Full featured UL rain jackets

[kevin davidson]

If you think the Sierra designs Isotope Jacket, reviewed in this week in Spotlites, is impressive, then check out the following–
http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/news/article/mps/UAN/3704/v/1/sp/

Full zip, pit zips, “W/B” fabric and under 200 g ( that’s about 7 oz. for you benighted non-metric types)– besides the fact that it’s made by TNF (not a sexy label for the UL crowd), what’s not to like?

[EndoftheTrail]

Maybe I am missing something here, but reading TNF’s website about its HyVent laminate and comparing it to MontBell’s website about its own laminate and Goretex XCR laminate shows:

TNF Hyvent – 877 g/m2/24 hrs
MB Breeze Dry Tec – 15,000 g/m2/24 hrs
Goretex XCR (per MB) – 13,500 g/m2/24 hrs

TNF can’t be that far off??? Maybe a digit is missing somewhere? Does anyone know?

[Ryan Faulkner]

looks like a good option, but it is a couple ouces heavier and $120 more

but it dose have more features, it just depends who you are ad what you want in a jacket.

for me, I think the isotope would be better. cheaper, lighter.

[EndoftheTrail]

Per BPL:

Shell Fabric Nanolite: nylon ripstop waterproof/breathable silicone coated shell with DWR, 3,000 mm waterproofness, 3,000 g/m2/24 hrs. breathability. SD claims it is an “ultra-lightweight fabric that is extremely strong and durable.”

****************************************

Seems like another barely breathable jacket??? I don’t mean to be contrarian (esp. since I have no experience with either SD or TNF above)… but just thinking out loud like a gearhead — and wondering if it’s worth the money to buy a breathable jacket that practically isn’t?

To use an exaggerated example for illustrative purpose, let’s say you start sweating after 5 minutes in a cheap, thin UL plastic raincoat, but can stay dry for 15 min. in a barely breathable one, maybe you should just get the plastic for $10 and call it a day???

[kevin davidson]

Re. tech info on the TNF site—I find it often riddled w/ contradictions, so who knows how waterproof or breathable their W/B fabric is. This jacket would be more comparable to the Patagonia Specter in terms of quality. It’s the DIAD’s core venting options that are it’s real strength and help mitigate the fact that it is not going to “breathe” as well as eVENT. The Isotope sounds more like a heavier, more water resistant form of a windshell than a real hardshell.

[Author]

Posts