket to hike the AT. Now remember not the best for the money but the very best backpacking rain jacket in the world.

Thanks
Doc Mike

[Donde]

IMHO A cuben fiber Packa would be the way to go given your parameters.

[Lone Wolf]

frogg toggs

[max patch]

The answer will vary by person. You can get a jacket that breathes. You can get a jacket that is waterproof. But you can't get a jacket that is both. What is most important, and to what degree, is up to you to decide.

[leaftye]

Seriously there is no best rain jacket/poncho because they all suck in some way and most are good in other ways.

More than that, any "best" has to be detailed requirements. It's like asking what the best food is. I might say it's something with dairy, but the seriously lactose intolerant would disagree. Ask a hiker what the best footwear at any cost is, and one would say it's Asolo 520's and another will say bare feet is best of all. They're both right.

Look at almost every project with huge delays and cost overruns, and it's almost certainly due to requirements problems, either those that were vague, never defined, or kept changing.

[Doc Mike]

I'm glad I put this in the straight forward section because that helps cut down on the BS answers. Even if they all suck and none are perfect which is the best in your humble opinion?
Marmot precip, oracle....
moutain hardware......
etc......

Thanks so much for the serious answers
Doc Mike

[Rasty]

I'm glad I put this in the straight forward section because that helps cut down on the BS answers. Even if they all suck and none are perfect which is the best in your humble opinion?
Marmot precip, oracle....
moutain hardware......
etc......



Thanks so much for the serious answers
Doc Mike

I have two rain jackets. First is a Patagonia gore tex which is waterproof but absorbs water weight in the outside fabric. It cost about $300 and is very hot. The second is a Columbia coated rain jacket at about 10 ounces and cost about $60 and keeps me dry. I tend to roll up the sleeves when hiking in the rain. If money were not a consideration then I would get a ZPacks breathable cuben fiber jacket. Weighs about 4 ounces but I would worry about the durability.

[kayak karl]

cuben packa (post #2) i have a marmot and a mountian hardware. one i use for estimates in the rain, the other i walk the dog.

[hikerboy57]

I have a marmot mica,much lighter than the precip,more breathable,but on a steep uphill im sweating no matter what.

[Del Q]

I miss pit zips.............eVent and North Face jackets are excellent but ventilation is key. More and more I hike with no shirt and a rain jacket.

[max patch]

I need a new jacket and I'm going to go to the golite website, see what they have in a 3 layer with pit zips, and compare that to a precip. And then I'll decide. Not spending a lot of time trying to figure out the "best" when there is no such thing.

[colorado_rob]

I'd suggest an Arctyrex Alpha SL or Alpha LT. Stupid expensive, but fairly light, tough, fits great (depending on your build), so many things about this jacket are perfect. Best combination of breathable and waterproof I've seen (the Goretex Pro shell in the LT). That being said, I'll just be using DriDucks ($20 a set, probably need a couple/few sets for the entire AT) and save my $500 Arctyrex for climbing expeditions.

[Mags]

No such thing. And that ain't a BS answer.

Tell us more about how YOU hike.

Are you tough on gear or do you treat it gently? Tend to hike cool or sweat a lot? Like ponchos? Want more breathability or more water proofness? What time of the year are you hiking the AT? Prefer simplicity and lightweight or want extras like pitzips that add weight but perhaps more functionality?

What is the best for me may be differnt for you. Need more info!

There really is no best gear...just what is best for a given situation, style of hiking, time of year and so on.

[leaftye]

I'm glad I put this in the straight forward section because that helps cut down on the BS answers. Even if they all suck and none are perfect which is the best in your humble opinion?
Marmot precip, oracle....
moutain hardware......
etc......

Thanks so much for the serious answers
Doc Mike

There's no straight forward answer when you ask a bad question.

I already gave an answer anyhow. I mean it. There's a lot I'd like in a jacket, but I wouldn't want to carry it. Just for you, I'll go ahead and be more detailed. A military goretex parka with Gerbing heated electric liner. My jacket sherpa would still carry the batteries even while I'm wearing the jacket.

[yellowsirocco]

cuban packa

[swjohnsey]

Take a look at Marmot Essence, very light, slightly expensive, no frills.

[kayak karl]

the south of the border packa

[Papa D]

I like my Arctyerx Alpha LT - I also have an Alpha SL and a Beta - something - all of their products are well-made and stand up to the test

[Tinker]

I've tried the best and they're not all that.
Waterproof/breathable is something that only means anything if you aren't exerting yourself. Once you start hiking strenuously, you will find it necessary to ventilate (unzip) your jacket, or at least the pit zips. On waterproof/breathables, the durable waterproof outer fabric treatment must be maintained or the water will "sheet" across the fabric surface, effectively blocking the escape of any water vapor. In other words, if the water doesn't bead up, the fabric doesn't breathe. The sour truth is that sweat and body oils conspire to make the inner membrane leak, while dirt from the outside works to make the durable waterproof treatment (silicone or teflon based, usually) leak.
Reader's Digest condensed version: It's high maintenance and expensive.
Coated garments with lots of ventilation options will work nearly as well as expensive wp/b ones and cost a lot less.
Larger sizes make for better air flow (ventilation).
Ponchos are great until it gets hot, then just getting rained on is best.
Ponchos are not so great in cold and/or windy weather as rain or cold air will get through the arm openings.
If I were to do a thruhike today I would probably get some inexpensive coated raingear for an early NOBO start and switch to a poncho for warmer weather, switching back to a jacket (and maybe pants) towards the end (Sept. or Oct. in NH and Me.).
Frogg Toggs may be good, price wise. I've used similar fabrics (Dri Ducks Micro Pore), which I found had an interior surface which kept the clamminess away from my skin, and it was waterproof and felt fairly dry, due to the aforementioned inner surface and the fact that the stiffness of the fabric kept it from clinging on my bare arms (I wore polyester short sleeves during my testing).
The downside of the Dri Ducks was that they shredded fairly quickly on trailside brush and after a few tough months of use, the little nits and picks on the outer fabric allowed it to leak.

[jeffmeh]

Another vote for the Packa. If money were no object I would go with the cuben one, but given that I am tough on gear I would be prepared to replace it. Otherwise, the silnylon one is excellent.