GTX Paclite w/ pit zips

The mountain Hardwear typhoon jacket. When I worked in the ind. i remember it being around the $200 range.

Would you be interested in used? I have a Golite Phantom M in Navy Blue that I might be willing to part with.

No problem. Is there any particular reason you want GT? There are some other options out there that might be worth a look. If you could still find one, the Mont-Bell Peak Shell had better than GT breathability and huge pit zips. It was also under $200. The new Marmot Essence has underarm vents (they don't close), claims great breathability numbers on the new Membrane Strata fabric, and only weighs 7oz.

I have been very happy with my Phantom, but it is a bit heavy at 13oz.

Hi Blaise,
Prolitegear has the Integral Designs Event rain jacket on sale at $191.xx. If you're in the market for a highly breathable jacket that will last you for years, you won't find a better one than this. I've been using mine for several years now and have never had a better jacket. And I live in the Pacific Northwet. It doesn't have any bells and whistles, pit zips, wire brim on the hood, multiple pockets, etc. Just a simple, highly breathable, functional piece of gear that weighs ~10 oz.

I like mine, and there are some new black ones on Ebay for $90. There are lighter options out there though.

The Mountain Hardwear Thyphoon is on sale at Everest Gear for $130.
http://store.everestgear.com/om2254.html

Firstly, be aware the GTX paclite is not the "gold standard". There are more breathable fabrics out there that are better.

If you are willing to consider non-GTX, then I'd recommend the Montbell Peak Shell. It has pit zips and fabric which is more breathable than goretex. Weighs about 11oz. Price is $199 but you might be able to find it on sale for $150 or so.

If you only want paclite, I'd recommend the Outdoor Research Celestial jacket. It's 9.6 oz in a medium and it has side zips which run all the way down to the hem of the jacket (so you can separate the front and back and put the belt of your pack under your jacket without restricting circulation). Unfortunately this jacket is no longer being produced, but you can still find it at some online stores if you search.

I'd forgotten the Celestial. My wife has that one. Just be aware that the fabric is MUCH lighter than that in the Minima. It should be fine if you stick to UL, but I wouldn't like to be hiking with a 35lb pack with it.

Great design though. I really like the TorsoFlo zips, and only 2/3 the weight of the Minima.

Hi Blaise,

The montbell peak shell (Breeze Dry-Tec fabric) is extremely waterproof. I think it is rated to 25,000mm. Paclite is technically a bit more waterproof (30,000mm) but you won't notice any difference unless you are being blasted by a fire hose. For the purposes of rain, both fabrics are effectively 100% waterproof. I've seen figures saying that Goretex XCR is supposedly waterproof to 80,000mm but as I said, you won't see the difference in real life because water is not being forced through the fabric at those extreme pressures.

I have used GTX Paclite with excellent results in the OR Zealot WITHOUT pitzips. They just aren't needed for me. I actually think that Paclite is extremely good, having just used it in a 4 day constant deluge without any leaking and without any issues with breathability. If you do a search on this site and / or backpackgeartest.org, Roger Caffin tested one and had very positive things to say about the fabric.

Event is very good, but comparable eVent jackets are heavier – always a trade-off.

The Mont-Bell Peak shell and OR Celestial are both discontinued, which is a shame as they were both great jackets. Their replacements aren't nearly as good in my opinion.

So is the OR Zealot…..

…

Looks like the Peak shell is still available on the Montbell site in all sizes in a couple different colors. I have the OR Zealot and love it for trips where I won't be wearing it all the time in prolonged rain. I picked up the Peak shell for the pit zips after using the Zealot for a while but havn't had it out in the rain yet. It is a great shell as far as sizing and features and I especially like the fit of the hood and the stiffened brim. The Golite Phantom is another good option.