View Full Version : Rain Gear
This question has probably been posted before but I need some experienced input. I am looking at buying new rain gear and want something that is waterproof, breathable, lightweight, pit zips, etc...
I have tried Dry ducks but am looking for something better. I am considering a jacket by Golite and was wanting to know if anyone has experience with Golite rainwear? Any other suggestions will also be appreciated.
yellowsirocco
09-09-2012, 10:09
Packa is pretty much the only thing that actually works well.
Drybones
09-09-2012, 10:48
An ultralight, 9.6 oz, poncho that also covers my pack works best for me. I have several jackets but only use one when it's really cold, as in too cold to rain. The primary reason I like the poncho is temperature control, I would be wet from sweat with the jacket. Only down side with the poncho is when it's very windy and you're hiking up a steap hill, otherwise the wind was not an issue.
The Marmot Precip has been a favorite with hikers for a while. It is 14 ounces, has pit zips, is breathable and is "waterproof."
http://www.rei.com/product/804391/marmot-precip-rain-jacket-mens
The reason I put "waterproof" in quotes is because all materials that breathe at all are not truly waterproof. Any material that is truly waterproof does not breathe. I have an expensive high-tech rain jacket featuring eVent fabric (it was made by Integral Designs but they no longer make it), and eVent is both light and slower to let in water than traditional "breathable" fabrics, but it is still not waterproof. REI makes a jacket now with eVent (it has no pit zips), but like my ID jacket it is expensive.
http://www.rei.com/product/826021/rei-kimtah-rain-jacket-mens
Thanks for the info Map man. I have looked at the Marmot Precip but was trying to save myself a little money by checking out other options as well. I have an REI near my home so it looks like I need to go do some investigation there. I may just have to get over my desire to spend as little as possible and take the plunge where raingear is concerned. Thanks again.
I also like a poncho, although it can result in cold wet arms. I got some tyvek sleeves a while back. They're very inexpensive. It should keep my arms dry, but I haven't tried them out yet.
I do prefer a smaller pack with a poncho.
max patch
09-09-2012, 20:14
The Marmot Precip has been a favorite with hikers for a while. It is 14 ounces, has pit zips, is breathable and is "waterproof."
http://www.rei.com/product/804391/marmot-precip-rain-jacket-mens
The reason I put "waterproof" in quotes is because all materials that breathe at all are not truly waterproof. Any material that is truly waterproof does not breathe. I have an expensive high-tech rain jacket featuring eVent fabric (it was made by Integral Designs but they no longer make it), and eVent is both light and slower to let in water than traditional "breathable" fabrics, but it is still not waterproof. REI makes a jacket now with eVent (it has no pit zips), but like my ID jacket it is expensive.
http://www.rei.com/product/826021/rei-kimtah-rain-jacket-mens
Exactly.
In Andrew Skurka's book on gear he makes the point: You can get a jacket that is waterproof. You can get a jacket that is breathable. But you can't get a jacket that is both. So no sense obsessing over finding the "perfect" jacket cus it doesn't exist.
ChinMusic
09-09-2012, 20:23
Exactly.
In Andrew Skurka's book on gear he makes the point: You can get a jacket that is waterproof. You can get a jacket that is breathable. But you can't get a jacket that is both. So no sense obsessing over finding the "perfect" jacket cus it doesn't exist.
Well, that burst my bubble. I am in need of a new upper rain jacket/poncho.
The Marmot Precip has been a favorite with hikers for a while. It is 14 ounces, has pit zips, is breathable and is "waterproof."
I have the hardest time figuring out why this is such a popular jacket. I have one... as rainwear I found it beyond useless. It would wet through in rain just walking across a parking lot.
If you hike in the rain, be prepaired to get wet. Either from the rain or the sweat. After trying several top line rain jackets I settled for a Frog Tog jacket. Remember a rain jacket has to also serve as a cold weather jacket. Hiking without some sort of rain protection when the tempeture goes into the 50s will set you up for hypathermia for sure.
So, get a jacket that will keep you sort of dry and some what warm. As far as the bottom, I would knee high gators. They kept some water out of my shoes and kept my legs warm.
Drybones
09-12-2012, 18:15
I have the hardest time figuring out why this is such a popular jacket. I have one... as rainwear I found it beyond useless. It would wet through in rain just walking across a parking lot.
Some friends of mine say the same thing, it's okay in light rain but soaks thru in heavy rain. They ended up using the Gortex paclite. I have the paclite also but only use it in nasty cold winter weather.
Lone Wolf
09-12-2012, 18:26
spend $30 or $300. you're gonna sweat. marmot precip and all the other high dollar crap is just that. frogg toggs or dri ducks are just fine
Thanks for the feedback folks. Very helpful, especially in regard to experience with the Marmot Precip. I am going to do a little more homework and then make the plunge. I will look for something to provide protection from the rain and some degree of insulation against cold rain when the temps. are chilly and the wind is blowing. For those of you that use a Packa do you also wear rain pants? Please continue to provide any more information you think will be helpful. Thanks again.
spend $30 or $300. you're gonna sweat. marmot precip and all the other high dollar crap is just that. frogg toggs or dri ducks are just fine
LW I have tried Dri Ducks and they worked o.k. but they were not very durable in my experience. I have not tried any other type of Frogg Toggs though. And yes I sweated even worse than normal with the Dri Ducks on so I was hoping something with pit zips might make a difference??
Cedar Tree
09-13-2012, 11:43
I use rain pants with the Packa.
CT
For those of you that use a Packa do you also wear rain pants? Please continue to provide any more information you think will be helpful. Thanks again.
Moose2001
09-13-2012, 11:49
Some friends of mine say the same thing, it's okay in light rain but soaks thru in heavy rain. They ended up using the Gortex paclite. I have the paclite also but only use it in nasty cold winter weather.
I've carried a Marmot Precip over 8000 miles and I love the jacket. I'm on my second one. Is it a totally rainproof jacket? Nope. If you can find one that is totally waterproof and weighs 14 ounces, I'd love to know what it is. If you want to be sealed up tight and waterproof, buy and carry a heavier gortex jacket. However, even those will eventually wet out. If it's raining, no matter what you're wearing, you'll be wet. Either from the outside in or the inside out. You learn to live with it.
treesloth
09-13-2012, 11:59
+1 on the Packa, used with or without rain pants. What a great piece of gear. 12 oz for poncho AND pack cover, with big pit zips.
hikerboy57
09-13-2012, 13:33
I've carried a Marmot Precip over 8000 miles and I love the jacket. I'm on my second one. Is it a totally rainproof jacket? Nope. If you can find one that is totally waterproof and weighs 14 ounces, I'd love to know what it is. If you want to be sealed up tight and waterproof, buy and carry a heavier gortex jacket. However, even those will eventually wet out. If it's raining, no matter what you're wearing, you'll be wet. Either from the outside in or the inside out. You learn to live with it.
better is the Marmot Mica, now with pit zips, lighter and more breathable than the precip, although more expensive.again, you're gonna get wet no mater what you use, but its good for helping to prevent hypothermia.
PJWetzel
09-13-2012, 14:14
Experience from 3600 miles of hiking this year, in rain as cold as the low 30's F, I've found that temperature control is far more important than staying dry. If it rains heavily or a long time, you will get wet, regardless. Pants with poly-fill that keep me warm when soaking wet are a far more valuable piece of gear than rain pants for cold weather hiking. For upper body I've settled on a nylon ultra-light poncho/tarp (totally waterproof - also a valuable multi-purpose piece of gear). It also doubles as an emergency final layer for warmth. I don't even carry my rain jacket any more.
treesloth
09-13-2012, 14:37
Experience from 3600 miles of hiking this year,
Pardon my thread drift. So you're yo-yoing the AT?
Yes, PJWetzel (trail name "Seeks It") is yo-yoing each day, covering a stretch of the AT both north and south each day, then spending each night in his "two thousand pound tent." If you click on his trailjournals link you will find one of the best written and descriptive trail journals you will ever read. I've been following it enthusiastically this year.
Well, that burst my bubble. I am in need of a new upper rain jacket/poncho.
Look for ventilation options in a completely coated, waterproof jacket (or parka).
I have used Precip, Goretex, and eVent. The first is really not breathable, the second two leak when the durable water repellant coating wears off the outside. It can be revived by a wash-in or spray on treatment (notably from Nikwax, which I've used on both the wp/b garments.
I use a poncho in milder weather and have used it with a bivy sack and over a hammock with some success (I wouldn't recommend it for long term hiking - you will get your sleeping gear wet eventually).
A hammock can be too hot in the summer just like a jacket. On a couple of occasions I just took it off, deciding that the rain would wash some of the sweat out of my clothes. Warm rain is refreshing, and warm water won't kill you unless you try to breathe it. On a windy summer day I might wear a wind jacket over a synthetic or wool shirt to stave off hypothermia.
Lately I haven't been hiking because I have a knee that just won't behave. I have three more weeks of PT and then the insurance company might let my doctor send me in for an MRI to find out what's actually wrong. I might do some walk in camping just to get it out of my system. :|
ParkRat09
09-16-2012, 19:20
Thanks for the info Map man. I have looked at the Marmot Precip but was trying to save myself a little money by checking out other options as well. I have an REI near my home so it looks like I need to go do some investigation there. I may just have to get over my desire to spend as little as possible and take the plunge where raingear is concerned. Thanks again.
I sell lots of Precips every day in my store but to be honest I would NEVER suggest one to a thru-hiker...Gore-Tex is def the way to go even tho it is more expensive than a coated rain jacket (because it is a laminate). If you can't afford Gore-Tex I would at least go with the Patagonia Torrent Shell which has some good features to prolong it's life (it's $129 instead of the $99 Precip). Just my 2 cents and personal/professional opinion.
I sell lots of Precips every day in my store but to be honest I would NEVER suggest one to a thru-hiker...Gore-Tex is def the way to go even tho it is more expensive than a coated rain jacket (because it is a laminate). If you can't afford Gore-Tex I would at least go with the Patagonia Torrent Shell which has some good features to prolong it's life (it's $129 instead of the $99 Precip). Just my 2 cents and personal/professional opinion.
Thanks for the info pack rat. I appreciate your honest opinion. I will investigate gore-tex before buying. I don't mind spending a little more to get a better quality.
ParkRat09
09-16-2012, 20:11
Thanks for the info pack rat. I appreciate your honest opinion. I will investigate gore-tex before buying. I don't mind spending a little more to get a better quality.
No problem man glad to help. Look into the Marmot Nano Jacket (insanley lightweight Gore-Tex Paclite) or the slightly heavier but still awesome Marmot Minimalist jacket also with Gore-Tex Paclite (it's the cheapest of all the types of Gore-Tex and often the lightest depending on the jacket. Gore-Tex Active shell is the most breathable option but it can get quite pricey. Good thing is all Gore-Tex materials are covered by a lifetime warratany so if it ever wets out you can get it replaced
I personally carry the mountain hardwear exposure parka II dryQ and love it took it on my everest trek and very happy with the breath ability and waterproof
88BlueGT
10-09-2012, 16:52
Packa is pretty much the only thing that actually works well.
I agree. I love my Packa. It is as follows:
My Raingear
My Pillow
My Butt-pad (in addition to my sleeping pad)
My Pack-cover
Great 4-1 deal. For pants I use a pair of UL rain chaps. Never actually used them but I carry them as they're like 3oz. Better have them than not.
swjohnsey
10-09-2012, 21:08
I get a kick out of some of the "experts". Waterproof is waterproof, also windproof, by the way. Precip stuff work good. I speak from experience. I used Marmot Essence, also waterproof and windproof but lighter and more basic (no pit zips or pockets), also more expensive. A poncho ain't gonna keep you warm in survival conditions.
I get a kick out of some of the "experts". Waterproof is waterproof, also windproof, by the way. Precip stuff work good. I speak from experience. I used Marmot Essence, also waterproof and windproof but lighter and more basic (no pit zips or pockets), also more expensive. A poncho ain't gonna keep you warm in survival conditions.
See, now the problem is you're the "expert".
Waterproof isn't exactly water proof. Check out hydrostatic testing for supposedly "waterproof" fabrics.
Windproof isn't exactly wind proof. Ask a cyclist or motorcyclist that rides in the winter, and I bet they'll tell you that many allegedly "windproof" fabrics allow PLENTY of air to flow through them.
As far as a poncho not working in survival conditions, that's what happens with any piece of gear if you don't know how to use it well enough, and when you allow yourself to get into a survival situation. If you want a piece of gear to do all the work for you without needing to learn and execute skills, then a poncho is definitely the wrong piece of gear to bring out to the trail.
Feral Bill
10-09-2012, 23:11
Exactly.
In Andrew Skurka's book on gear he makes the point: You can get a jacket that is waterproof. You can get a jacket that is breathable. But you can't get a jacket that is both. So no sense obsessing over finding the "perfect" jacket cus it doesn't exist. Funny, Gerry Cunningham of the late, lamented Gerry company said the exact same thing in the '60s. He advocated a light rain jacket and a wind shirt as a system approach.
I use a breathable jacket and a poncho as conditions dictate.
pyroman53
10-10-2012, 00:15
I use a breathable jacket and a poncho as conditions dictate.
Me too, except I use a poncho and breathable wind shirt. System works for me.
I agree. I love my Packa. It is as follows:
My Raingear
My Pillow
My Butt-pad (in addition to my sleeping pad)
My Pack-cover
Great 4-1 deal. For pants I use a pair of UL rain chaps. Never actually used them but I carry them as they're like 3oz. Better have them than not.
I too have a Packa, and is IMHO the most comfortable of all rain gear. However, it is the heaviest raingear. My eVent Packa weighs 17 oz.
I think it's true of any hiking gear, the most comfortable is also the heaviest gear. One just has to find their personal weight-comfort trade off point.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
swjohnsey
10-10-2012, 07:12
See, now the problem is you're the "expert".
Waterproof isn't exactly water proof. Check out hydrostatic testing for supposedly "waterproof" fabrics.
Windproof isn't exactly wind proof. Ask a cyclist or motorcyclist that rides in the winter, and I bet they'll tell you that many allegedly "windproof" fabrics allow PLENTY of air to flow through them.
As far as a poncho not working in survival conditions, that's what happens with any piece of gear if you don't know how to use it well enough, and when you allow yourself to get into a survival situation. If you want a piece of gear to do all the work for you without needing to learn and execute skills, then a poncho is definitely the wrong piece of gear to bring out to the trail.
I agree somewhat. The term "waterproof" is thrown around quite a bit. The only rain gear that is waterproof is the PVC coated stuff. I can also do magic with a poncho and poncho liner but . . . I still can't see me tryin' to stay warm in 50 mph blowin' snow with a poncho or tryin' to get up Katahdin.
I don't think there is any one system that is good for an entire thru.
I started with DryDucks in Georgia. Only wore the pants when doing laundry.
The when it got hot I didn't carry rain gear at all, just a wind jacket.
And then in Hanover, NH I went with my PreCip because I felt I would need a serious jacket that was wind and water resistance so I was willing to carry the extra weight.
Tipi Walter
10-10-2012, 07:43
Experience from 3600 miles of hiking this year, in rain as cold as the low 30's F, I've found that temperature control is far more important than staying dry. If it rains heavily or a long time, you will get wet, regardless.
This is spot on and correctamundo. The whole point of a rain shell is to provide warmth while hiking in crappy conditions like sleetstorms, wet snowstorms and severe windchill events. It's not to provide dryness.
I sell lots of Precips every day in my store but to be honest I would NEVER suggest one to a thru-hiker...Gore-Tex is def the way to go even tho it is more expensive than a coated rain jacket (because it is a laminate). If you can't afford Gore-Tex I would at least go with the Patagonia Torrent Shell which has some good features to prolong it's life (it's $129 instead of the $99 Precip). Just my 2 cents and personal/professional opinion.
I agree, goretex is the way to go. The taste test is field use under terrible conditions. In the 1980's I used everything from a boy scout poncho (pvc which broke like a saltine cracker one morning at 0F when folding) to an Army poncho (two different kinds, the lightweight one and the heavy earlier rubberized canvas thingie---both crap), and a serious looking blue North Face coated knee-length urethane Anorak as below. Mine had the horizontal zippered pocket on the chest but was long. It was like backpacking in a full air-tight sheath. Hellish.
http://www.arcticstation.com/ebay/DSC02190.JPG
This is what the old miserably hot North Face Anorak looked like, courtesy of ebay---
http://www.ebay.com/itm/North-Face-MENS-Medium-Extreme-Gear-Anorak-Jacket-Blue-Waterproof-Hyvent-/160831148126?pt=US_CSA_MC_Outerwear&hash=item257248905e
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9ILsJJZhS00/S5AGr4EbHXI/AAAAAAAABnU/zVtofRRnAo8/s1600/Supreme+x+The+North+Face+Anorak.jpg
(http://www.ebay.com/itm/North-Face-MENS-Medium-Extreme-Gear-Anorak-Jacket-Blue-Waterproof-Hyvent-/160831148126?pt=US_CSA_MC_Outerwear&hash=item257248905e)http://weardifferent.blogspot.com/2010/03/supreme-x-north-face-anorak.html
Tipi Walter
10-10-2012, 08:18
In '84 I had a chance to use a full goretex suit made by North Face that a friend let me use to get us out of a very crappy March sleetstorm on the AT near Hot Springs and I was the one who had to stand on the highway to hitch in the mess while she cowered off the road under the pullout-out tent fly so she lent me her fancy and expensive jacket and pants. At the time I was a real bum and broke and never could've afforded such stuff.
Years later I actually had a job and decided to get serious about rain gear and find something nice. I settled on a Marmot Minima goretex jacket in paclite. Paclite is very thin and maybe light but got rub holes after only a few years of use.
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2006/Subzero-Blizzard-and-the-16th/i-j3kB3mG/0/L/Trip-65-085-L.jpg
Here's the Marmot Minima in action. It saved my butt on numerous occasions and was a step up from all the other crap I used before that nickle and dimed me into wasting money. Problem is, after a couple dozen trips it started to tear apart.
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2010/15-Days-with-a-Red-Hilleberg/i-6T4g5Pr/0/L/TRIP-105-050-L.jpg
So a couple of years later I really upgraded to the "best" I suppose, an Arcteryx Alpha goretex in pro shell. Pro shell makes all the difference. For about 30 years I could not afford Arcteryx gear as it's Dang Expensive but I figured I wasted money on substandard shells and decided to quit screwing around and get the "best". This baby has literally saved my butt a hundred different times, either in cold wet sleet or rainstorms or when hiking in frigid conditions as above when you don't want clinging snow brushing up and falling onto your merino or midlayer tops.
The secret with these shells and with all rain gear is what you wear underneath. Mostly for me it's a t-shirt over a lightweight longsleeve silk baselayer because the heat generated can be tremendous when humping up a 2 or 3,000 foot mountain with 75 lbs. The point then is not to keep the baselayers dry but to keep the torso warm and to prevent on-the-trail hypothermia. The hands and gloves might get wet and soaked and numb blocks of wood but I myself won't be shaking like a leaf and stumbling into camp with stage one shakes. And of course it provides great windchill protection.
gearfreak
10-10-2012, 09:08
spend $30 or $300. you're gonna sweat. marmot precip and all the other high dollar crap is just that. frogg toggs or dri ducks are just fine
DriDucks are Frogg Toggs. They serve a purpose equal to their price point. They'll be replaced several times due to lack of durability and will eventually cost more than my Precip.
swjohnsey
10-10-2012, 09:38
DriDucks are Frogg Toggs. They serve a purpose equal to their price point. They'll be replaced several times due to lack of durability and will eventually cost more than my Precip.
I started with DriDucks top. It lasted to Damascus. Replaced it with Marmont Essence. It worked well and held up. It was my only cold weather gear from Damascus to Katahdin so it got heavy use.
colorado_rob
10-10-2012, 10:14
I started with DriDucks top. It lasted to Damascus... I'm really curious to see if I have the same experience. How far along is Damascus? close to 500 miles? nearly 1/4th of the way?
I swear by Dri-ducks, as my jackets have performed so well for their weight over the last few years. I basically plan on using up a few of these ($20 each) on my AT attempt next year.
I have a goretex pac-light jacket (11 oz golite-something) and a stupid expensive Arteryx Alpha (16 oz, I think). The Alpha would be way-overkill for the AT I would think, and I'll reserve that jacket for high mountain climbs. If my dri-ducks realy don't perform well enough (meaning they last at least 500 miles) , I might switch to my go-lite paclite jacket and wear that one out.
By the way, I do also swear by Goretex Pro (like my Alpha), for high mountain stuff and winter, but just cannot believe it's the right jacket type for the AT (in the spring-summer-fall). Unless one has unlimited funds and doesn't mind extra weight.
88BlueGT
10-10-2012, 10:23
I too have a Packa, and is IMHO the most comfortable of all rain gear. However, it is the heaviest raingear. My eVent Packa weighs 17 oz.
I think it's true of any hiking gear, the most comfortable is also the heaviest gear. One just has to find their personal weight-comfort trade off point.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This may be true, but remember... its also your pack cover.
If you're not into agonizing over every last gram, take a look at the Venture jacket by The North Face. It's very durable, keeps you dry, and doubles as a camp jacket and seat. These retail for about $100 but you can often find them for sale for roughly $20 less.
http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/men-39-s-venture-jacket.html
http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/women-39-s-venture-jacket.html
swamp dawg
10-10-2012, 10:43
The Packa worked well for me, love the pit zips, but it takes some getting use to, bottom line is that it is a piece of gear that works.
88BlueGT
10-10-2012, 11:00
The Packa worked well for me, love the pit zips, but it takes some getting use to, bottom line is that it is a piece of gear that works.
^^ Absolutely. The pit-zips are an AWESOME feature. There are a lot of rain gear products that come with these but most seem to be inefficient, they're simply too small. The advantage of the packa is the LARGE pit zips that allows adequate air flow. It's look around the body/arms but not loose enough that it is too large or uncomfortable Just my experience but I wouldn't trade mine for the world.
Love my Packa! Thanks CedarTree! :D
I have a theory that everything should be a multi-use item. Including my rain gear. I have an off brand, Bass Pro, Frogg Togg set. I use them everyday as camp clothes, so that when I get into camp and am all covered in sweet, I take off all my clothes so they can dry and put on my Rain Gear. I dry off and stay cool/warm.
You dont use rain gear often, and when it does rain, you will get wet. Might as well keep your gear lite and versatile.