Is my raingear light enough?

I think you should ask yourself if your rain gear is water proof enough and are YOU comfortable with the weight of them. You are the one who has to rely on them.

M

paclite is not too much lighter when you go them for free

Need to know what the rest of your kit weighs….

If your kit w/the raingear is acceptable to you, then I wouldn't spend a dime. If, however, your base weight is too high, then lighter options are a place to cut weight; especially if you sell yours' on Gearswap/ebay, etc. But if your sleeping bag is a pound or more too heavy, for example, a lighter bag may be a better place to start. Free is a great price!

Generally speaking, yes, your raingear weighs more than most BPL'ers outfits. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's too heavy.

Edwin, whether they are light enough is truley a question that can be answered only by yourself. However, if you are able to get a full refund on your stuff, you can definitely get some lighter stuff without blowing more cash. A torrentshell jacket is like 120 from patagonia, so if you were to get a refund, you could easily take that money and get a Marmot Mica (on sale for 100 in various places). You'd save about 7 ounces for something that sits in the pack for most of its life (depending on where you hike), without having to spend a buck extra. You could also do the same with the pants and get a rain skirt from either zpacks or ula, or use the golite 40% off coupon (look in the geardeals section on bpl) and get their 7oz rain pants and pocket the difference in cash

I think, like sleep systems and shelters, there are situations where you just have to bite the bullet and carry heavier rain gear because that's what the situation dictates.

However, even if you own more expensive gear nothing is stopping you from carrying Driducks when they'll work for you. If the cheap gear works for every trip you plan on doing then maybe you should consider returning the Patagonia gear and upgrading a different part of your kit or even using the money to fund another trip.

Thanks for the excellent tips. Looks like the mica lacks pit zips. is that right? I hike mainly in the smokies (think wet and humid), so pit zips might help. The mica is however almost 1/2 lb lighter. I will look around to see how breathable it is sans pit zips. Again, many thanks.

I thought I came in a little heavier than most of you guys, but I am not a true ultralight guy. Because I take the kids sometimes and fishing gear, I have a "heavy" (to you guys) base weight of Nimbus Meridian pack 3.5 lbs, tarptent contrail 1.5lbs (or rainbow), and bag 2 lbs. When I bought new gear a few years ago, I couldn't quite make the entire leap to UL. However, just following the tips around here has made my hiking experiences way more enjoyable. This is a great resource.

Oh, and the pants may not be that big of a concern. they hit the scale at my house right at 8 oz, which seems to be just an oz more than the golites.

I hike in the Smokies a lot too and I have come to the conclusion that all raingear sucks. Yes I have used eVent and Gore-Tex Packlite. I currently own a ID eVent jacket (10.3oz) as it does suck a little less, an Marmot Essence (6.4oz) though it sucks, it is light, has a nice hood, and it more durable than dri-ducks, and a Dri-Ducks jacket. They all three see use in different conditions, but nothing breathes at 100% humidity.

You might look at the Marmot Super Micra, it does have pit zips, is reasonably light at 9oz, and if it like last years Micra and Essence, has a nice hood. If you could find a Mont-Bell Peak shell it might suit you needs well too. It was 11oz, but was eVent-ish and had big pit zips. You also might wait and see what comes out this year, as it seems like like there might be some better rain gear coming out in the next year or so.

Ed,

If you're looking for a more reasonably priced altenative both Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's sell PacLite GTX parkas and pants at $99. per item.

I own the Cabela's suit and it's excellent in features and quality. Easily the quality of Mamot or The North Face but without the priceiness. No pit zips but large front slash chest pockets with zipper flap covers and mesh inner pockets for good venting. The Patagonia jacket you have looks to be too short. It's definitely shorter than their parks of the same H2NO laminate. That laminate isn't as breathable as PacLite.

BTW, my PacLite parks is 15 oz. in a Large, Tall size. I'm 5' 10" but wanetd a tall for better butt coverage and longer arms when reaching for something in the rain.

Eric,

Could you let us know what size chest,weight you are. I'm the same height and about 155lb with a 38 chest. Would I need large or Medium. Mostly just with a mid layer under. I use a Med Marmot Minimalist.

Regards, Rod

Edwin,
There is so much stuff touted to come on the market this year that you might want to wait a bit before making a decision. Certainly read the upcoming article on WPB's on this site. It's hard not to be interested in what "Pertex Shield DV" might weigh. The Montane eVent Spektr pullover is expected in February.
21.5 oz is not bad,tho. If you return them now and wait, you might be able to get a top and bottom later for closer to 16 oz. So I guess the question is whether a possible drop of around a quarter pound, and probably some improved breathability, is worth several months' wait.

I stick with my rain parka that weighs 4 ounces.

–B.G.–