help with outer wear choice

[HT1]

I'm agonizing over my outer/rainwear choice, I have a new Frog togg top, 13.9 OZ, or a an 12 year old old Patagonia DWR shell, 17.6 OZ

I'm not looking for any warmth, just some rain resistance, and a windbreaker.

which will serve me best for a NOBO AT Thru hike FEB 29 start


Thanks in advance

V/r HT1

[swjohnsey]

Or Driduck at about half the weight and $15 - $20 for top and bottom.

[BrianLe]

Frog togg's might or might not last --- my dri ducks coat developed a zipper issue fairly early on the AT (with also a late Feb start). The particular issue that I see is your comment that you want to use it both as windshirt and raingear --- i.e., that you'll be wearing it a lot, something not designed to be super durable. But if you're trying to limit yourself to stuff you already have, give it a shot, seems like a better choice to me than a shell that weighs even more (!).
FWIW, with an early start on the CDT this past year I found that a 7 oz shell (OR Helium) worked fine in this dual role, and was quite durable given the weight.

Bottom line, if you're limiting it to those two things, I'd start with the Frogg Toggs, be prepared to use a bit of duct tape for a while if things go wrong, and have the Patagonia shell somewhere that a friend or relative can mail it to you at need.

[bulldog49]

Agonizing should be reserved for life altering decisions, not about a rain jacket. For what it's worth, Frog Toggs are not very durable.

[TNman]

I have conducted a lot of research on rain gear for a planned future hike. I landed on the Marmot Super Mica due to weight (8 oz.) but it's expensive. A better deal would be the Marmot PreCip. It's about $100 cheaper but weighs 13 oz. I agree with many of the comments about Frogg Toggs not being durable.

[Don H]

I used Dri-Ducks in the beginning until the weather got warm enough where I didn't carry any rain gear. When I got to Hanover, NH I went with my Marmot Precip and used it for rain and wind.

[q-tip]

Marmot Mica-Gore Tex, waterproof (???) and 7 oz.

[swjohnsey]

Mica is not Goretex. Essence is even lighter and more expensive. I have a Precip but will use Driducks top and Montbell Dynamo pants, about 235 g, 8 oz. Precip top and bottom was 645 g, 1 lb 7 oz.

[RodentWhisperer]

Just FYI-- right now, there are some places where you can get the Marmot Mice (not the Super Mica, which is this year's update) for clearance prices. I saw them at REI for $95. If you're looking to keep costs to a minimum, consider the O2 Classic Hooded Jacket-- less than 6 oz., and less than $60. Of course, it's bright yellow. :-)

Hey, come to think of it... if you can bear living without a hood, you can probably find a cheap cycling raid jacket-- clear polypropyline, Velcro "zipper" down the front, and side vents-- for less than $30. By my scale, my old Garneau model is 9.1 oz.

[Sensei]

I used Frogg Toggs and Dri-Ducks on my thru. A Frogg Toggs jacket will last an entire thru if you are careful around the campfire. A Dri-Ducks jacket is about half the weight but won't last (I had holes in mine less than 100 miles in). A Tyvek jacket, on the other hand, is cheaper, more durable, AND lighter than both. Check this out:

http://gossamergear.com/wp/tips/tip-of-the-week-make-a-hooded-tyvek-rain-jacket-and-chaps-for-under-10

[Sassafras Lass]

Agonizing should be reserved for life altering decisions, not about a rain jacket. For what it's worth, Frog Toggs are not very durable.

+ 1.

For what it's worth, DriDucks are rather more useless.

[swjohnsey]

Clutzy folks probably should depend on Driducks. I'm gonna try some of the Tyvek coveralls just out of curiiouity.