I understand I am going to sweat and get wet, but there has got to be a jacket out there that is really rain proof. I've looked at jackets from $70 to $300 and every single one of them has people ranting about how rain is only kept out in sprinkles and that as soon as a real down pour starts they get drenched.
I'm going to be starting in late March and I'm a little concerned about conditions once I hit the Smokies. I will be wearing a merino wool midweight base layer (pants and long sleeved shirt) with a Pantagonia nano puff jacket over that. If I have a crappy shell that doesn't actually stop rain I'm going to freeze solid. Should I just give up on this search and find a poncho?