Confusing rain jacket choices.

[flatfeet]

I am completely baffled by the choices for a rain jacket. There are so many options. Gore-tex, E vent, membrane. What jacket should I take? How much should it weigh? I found a great deal on the Marmot alpinist, half off. Too much for a thru hike?

thanks.

[swjohnsey]

Yes. Too expensive, too heavy. Maybe something like Marmot Precip or Mica if money is no object.

[Blissful]

My hubby loves his dri ducks (http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Light-Weight-Hooded-Rain/dp/B00279IZEU)

[Wise Old Owl]

E vent Fabric http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym9l1qHMQdI

Gortex http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_bprmJKKK8


Nothing confusing about it, I think Gortex was first, and E vent came after.

[Luddite]

My hubby loves his dri ducks (http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Light-Weight-Hooded-Rain/dp/B00279IZEU)

I love mine too. Ultralight and ultracheap.

[Utah]

If its warm out, dont worry about a rain jacket. Just have a pack cover to keep your gear dry. I didnt use one until it got colder. I used a Marmot Precip. but you will get clammy no matter what you wear.:mad:

[hikerboy57]

check out the Marmot Mica, a little expensive, but the best breathability of anything I've tried, much better than the precip it replaced.

[Wise Old Owl]

No Clammy - pit vents, and good materials - and a sale is all you need....

[flatfeet]

Exum jacket? same weight as the Precip. 3L goretex. Seems like it breathes better too.

[Cedar Tree]

You could get an eVent Packa for half the price of the exum.
CT

[mweinstone]

i was a quark guy. and before that a patagonia shadow. i always had to have the cutting edge of gear. but lately my favorite rainwear is my campmore backpackers calauge. fully tapped. packs into its front carcgo pocket makeing both a great pillow and the perfect rectangle to put in a pack wasteing no space.it keeps you dry by itself, with rain pants its bombproof. i owned a 400$ patagonia gortex calauge once, this campmore gem is cut exactly like that one was. fully functional, light, durable and fity bucks. check it.

[mweinstone]

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___77708

so its only 40 bucks.

[LDog]

Conventional wisdom says you gotta pay north of $200 to get a breathable/ waterproof/ lightweight shell. Today, that means fabrics like Goretex, eVent or one of the proprietary fabrics manufacturers like Mountain Hardware use.

Apparently, even newer, more breathable fabrics are coming out this spring, and those "old school" jackets made with Gore PacLite and eVent are available at big discounts. We found a 13.5 oz women's REI Kimtah in eVent at an REI marked down from $229 to 159. They didn't have a comparable men's version, so I turned to the intertubes. There I found an 8oz Marmot Nano in Gore PacLite at Campsaver.com, marked down from $250 to 163. Lots of comparative bargains out there right now.

Course, that kinda cash is still not cheap, and there are lots of other options out there ... Good luck!

[BrianLe]

It is confusing. There's a pretty good and recent thread on this on backpackinglight.com. I don't think a dri-ducks coat will last a thru-hike (even though you won't be using it continuously). The Packa is indeed a fine choice, though not the lightest option --- the excellent venting makes up for that for many people, however.

In the context of a thru-hike, it would help if you state basics like when you start, which direction, and even perhaps clarify which trail (probably you mean the AT, but ...).

For the CDT next year, I'm starting (at least) with an Outdoor Research Helium jacket, 7 oz in size large. I just accept that I'll have to reapply the waterproof finish a couple of times along the way. If it's not waterproof enough, I'll swap (via mail) for my eVent Packa. Weight is a big enough factor for that gear list, however, that I'm trying to save a little there.

[BrianLe]

Postscript: the BPL thread on this that I mentioned is here (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=42941).

[trailangelbronco]

Go to Sierra trading post online. Sign up for daily deals emailed to you.
When you get the first deal emailed to you, click the link and buy the Mountain Hardwear Epic. I got mine for $62.00 that way. Waterproof and has pit zips.

I am buying alot of stuff from them, using those daily email coupons. Best deals I have found anywhere.

[Tinker]

If its warm out, dont worry about a rain jacket. Just have a pack cover to keep your gear dry. I didnt use one until it got colder. I used a Marmot Precip. but you will get clammy no matter what you wear.:mad:


The "Gospel" truth!
You will get damp and clammy inside the latest, most expensive membrane (forget the coatings - polyurethane, touted as "waterproof" is used in thinner coatings and called "waterproof/ breathable") - nothing could be farther from the truth.
Currently, the most breathable membrane (according to lab. tests) is eVent, which I've used along with Gore-tex (Sierra Designs and, more recently (brand forgotten) Pac-lite).
Pac-lite is not breathable, as far as I can tell.
Old Gore-tex (three layers, one bonded to the shell plus a nylon liner) is marginally better, probably because the liner absorbs some of your sweat,
and eVent, which appears to be somewhat breathable, but at the expense of waterproofness, depending strongly on the condition of the DWR (Durable Water Repellant) outer shell treatment.
Bottom line is that rainwear, to be absolutely waterproof, all the time, must be absolutely non-breathable all the time.
The "Waterproof-breathable" membranes or coatings depend entirely too much upon the DWR (explained above) to be dependable - once the fabric "wets out" or becomes "sheeted" (coated) with rain water, it ceases to breathe, and, in my experience with eVent- begins to leak.
The DWR is basically factory applied Teflon-based treatments which, at best, are temporary and at worst are inefficient from day one in making the water bead up and keeping it from sheeting. The membranes can "breathe" between the water beads but not through the "sheeted" water coating and you will get wet, either from inside or outside.
The short story is that I would advise you to get a completely waterproof garment and forget breathability except as far as efficient venting allows.
I hope this is helpful.
P.S - forget raingear when it's above 60 degrees (F) or so. You'll sweat so much you'll get wet without rain. :)

[LDog]

Currently, the most breathable membrane (according to lab. tests) is eVent, which I've used along with Gore-tex (Sierra Designs and, more recently (brand forgotten) Pac-lite). Pac-lite is not breathable, as far as I can tell.

PacLite is a second generation Gore product. It and their XCR are improvements on the original GoreTex, and are among the most breathable fabrics made.

For way more than you ever wanted to know about these fabrics, check out this article at backpackinglight.com:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/00316.html

Even if the first several paras turn you off with their dense technical discussions of how the fabrics work, there are a couple of sections worth perusing. "Rain Shell Usage Guidelines" starts with this quote:


"There is no performance substitute for choosing an appropriate shell and then using it intelligently. If you’re getting get too hot, too wet, or too cold, chances are there is something you can do to fix the problem. Adjust vents, remove or add insulating layers, or increase or decrease your hiking pace."

And "Rain Shell Selection Guidelines" discusses how the temperature ranges, humidity, wind, precipitation, and levels of exertion you expect should drive the choice of gear you need.

'Course as of this spring, all that is somewhat "old school" In this article, backpackinglight discusses the new fabrics by companies like Polartec, Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, and others, that claim better performance than Gore and eVent:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/orwm_2011_wrapup_waterproof-breathable_technologies.html

A little light reading for a stormy night. :D

[Tinker]

PacLite is a second generation Gore product. It and their XCR are improvements on the original GoreTex, and are among the most breathable fabrics made.

For way more than you ever wanted to know about these fabrics, check out this article at backpackinglight.com:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/00316.html

Even if the first several paras turn you off with their dense technical discussions of how the fabrics work, there are a couple of sections worth perusing. "Rain Shell Usage Guidelines" starts with this quote:

"There is no performance substitute for choosing an appropriate shell and then using it intelligently. If you’re getting get too hot, too wet, or too cold, chances are there is something you can do to fix the problem. Adjust vents, remove or add insulating layers, or increase or decrease your hiking pace."
And "Rain Shell Selection Guidelines" discusses how the temperature ranges, humidity, wind, precipitation, and levels of exertion you expect should drive the choice of gear you need.

'Course as of this spring, all that is somewhat "old school" In this article, backpackinglight discusses the new fabrics by companies like Polartec, Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, and others, that claim better performance than Gore and eVent:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/orwm_2011_wrapup_waterproof-breathable_technologies.html

A little light reading for a stormy night. :D

In the real world, none of the WP/B fabrics breathe well enough to keep you from drowning in your own sweat at high humidities or moderate to high temperatures. They work best in near to below freezing temps. when humidity is generally lower. They all require a temperature/humidity variant, meaning that the temperature and humidity need to be lower on the outside of the garment than on the inside. Temperature isn't the problem. It's when it rains outside and the DWR can't keep up with the deluge. In those conditions you will get damp/wet inside, mostly from your own sweat. Putting holes (pores, as the manufacturers call them) is not a good idea if you want to make a garment truly waterproof.
The new generation PacLite garment I bought from REI wetted inside faster than it did outside in 50 degree wet and foggy conditions. I was hoping it would work better than my old, heavy three (or, two plus liner) Gore-tex. The fact that they have to coat the inside with polyurethane to keep sweat from contaminating the membrane (salt draws water toward it) makes it effectively less breathable than old school Gore membranes.
Oh, yes, the membrane is glued to the outer fabric as well, and it's doubfrul that the glue is breathable.
The lab tests don't have a viable link to use in the real world.
I won't buy WP/B again.

[Tinker]

I should proofread first before posting. "Doubfrul" should be "doubtful" duhh! :)

[Trailryder42]

The Marmot Mica seems to be getting hard to find. That's what I've been looking for. Was in the McKinney Texas REI today and found a Marmot Oracle on the clearance rack for $89. I scarfed it up.