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anyone have a recommendation on rain gear


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I have decided to purchase new rain gear, mainly a rain jacket. I am looking for something that breaths and is lightweight for fall/spring. The one I have now keeps the rain off, but I sweat like crazy. I have received such great advice in these forums, I thought I'd ask you guys/gals about what gear you like/don't like. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated.

 

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cad-guy,

 

Fog togs are ok, very, very light but if you are backpacking the "paper" seems to be abraided by the shoulder straps after a few hikes...and they are not the greatest with thorns...or sticks that grab in the night...

 

Light gor-tex jackets are great and I have fallen in love with fishing jackets with several chest pockets for "stuff". Most seem to be well made, some with ripstop type cloth and breathable...a bit pricey like gor-tex however.

 

So you need to judge keeping in mind what you are doing...in camp and just goofing (or fishing from a boat) frog togs are about the lightest you will find...breathe well and are priced very reasonable! If you are gonna get out in the brush look at something like a gor-tex rain suit...REI has their own version I wear gor-tex pants and an Simmons fishing

jacket...dry as a bone but a bit $$$$

 

stay away from the good ol' poncho (-I know, I still carry mine everywhere as a spare) and nothing plastic or "coated" nylon...ponchos drip water in your boots and snag on everything and nylon coatings usually do not breathe as well as they advertise...

anarchist

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I've used the same tyvek rain gear (generic frog-togs) for the last three years, including two Philmont treks. I've repaired them with duct tape in a few places (it looks goofy, so what?) but it's the best $25 investment in rain gear I've ever made.

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Once the Gore-tex patend expire a couple years ago a lot of new breathable fabrics have hit the marke. Probably the best as far as waterproof but breathable is Epic by Nextec. Even the military is using it in their rain gear now.

 

backcountry.com has Epic rainjackets for under $70

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I've been very pleased with a material that is fusion of fleece and gore-tex. Super light, keeps the wind out, keeps rain and snow out, yet stylish for apri-ski activities. I've retired my old gore-tex shell and just carry the jacket made of this stuff. North Face and Mountain Hardware make stuff with this. Don't know the name but its really good stuff.

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For recreational outings, I have my Army Gore-Tex or good ol' rubberized nylon. It works for me, especially after the heat of summer.

 

For heavy camp maintenance work, I go with my older heavy rubberized nylon Army gear. I want stuff that's abusable.

 

As BW mentioned, there are newer fabrics since the basic Gore-Tex patent expired. You need to see what works for you.

 

BTW, I still keep a poncho in my ruck. Makes a good ground cloth :)

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  • 8 months later...

I like Red Ledge gear. I stay nice and dry and it doesn't break the bank account. Goretex is ok unless it's a steady downpour that lasts more than 2 hours....Campmor is my store of choice for much of my gear. REI is also pretty good but alot more expensive....

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eVent fabric is getting a lot of positive reviews and capturing business from people switching from Goretex. I have an old Goretex jacket that wore out and upgraded to eVent. It does breath better, and kept me dry during a 5-hour rain while hiking.

 

 

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Bass Pro has their own brand that is reasonably priced that are light weight and somewhat breathable. My daughter lived in her pants the six weeks in May/June she spent in the Alps. Most of her "uniform" pants she took were cotton, so they were the only waterproof pants she had for hiking and there was snow while she was there and snow always on the higher slopes. Pants roll to small bag (even my larger ones roll to smaller than my mini umbrella) and only cost about $20. Jacket doesn't roll quite as small and costs a litte more, but still are very reasonable

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