Decent Set of Rain Gear for Wife and Me
We are doing Wallace Gap to Fontana Sept 2 thru 10. We need to get decent rain gear that won't break the bank. Any suggestions?
Frogg toggs are pretty cheap
Don't Die Before You've Had A Chance To Live!
Red head is also fairly inexpensive. I don't know of many who wear rainpants.
1. Google (or use froogle) "marmot precip" and many times you will come across discontinued colors for 1/3 to 1/2 off.
2. Even cheaper, check out Campmors house brand rain gear. Coated, no gore tex or anything like that, but serviceable and cheap.
3. Avoid frog toggs.
I bought columbia gear at Dicks for just under $100 per person ($49 jacket, $39 pants) 2 months ago for a trip to the Rockies. We've used it several times and it has worked great.
Seemed reasonably priced to me.
Boots on the rocks, Head in the clouds.
frogg toggs, got mine for 21 bucks. i think mine will do fine. hav'nt tried um out yet.
Cabela's sometimes has very good sales on Goretex parkas and other waterproof breathable parkas.
Frogg Togg/dri ducks are very cheap, waterproof and very breathable but somewhat fragile. They're not high fashion. http://www.froggtoggsraingear.com/DriDucks.shtm If you are on good trails, are careful with them and don't mind the occasional duct tape repair, they'll last a good while. Some people have trouble with the pants splitting. I would never use them bushwhacking or for New England winter above treeline. Don't get the Dri Ducks emergency poncho because it is very fragile compared to the regular dri ducks.
I like my torrentshell pullover, really brief design, superb quality, $99 before any discount, love it!
I have been playing with different raingear for quite awhile. Most either isn't waterproof or is so airtight you sweat enough to get soaked anyway. Finally shelled out the $110 for a Packa. Got a pack cover and raincoat all in one. Fits well, is well ventilated with two large pit zips, front zipper is double so you can vent it from the top or bottom. So far haven't been able to find anything I don't like.
"The difficult can be done immediately, the impossible takes a little longer"
So... how was the hike?Originally Posted by dgm
RainMan
.
[I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35
[url]www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker[/url]
.
avoid frogg toggs. They don't breath, are very bulky, and most importantly, the first time i used mine they were completely soaked through inside of 3 minutes. On the plus side, they do a great job of blocking wind. If they were as good as their reputation, i could live with the bulk, but after having worn them in the rain I'm shopping for new rain gear.
grea time last year but had Hurricane Rita we hiked through. Got a NF dry vent coat on sale from locat sg store. Will use umbrella for thi years Sept. GSMNP hike though.
Over the years, I've come full circle - sort of.
Started with coated nylon - waterproof, heavy, bulky, sauna, cheap.
Coated Poncho - waterproof, heavy, not as bulky, less of a sauna, pain in the wind, cheap.
Uncoated nylon - water resistant, light, compact, breathable, cheap
Goretex - waterproof for a short time, heavy, bulky, breathable until it gets wet or dirty, EXPENSIVE.
Coated Nylon - see above, but much lighter now.
Frogg Toggs - waterproof, light, bulky, more breathable than anything else I've tried, not as durable as other choices. Good overall choice.
Silnylon jacket and Rain wrap - mostly waterproof for several hours, very light, very compact, jacket a sauna but wrap highly vented, adequately durable with some care, moderately priced.
I've come to the conclusion that nothing is perfect. I've been using the last in the list above for about 5 years now, and it offers the best compromise in my mind. Mostly rain gear is to keep you dry for a short rain, keep you warm for an all-day rain with wind. The Silnylon does that well, and it's by far the lightest, most compact option.
When it rains you're going to get wet.
Frog Togs remind me of Leki trekking poles. People swear by them but ever pair I've bought has broken so I don't use either regardless of their reputation.
I finally settled on Golite rain gear (www.golite.com).
It's very light, well made, and does as good a job blocking rain as anything and it works great for a "real" wind jacket/pants.
Might as well spend the bucks and do it right the first time.
Frogg Toggs are fine for me. I have Red Ledge and Goretex too, but Toggs do the job. They are very breathable and lightweight, but somewhat bulky as previously stated.
I've learned....
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
Packa and a rain wrap is the only combination that actually works for me. Packa isn't cheap, but it is cheaper than name brands like goretex and north face whose jackets don't work nearly as well.
"The cheap man spends the most."
I'm told LL Bean has some acceptable rain gear but I always think long-term and just can't bring myself to throw $90 at something that isn't the best because I know I would ditch it and buy the better item later - now I've spent "the most"
This is my rain jacket - I do not get wet in the rain (from rain) - if I'm hiking hard in a summer rainstorm though, condensation does build up and you feel damp - there is no way of avoiding this - even with pit-zips. If, however you are just outside your tent or walking around in the rain, you WILL stay dry in this jacket: http://www.arcteryx.com/Product.aspx...Beta-SL-Jacket
If you are dead set on inexpensive, you might try LL Bean but I'd try to find something by Arcteryx or Marmot on e-bay.
Avoid Dry-ducks. I forgot they were glorified paper and ripped the hood half off pulling it over my head first day out. They are good for storing in a car for emergencies.
Of course that's my opinion and I could be wrong.
Buckeye Trail 2,700 miler.
REI has a good rain jacket with under arm zippers that vent well. I think I got mine on sale for 89.00 plus used a 25% off coupon. Much more compact than frog togs also great in the wind.
Happy with mine as well.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
