Looking for good rain gear

[Mr. Clean]

I'm in the market for a good rain jacket and maybe pants that will treat me well if I encounter several days of rain. I've heard folk mention the Marmot Precip and Frogg Toggs; are there any other jackets you prefer? I have fleece, mid layer and base layer, and have a heavy Gore tex jacket for New England winters, but would like a lighter weight 3 season jacket to keep me dry. Thanks.

[2Ply]

You should try the Packa. Both a pack cover and jacket all in one. You can wear it without a pack around camp or in town and it's light weight and comfortable. Vents really well too. Since it goes over your shoulder straps and hip belt everything stays nice and dry! :D

[Footslogger]

Since you've already got the Marmot Precip on the list you might want to take a look at the Sierra Design Peak Bagger.

I will tell you though that I started my thru-hike in 2003 with the Peak Bagger and sent it home in Hot Springs. I hit the outfitter there and found a set of Frogg Toggs. Lighter weight and worked better than the "high priced" waterproof breathable stuff. I didn't perspire as heavily in the Frogg Toggs and that made life in the rain a lot more comfortable. Another thing was that when it really rained the Frogg Toggs dried out a lot faster than the Peak Bagger.

Anyway ...that's my experience.

'Slogger

[gravityman]

Check out rainshield. Slightly lighter than Frogg toggs and have a better storm flap on the front. Hood works best with a visor.

http://www.rainshield.com/p_multi.html

The blue model # 1122

Gravity Man

[hungryhowie]

In the same vein as the Precip is the Red Ledge Thunderlight series. It also uses a lightweight waterproof/breathable coating applied to the fabric. I've been using this rainwear for the past 3 years and have no real complaints. It is lighter weight and half of the cost of the Precip, and works about the same.

While the Precip is certainly a more bombproof jacket, I choose the Red Ledge every time I walk out of the door. While it's no frills design means that I don't have any pit zips (I have the anorak, I think the jacket does incorporate them), it also means that its less weight. My small size anorak weighs just 8oz, 4oz less than my Precip. The RL stuff is also much less expensive: about $85 for the set vs. $170. In three years, I've worn out one set of pants (I use them all the time) and am now in desparate need for a new anorak.

Frogg Toggs are also a good choice. Many people say that they breathe better than any other w/b material, but I've also heard that they tend to lose their waterproofness over time. Not a big deal. Most people say that one set lasts at least as long as a thruhike, and if you're worried you can pick up another set for not too much money.

Rainshield O2 is also like the Frogg Toggs. They are even cheaper and lighter than the frogg toggs, but only come in yellow (for the cheap and light kind).

If you don't mind doing a little sewing, you can pick up some silnylon and the Liberty Ridge pattern from Thru-hiker.com and make a really lightweight anorak (and pants) of your own. Instead of replacing my Red Ledge stuff, I'll be making a set of this for summer. Using other people's reported weights, I think I can get the weight of the waterproof anorak and pants to come it at a combined weight of between 5 and 5.5oz. Wow!

-Howie

[Cedar Tree]

Are you the Mr. Clean 2000 Sobo who developed lyme Disease? We met in VT, very late in the afternoon on a very rainy day. You asked me about a good place to camp ahead.

I hope you will check out the Packa Mr. Clean,
Thanks for the plug 2ply.
Cedar Tree

[FatMan]

My Frogg Toggs are great. I strongly recommend.

[VAMTNHIKER]

Very happy with my Red Ledge Jacket and pants.

After a year the zipper ripped out near the bottom; both Red Ledge and Campmor stood behind the product. Mailed it back to Campmor (as I bought it through them) and had a new jacket less than a week later, at no charge.

:clap

[DeoreDX]

Personally I use a silnylon poncho. I have yet to find a supposed waterproof/breathable jacket breathable enough for me. I know, I've tried them all. I have this jacket obsession, and i literally had at one time over 50 jackets. now I'm down to about 30, but I leave the thousands of dollars worth of jackets at home for a Equinox silnylon poncho with backpacker extention. It's hard to beat the breathability and the overall functionality of the poncho. You no longer have the water that runs between your back and pack. It's really light (9.1oz in the stuff sack on my scale after I added additional tie-out points). It can serve as an impromptu shelter. It's hard to beat stringing up the poncho so you can at least have a lunch out of the rain. I also use mine often as a dround cloth to lay around on. Here is a picture of my poncho with my Golite Nest under it. This is my summer shelter system in leiu of my Tarptent Cloudburst.

http://www.mindspring.com/~deoredx/Poncho_Nest.jpg

[Jaybird]

I'm in the market for a good rain jacket and maybe pants that will treat me well if I encounter several days of rain. I've heard folk mention the Marmot Precip and Frogg Toggs; are there any other jackets you prefer? I have fleece, mid layer and base layer, and have a heavy Gore tex jacket for New England winters, but would like a lighter weight 3 season jacket to keep me dry. Thanks.


Yo Mr.Clean:


I use a REI Switchback Parka, also have used a Marmot jacket, both are longer than normal rain jackets...(good for extra protection) & use regular rain-resistant, breathable, fast-dry pants for backpacking.

Never had any probs with either...& they do a great job.




My wife & I have visited Kennebunk several times while vacationing in
Maine (Rockport, Camden & Bar Harbor) :D

[Peaks]

My Frogg Toggs are great. I strongly recommend.

For what it's worth, my solution is a Marmot Precip jacket and Frogg Toggs rain pants. In fact, they are the only long pants I carry in warm weather. They get worn mostly in laundrymats.

I've heard that if you use Frogg Toggs, bring along the duct tape. Frogg Toggs do wear and tear. Not for off trail use at all. I tore mine up while bagging a trailless peak in the Adirondacks.

[Mr. Clean]

Looks like quite a few jackets to look at. Will definitely check all suggestions, esp. the Packa, Frogg Toggs, Red Ledge, and Rainshield. Going to do a week on the Long Trail in July and will need something. Days and overnights if I get wet I can get by, but I'll need more for the week.

No, I'm not the same Mr. Clean, and you're the second one to mention it. I didn't know there was another. Anyone else know him? I thought I was an original!

Thanks for the response, and any more info is appreciated.

[Blue Jay]

Looks like quite a few jackets to look at. Will definitely check all suggestions, esp. the Packa, Frogg Toggs, Red Ledge, and Rainshield. Going to do a week on the Long Trail in July and will need something. Days and overnights if I get wet I can get by, but I'll need more for the week.

No, I'm not the same Mr. Clean, and you're the second one to mention it. I didn't know there was another. Anyone else know him? I thought I was an original!

Thanks for the response, and any more info is appreciated.

Actually you might be the third Mr. Clean there was one in '98' who wasn't too clean. Kind of like if I were called Mr. Nice, I think it was one of those anti names. Don't worry about it, there have been many Blue Jays, Chiefs, Mooses, Slowpokes, Wolves, etc.