Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 vs more pricey raingear? Is it junk - or a great deal?

[Strummystick]

Frogg Toggs has this "Frogg Toggs® Ultra-Lite2™" set of rain gear that I'm considering as a lower cost alternative [$25.00]. Is it new and amazing? I hope so! Has anybody had any success or failure with this product? It is certainly much lighter than the regular Frogg tog line, but is it just junk? Will I be cursing myself on the AT until i get to the next PO to pick up a $275.00 Zpacks "Challenger". I seem to sweat myself crazy inside any rain suit i ever use. I had a Marmot Precip in the past, but that's looking heavy and expensive to me these days. I wore that one out years back, and I'm out for a two month AT section on April 1st.

Ultra-Lite II Rain Suit Net Weight: 10.4 oz. Men’s Sizes: SM-2XL |
UL12104Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite II suits are constructed from an ultra-lightweight, waterproof, breathable, nonwoven polypropylene material. The patented bilaminate technology with “welded” waterproof seams and unmatched sweat-free breathability is a great value in affordable rain wear. The compression packability of this suit allows it to pack down to storage pocket size, and it is perfect for backpacks, stadium seats or golf bags. technology is available in rain suit and poncho options.

Link to page: http://www.froggtoggs.com/mens/all-weather-suits/the-frogg-toggsr-ultra-lite2tm.html

[ChuckT]

Effective Rain Gear is a "Holy Grail" everybody looks for it ... nobody finds it.
I've tried a Rain Parka, a Poncho, a Goretex rain suit, another Poncho and now a "Packa".
From what I've seen about the Frog Togs they have the advantage of being available in Walmart stores and when you ditch them you're not out a bundle.
Currently I'm working on an umbrella setup. So that's trial #6 or 7.
Good luck and whatever you set on, enjoy it life's much too short.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

[colorado_rob]

This is the standard "Dri Duck" suit that has been discussed many times on WB. This suit used to be my standard UL rainwear. But very recently I had a couple of bad experiences with it wetting out quicker than I believe they used to. Not sure if I just got a bad jacket or they have changed their fabric or what. I've since gone to using the OR Helium II as my main jacket in wetter climes, though I still use my Dri Duck jacket here out west.

http://www.backcountry.com/outdoor-research-helium-jacket-mens?CMP_SKU=ODR0881&MER=0406&skid=ODR0881-PT-L&CMP_ID=PLA_GOc001&mv_pc=r101&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PLA&mr:trackingCode=C8B3865D-9F58-E111-88BF-001B21A69EB8&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=plaonline&mr:ad=92885917597&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:tid=pla-153196134997&mr:ploc=9028756&mr:iloc=&mr:store=&mr:filter=153196134997&gclid=COGU9Nqat8sCFQERaQodDQ0HNw&gclsrc=aw.ds

I still use the Frogg Togg UL2 (Dri duck) pants everywhere. Baggy and clumsy and they rip easily, but they still work great for rain protection and warmth (just duct tape the rips).

Notice what all of us except one are wearing on Forester Pass on the John Muir trail?

[Don H]

I always carry the FT jacket. The pants aren't much good to me, too long and baggy. I never hike in rain pants anyway.

Any rain jacket (no matter how much you pay for it) will keep you wet and warm while hiking in cold rain. In warm rain forget the jacket and just enjoy the free bath.

[lonehiker]

This is the standard "Dri Duck" suit that has been discussed many times on WB. This suit used to be my standard UL rainwear. But very recently I had a couple of bad experiences with it wetting out quicker than I believe they used to. Not sure if I just got a bad jacket or they have changed their fabric or what. I've since gone to using the OR Helium II as my main jacket in wetter climes, though I still use my Dri Duck jacket here out west.

http://www.backcountry.com/outdoor-research-helium-jacket-mens?CMP_SKU=ODR0881&MER=0406&skid=ODR0881-PT-L&CMP_ID=PLA_GOc001&mv_pc=r101&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PLA&mr:trackingCode=C8B3865D-9F58-E111-88BF-001B21A69EB8&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=plaonline&mr:ad=92885917597&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:tid=pla-153196134997&mr:ploc=9028756&mr:iloc=&mr:store=&mr:filter=153196134997&gclid=COGU9Nqat8sCFQERaQodDQ0HNw&gclsrc=aw.ds

I still use the Frogg Togg UL2 (Dri duck) pants everywhere. Baggy and clumsy and they rip easily, but they still work great for rain protection and warmth (just duct tape the rips).

Notice what all of us except one are wearing on Forester Pass on the John Muir trail?

It appears that 2 of you are wearing the "old" style of Frogg Toggs? If so, that has been my go-to raincoat for several years. I hope they are still available as I am in need of a replacement.

[Another Kevin]

Random thoughts about these:

They are indeed ultralight.

They are somewhat lacking in durability, but how often do you actually wear your rain suit? (When you need it, you need it, but if the temperature or wind aren't too bad, a lot of hikers would rather just get wet.)

The pants are considerably more fragile than the jacket. They get snagged, or you blow out the crotch or arse while sitting down.

The pants will keep you decent in a laundromat while you are washing every stitch of your other clothing. At least if you haven't blown out the crotch or arse.

They're cheap enough to be disposable, so the durability is less of an issue than you might imagine.

They are waterproof until they get snagged or rip. They are fixable, up to a point, with duck tape.

They've been around for a while under the DriDucks brand, and if you search WB for that term I'm sure you'll find a lot of discussion.

They are totally unsuited for bushwhacking.

I'm the rightmost hiker in this picture, and I'm wearing Dri-Ducks. It was enough work getting up that mountain that I was probably wearing just my baselayer under them. But you can see it was kind of wet that day. (I pulled the hood back for the picture, and pulled off one of my mitts for the "thumbs up")

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jBDl83rwzm0/UsGqHmmgjJI/AAAAAAAAZgw/Pl7IPis9hM408m9nRivdyV4w1oE-LHUPg/s640/DSC_5040.jpg

[ogtheking]

Effective Rain Gear is a "Holy Grail" everybody looks for it ... nobody finds it.
I've tried a Rain Parka, a Poncho, a Goretex rain suit, another Poncho and now a "Packa".
From what I've seen about the Frog Togs they have the advantage of being available in Walmart stores and when you ditch them you're not out a bundle.
Currently I'm working on an umbrella setup. So that's trial #6 or 7.
Good luck and whatever you set on, enjoy it life's much too short.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

I've tried the full rainsuits, Frog Toggs and ul ponchos (both FT and generic). I wet out the inside of a rainsuit fast and my experience with the other gear is it gets caught on briars or anything else and tears up.
My wife and I switched to rain kilts with umbrellas last year. We love it, we might get a little wet but it's nothing like being soaked inside rain gear. We did a 1 night 2 day trip last year and it rained 100% of the trip. We were both dry all day both days. One of the big pluses is we could take a break or eat lunch in the dry. It's no perfect but it's worth trying if you haven't. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160311/d8f8220118098c00d8af9c0d3abde754.jpg


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[Tipi Walter]

They've been around for a while under the DriDucks brand, and if you search WB for that term I'm sure you'll find a lot of discussion.

They are totally unsuited for bushwhacking.



Not only that, but unsuited for regular backpacking. Why? Because the inevitable blowdown or brush or collapsed rhododendron will block the trail and the Togs will get snagged and ripped.

Colorado Rob---My old Outdoor Research pants are history and so I went shopping recently for a replacement and found a pair of OR Helium pants but they seemed very thin though well made. I instead went with a pair of their Foray pants in goretex which are still light but beefier. Pants (like rain jackets) get a work-out and tears or holes are common.

I won't even mention which rain jacket I currently use and I should not even post a picture of it cuz if I do I'll get howls of derision when people attempt to compare Frogg Toggs with the thing.

https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2011/Cranbrook-School-Backpacking/i-rmRZS3N/0/M/TRIP%20120%20007-M.jpg

Btw, I think you could get 24 Frogg Togg Ultra Lite 2's for the price of this one jacket. And one pair of Toggs would last me one trip so 24 equals two years of usage, one per month. And then after two years and all that money, I still don't have a rain jacket.

[Don H]

"Not only that, but unsuited for regular backpacking. Why? Because the inevitable blowdown or brush or collapsed rhododendron will block the trail and the Togs will get snagged and ripped."

I have to disagree Tipi. Dri-Ducks/UL Frogg Toggs are quite suitable for backpacking. Many thru-hikers use them, in fact they are probably the most common brand of rain gear on the AT except maybe the Marmot Pre-Cip jacket. And the FT jacket is half the weight of the Marmot jacket.

My Dri-Duck jacket lasted my entire thru with one small tear in an arm, easily patched with duct tape. As with any Ultra Light gear reasonable care needs to be used.

This is my first choice for rain gear and a FT jacket is always in my pack.

[colorado_rob]

...

I won't even mention which rain jacket I currently use and I should not even post a picture of it cuz if I do I'll get howls of derision when people attempt to compare Frogg Toggs with the thing.
Hah! Looks just like either my orange Arcteryx Alpha LT or perhaps my blue Arcteryx Alpha SL.... can't tell which, though I don't recognize that shoulder pocket. Best jackets made IMHO, Arcteryx. The Alpha series is made/cut more for climbing (high pockets, nice when wearing a harness, huge hood, nice for when wearing a helmet), while the Beta is perhaps slightly better for general hiking. You can actually find these jackets, the SL that is, on sale for down near $200, still rather steep for some, but IMHO worth it. The alpha SL is around 11 ounces, IIRC, about 5 ounces heavier than a Dri Ducks jacket, but sometimes those ounces are well worth it. My Alpha LT is now 11 years old, still going strong (I use that one for winter).

So, sorry, no howls of derision from moi.

Here are a couple of Arcteryx jackets on top of a rather prominent mountain....

[Tipi Walter]

I have to disagree Tipi. Dri-Ducks/UL Frogg Toggs are quite suitable for backpacking. Many thru-hikers use them, in fact they are probably the most common brand of rain gear on the AT except maybe the Marmot Pre-Cip jacket. And the FT jacket is half the weight of the Marmot jacket.

My Dri-Duck jacket lasted my entire thru with one small tear in an arm, easily patched with duct tape. As with any Ultra Light gear reasonable care needs to be used.

This is my first choice for rain gear and a FT jacket is always in my pack.

The AT is a unique trail---I call it the Interstate Boulevard---because of its generally unimpeded travel. I backpack mostly in the Cherokee and Nantahala national forests around Cheoah Bald on the AT and my regular trails look like this, commonly---

https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpack-2016-Trips-171/21-Days-in-January/i-2WcjQwJ/0/M/TRIP%20171%20157-M.jpg
This is on the Benton MacKaye trail in North Carolina. Oops. Most every time a backpacker hikes thru such a mess he snags his rain jacket. If the jacket has a gtx proshell he'll be alright. If Frogg Toggs, well, good luck.

https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpack-2015-Trips-161/Three-Citico-Nuts/i-cBR6xhN/0/M/TRIP%20170%20293-M.jpg
Here's a typical blowdown on the South Fork Citico trail. There are thousands of these kind of blowdowns in the Southeast forests due to the recent hemlock dieoff caused by the woolly adelgid. These babies love to snag jackets and pants.

https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2010/Six-Days-with-Little-Mitten-on/i-S5nxCGf/0/M/TRIP%20108%20020-M.jpg
Here is Little Mitten getting jabbed in the wrong place by a blowdown on the Benton MacKaye trail. Luckily she wasn't wearing frogg toggs.

[Tipi Walter]

Hah! Looks just like either my orange Arcteryx Alpha LT or perhaps my blue Arcteryx Alpha SL.... can't tell which, though I don't recognize that shoulder pocket. Best jackets made IMHO, Arcteryx. The Alpha series is made/cut more for climbing (high pockets, nice when wearing a harness, huge hood, nice for when wearing a helmet), while the Beta is perhaps slightly better for general hiking. You can actually find these jackets, the SL that is, on sale for down near $200, still rather steep for some, but IMHO worth it. The alpha SL is around 11 ounces, IIRC, about 5 ounces heavier than a Dri Ducks jacket, but sometimes those ounces are well worth it. My Alpha LT is now 11 years old, still going strong (I use that one for winter).

So, sorry, no howls of derision from moi.

Here are a couple of Arcteryx jackets on top of a rather prominent mountain....

It IS the Alpha SV I think. Arcteryx gets confusing with its greek alphabet names. And mine is several years old so who knows what they are making currently.

And as you say, my Alpha is 7 years old and still going strong and has put in hundreds of bag nights in some butt tough conditions and keeps on ticking and keeps me alive at times when I shouldn't be outdoors.

And btw Rob---That guy in your group picture on the right looks familiar????

[rafe]

I like Frogg Toggs but they have a few issues. Ruggedness is not one of those issues, in my experience. I've never had them rip or come apart.

Main problem is they're bulky to pack, heavy, and dirt magnets. Also: don't get them anywhere near heat (eg. a campfire, or a clothes dryer.)

On the plus side, in addition to being great rain gear, Frogg Toggs also have enough warmth to be useful at camp on cool nights. So, double-purpose in that regard.

[MuddyWaters]

Beat to death topic, if someone knows how to search.Perfectly workable raingear IF you treat them right, and have no illusions about what raingear provides.
Better fit and features and durability is nice however.

[colorado_rob]

And btw Rob---That guy in your group picture on the right looks familiar????The guy in the green Dri ducks jacket on the right is Wayne H, AKA "smiley", he did the AT in 2003 and 2004 (springer->harpers 2003, harpers->Katahdin 2004) and the PCT in 2006, and many other shorter trails, including very recently the Pinhoti trail and the BMT. I wonder if you crossed paths sometime?

[Tipi Walter]

The guy in the green Dri ducks jacket on the right is Wayne H, AKA "smiley", he did the AT in 2003 and 2004 (springer->harpers 2003, harpers->Katahdin 2004) and the PCT in 2006, and many other shorter trails, including very recently the Pinhoti trail and the BMT. I wonder if you crossed paths sometime?

I'm certain I've seen him somewhere on the AT.

[Strummystick]

Thank you for all of these enlightening posts. I'm still up in the air, but this info helps me greatly as I hem and haw about what's available.

[brianb2]

Cut the pants off just above the knee. Rip the crotch seam. Put them on, turn 90 degrees and you've got a decent rain kilt.

[1azarus]

a less radical suggestion than brianb2's that has worked well for this long term user of frogg toggs: buy the largest size and cut the arms and legs to custom fit. You get more air ventilation... you get more room to layer clothing below (i've been known to wrap a sleeping bag under the jacket, and stuff an underquilt into the pants...)... pretty sweet fit, really. and at 5'-6" I am a pretty small guy.

I get a couple of years of hiking out of each set I purchase and am quite happy with their performance/value/weight...

[Don H]

The AT is a unique trail---I call it the Interstate Boulevard---because of its generally unimpeded travel. I backpack mostly in the Cherokee and Nantahala national forests around Cheoah Bald on the AT.

I agree that Frogg Toggs ULs wouldn't be the first choice for overgrown trails but the OP stated he's looking for rain gear for the AT. They're totally appropriate for AT use and at $20 a set can be considered disposable after the two month hike the OP is planning.

[Another Kevin]

a less radical suggestion than brianb2's that has worked well for this long term user of frogg toggs: buy the largest size and cut the arms and legs to custom fit. You get more air ventilation... you get more room to layer clothing below (i've been known to wrap a sleeping bag under the jacket, and stuff an underquilt into the pants...)... pretty sweet fit, really. and at 5'-6" I am a pretty small guy.

I get a couple of years of hiking out of each set I purchase and am quite happy with their performance/value/weight...

I've seen 1azarus with his top quilt inside the jacket and his underquilt inside the pants. It's quite the fashion statement, let me tell you. :)

[dcurryjr007]

I've tried the full rainsuits, Frog Toggs and ul ponchos (both FT and generic). I wet out the inside of a rainsuit fast and my experience with the other gear is it gets caught on briars or anything else and tears up.
My wife and I switched to rain kilts with umbrellas last year. We love it, we might get a little wet but it's nothing like being soaked inside rain gear. We did a 1 night 2 day trip last year and it rained 100% of the trip. We were both dry all day both days. One of the big pluses is we could take a break or eat lunch in the dry. It's no perfect but it's worth trying if you haven't. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160311/d8f8220118098c00d8af9c0d3abde754.jpg


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QUESTION:
What type of hiking kilts are you using?

[GreenBlaze]

It IS the Alpha SV I think. Arcteryx gets confusing with its greek alphabet names. And mine is several years old so who knows what they are making currently.

I've got the Arc'Teryx Beta LT and it's been great.

[ogtheking]

QUESTION:
What type of hiking kilts are you using?

It's from ZPacks, around 2 oz. Can also use it as a ground cloth.

http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/cloudkilt.shtml


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[left52side]

Cut the pants off just above the knee. Rip the crotch seam. Put them on, turn 90 degrees and you've got a decent rain kilt.

This actually inst a bad idea at all...
Might have to try this.

[fastfoxengineering]

Going ultralight and ultracheap this season here in the whites. Just ordered a set of frogg toggs ultralight II in small size. Gonna do a long term review after the seasons over. Well see if it holds up. I actually am optimistic about this rain coat. If i was going somewhere more remote, I'd opt for a different jacket.

[jshannon]

I have a couple pair and think they are worth owning and using for trail hiking.

[brianb2]

This actually inst a bad idea at all...
Might have to try this.

Did it, works well. Comes with me when I'm expecting a lot of rain. Don't care for rain pants but wanted the jacket. I've got nicer jackets now, but I keep this one in the jeep. It never failed me in the trail and the weight is great.

[scrabbler]

That Marmot Precip that you wore out is like German tank in terms of durability compared to the Frogg. I'd get another Precip.