"Transition" rain jacket

[dervari]

I'm currently in the process of losing weight, and need a rain jacket for this year. I don't really want to spend a lot on one that I will probably shrink out of with within a year. The two that comfortably fit me right now are the north face venture 2XL and the REI co-op 3XL. Has anyone had any experience with these jackets? Any input is appreciated.


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[nsherry61]

Please, accept my apology in advance for what I'm about to type . . . get a poncho. They breath better than a rain coat. They keep your pack dry. You don't have to worry about growing out of it. It can double as a shelter and/or ground sheet. If you can't bring yourself to use a poncho, in spite of what an awesome option they are, O2 makes a great and (http://o2rainwear.com/2011/03/original-hooded-jacket/)affordable rain coat (http://o2rainwear.com/2011/03/original-hooded-jacket/) that is pretty spacious, breaths surprisingly well and is more durable than FrogTogs.

[Wise Old Owl]

yup been there +1 on poncho!

[burger]

+1 on O2 rainshield jackets. They run like 1-2 sizes big, and they're dirt cheap (but quite fragile--fine for a groomed trail like the AT, but don't take it bushwhacking).

BTW, why is having a well-fit rain jacket so important? My jacket is quite big on me, but that just means plenty of room inside so i get a little ventilation in the areas that aren't being squeezed by my pack, and I don't feel too hot. Also, if I pull the front of the jacket out of my hip belt, it covers my hip belt pockets so I can leave my camera or phone in there without a waterproof bag. I woudn't want a snug-fitting raincoat.

[nsherry61]

+1 on O2 rainshield jackets. They run like 1-2 sizes big, and they're dirt cheap (but quite fragile--fine for a groomed trail like the AT, but don't take it bushwhacking).
My 18 yr old son loves his ugly yellow O2 jacket because he doesn't sweat in it like other rain jackets and because he hasn't been able to damage it in spite of quite a bit of pretty tough bushwhacking. We did about 2 miles of littoral crawling and clawing through salmon berry and salal hell on an Oregon coast range hike one rainy day. I assumed the jacket would be a shredded mess when we were done. It survived completely in tact, muddy, wet on the outside, dry on the inside and not a tear anywhere on it. It looks and feels like paper, but it really is NOT particularly fragile. One day of use with very little bushwhacking totally destroyed a FrogTogs poncho I had. I would have assumed they were the same papery stuff, but apparently they aren't.

[dervari]

+1 on O2 rainshield jackets. They run like 1-2 sizes big, and they're dirt cheap (but quite fragile--fine for a groomed trail like the AT, but don't take it bushwhacking).

BTW, why is having a well-fit rain jacket so important? My jacket is quite big on me, but that just means plenty of room inside so i get a little ventilation in the areas that aren't being squeezed by my pack, and I don't feel too hot. Also, if I pull the front of the jacket out of my hip belt, it covers my hip belt pockets so I can leave my camera or phone in there without a waterproof bag. I woudn't want a snug-fitting raincoat.
It's not well fit that I'm after. It's "big enough so it doesn't feel like a base layer" I'm looking for. Lol

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[jjmaine]

I have the north face venture and it has been a great rain jacket, does what its meant to do so you cant ask for much more than that. I tried a poncho first but didn't like it.

[ScareBear]

I am very fond of Mountain Gear rain jackets. Take a look at what is in your size at sierra trading post dot com. There's always a 30 percent off code somewhere. You won't spend over 100 bucks and will get a great jacket. BE SURE TO GET ONE WITH PIT ZIPS. Without pit zips, you can't effectively vent off your torso mass heat/humidity. I don't know why anyone would waste money on a rain jacket without pit zips.....

[peakbagger]

The marmot precip jackets are cheap and work well plus they have pit zips. Having an oversized raincoat it the way to go, I always buy them one size larger than normal although I sometimes need to modify the hood a bit to make sure its not to oversize.

[swisscross]

I picked up a Mountain Hardwear Plasmic for 40 bones from Sierra Trading Post a few months ago.