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Help me pick a rain jacket

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Mar 1, 2011 at 3:12 pm #1269917

S Long
BPL Member

@izeloz
Locale: Wasatch

I am hoping to slim down my kit a bit by getting rid of my wind shirt/wp/b shell combo and just using a lightweight waterproof/breathable jacket. Now for my requirements in a jacket: I want two outside pockets to put my hands in (preferably pockets that don't interfere with a pack or harness). I want a hood. I want it to be fairly water resistant (not wet out in two or three hours of rain), but I am more interested in breathability than waterproofness. I would also like it to be sub 10 oz. if possible but am flexible on this as long as it has the features I am looking for. Price is not really a variable in this as I am willing to save up to get a quality piece that fits my criteria. Currently I have an Outdoor Research Helium. It is very waterproof but not super breathable, and it lacks convenient pockets for my hands (the chest pocket is pretty useless, IMO). Any advice or recommendations would be welcome.

Mar 1, 2011 at 3:55 pm #1703175

Ben Barlin
Member

@ben-ln

Eddie Bauer Ascent BC-200 Jacket looks interesting 20K/25K rating, amazing numbers. 10.6 0z, $199 and wait for a 30% off coupon they come often.

http://www.eddiebauer.com/catalog/product.jsp?ensembleId=37035&&categoryId=27377&categoryName=FIRST-ASCENT-MENS-OUTERWEAR&pCategoryId=27373&pCategoryName=FIRST-ASCENT-MENS&gpCategoryId=27372&gpCategoryName=FIRST-ASCENT&catPath=~~categoryId=27377~~categoryName=FIRST-ASCENT-MENS-OUTERWEAR~~pCategoryId=27373~~pCategoryName=FIRST-ASCENT-MENS~~gpCategoryId=27372~~gpCategoryName=FIRST-ASCENT&viewAll=y

Too good to be true? Jury is out but I might get one based on the numbers.

Mar 1, 2011 at 3:57 pm #1703176

Trill Daddy
BPL Member

@persianpunisher

Doesn't really have pit zips :(. The Patagonia Torrent shell is awesome, and pretty darn light at ~11oz.

Super mica is awesome but $$ at $200, and 8oz with pit zips….AWESOME hood set up

Mar 1, 2011 at 4:16 pm #1703182

Brendan Swihart
BPL Member

@brendans
Locale: Fruita CO

I have a Montbell Rain Trekker which is pretty awesome. Their Breeze-Dry fabric is very breathable plus the jacket has nice large pit zips. My size medium is 12 oz and the jacket is very durable. Montbell also has the new Outpace jacket which is under 10 oz. It has 12 denier fabric vs 40 on the rain trekker and no pit zips.

Mar 1, 2011 at 4:23 pm #1703183

John Nausieda
BPL Member

@meander
Locale: PNW

+1 on the Mont-Bell Trekker. The other thing about it is that the hand pockets on it are placed higher than most jackets. When backpacking these pockets are NOT under your hipbelt. Good waterproof zippers too. Fairly inexpensive too IF you find a sale/price matching.This is the closest you can come to the older Mont-Belle Peak which many people loved.

Mar 1, 2011 at 4:51 pm #1703194

Brendan Swihart
BPL Member

@brendans
Locale: Fruita CO

Just to throw another idea out there…I've gone to just taking a windshirt (MYOG M90, which has pretty good DWR) and cut a slit in my polycro groundsheet to use as a poncho in the event of heavy rain. Comes to about 4oz for the two combined. I'll take the Montbell Rain Trekker if I know I'll be hiking most of the time in the rain, but I usually don't take it anymore.

Mar 1, 2011 at 4:53 pm #1703195

T kawa
Member

@kitsune

seems like you have a system in place already and are just looknig for a new jacket, but I was wondering if you have rain pants? all jackets that I have seen under 10oz are pretty short and won't protect you're crotch or legs… I wonder if 10oz that goes past your crotch is possible….? well, just wondering if you'd though of that or not. I usually just take a lightish weight pancho hiking and the rain jacket is used to look cool in town or travel now.=)

edit, just saw your gear list, wind pants and wicking base is probably fine. still want to know if there is a crotch length 10oz rain jacket though.

Mar 1, 2011 at 5:00 pm #1703199

S Long
BPL Member

@izeloz
Locale: Wasatch

My usual hiking pants dry pretty quickly and I am much less concerned about my legs getting wet than my torso/core. That being said, I do have some Camp Magic pants that do fairly decent.

Mar 1, 2011 at 5:13 pm #1703205

James holden
BPL Member

@bearbreeder-2

wait for the new stuff thatll come out …

no one should be buying wpb jackets right now unless they absolutely need it or its super cheap

Mar 1, 2011 at 5:34 pm #1703213

CW
BPL Member

@simplespirit
Locale: .

Which new stuff? NeoShell isn't waterproof and is very heavy. The co-branded eVent stuff might be worth waiting for, but all I've seen so far was also heavy.

Mar 1, 2011 at 5:42 pm #1703219

BlackHatGuy
Spectator

@sleeping
Locale: The Cascades

For colder weather trekking, I'm becoming a big fan of Paramo clothing. The Velez Adventure Lite top (or something like that) meets all of your requirements except the 10 oz. and the hand pockets (which are there, but inside instead of outside), but takes the place of your shirt as well (so it's your shirt, wind shirt and rain jacket all in one). Plenty of venting options, has a great hood. Wonderful piece of gear.

I think if it was more easily available in the U.S. people would be all over them.

Mar 1, 2011 at 5:44 pm #1703220

Dan @ Durston Gear
BPL Member

@dandydan
Locale: Canadian Rockies

NeoShell seems to be the best of what is coming. I don't think it's fundamentally heavy, but rather no one has decided to make a light jacket with it yet. I'm not sure what face fabric options Polartec is making available, but there's no reason why they can't sell it with a light (ie. 30D) nylon face fabric and make it a 2.5 layer membrane to keep the weight to a minimum. As NeoShell takes off, I imagine we'll see more variants.

Mar 1, 2011 at 5:45 pm #1703221

CW
BPL Member

@simplespirit
Locale: .

Neoshell isn't waterproof per Richard N. I trust him over Polartec.

Mar 1, 2011 at 5:46 pm #1703222

James holden
BPL Member

@bearbreeder-2

isnt neoshell 10k? … no worse than pertex shield on my helium if it is … is paramo "waterproof"

dont forget the gore active shell ;)

read all about it here …

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/orwm_2011_wrapup_waterproof-breathable_technologies.html

at the end of the day therell be more choices …

Mar 1, 2011 at 5:49 pm #1703224

CW
BPL Member

@simplespirit
Locale: .

Yeah, they say 10k. Good enough for lighter rain, but not a thunderstorm. Guess it depends on what you go out in.

Mar 1, 2011 at 5:52 pm #1703225

BlackHatGuy
Spectator

@sleeping
Locale: The Cascades

"is paramo "waterproof""

It is according to Chris Townsend, and I tend to believe him.

Mar 1, 2011 at 5:57 pm #1703227

Mike M
BPL Member

@mtwarden
Locale: Montana

Brendan- I like that idea! :) in the Rockies (at least the northern Rockies) we don't get a lot of sustained rain, usually short duration where my windshirt (Houdini that has a pretty good DWR finish) is sufficient, but there are exceptions and the groundsheet could be used for those rare times- maybe a length of shock cord and a cordlock to wrap around the waist

I was toying w/ the idea of one of those cheap ponchos that come all folded up, but the ground cloth would do double duty and just as light

Eric- anything in particular your waiting for? a light eVent w/ some pit zips would be something I'd consider for known rain conditions

Mike

Mar 1, 2011 at 6:05 pm #1703232

Dan @ Durston Gear
BPL Member

@dandydan
Locale: Canadian Rockies

Gore-Tex Active Shell is a yawner….it's the exact same PTFE/PU sandwich they've been selling for decades only now they're using a wee bit less glue to hold the layers together so the breathability is a smidge better…..whooopee!

The only interesting development in WP/B is NeoShell (and maybe breathable cuben). Columbia's Omni-Dry isn't anything to get excited about. Columbia claims their air permeability is 100cc/min which works out to only 1/28th as good as eVent (claim: 0.1 cubic feet/min or 2800cc/min). Since eVent is more waterproof too, there's no reason to get excited about Omni-Dry that I can see.

In my experience, WP/B jackets usually fail because the membrane degrades or the construction was poor to start with. I have a 12,000mm jacket that has been unbelievably waterproof for years. I rode my motorcycle with it on for 5 days of solid rains at 60mph and never got wet. Accordingly, I think 10,000mm for NeoShell could be sufficient if it doesn't degrade over time. Also, it sounds like Polartec could trade off some off that air permeability for more waterproofness if they want. Something that is maybe 2-3x as air permeable as eVent (instead of 5x) with a HH of 20,000mm might be the ticket.

Mar 1, 2011 at 6:10 pm #1703235

James holden
BPL Member

@bearbreeder-2

mike …

neoshell … i want something as breathable as possible … on the plus side itll be made in vancouver canada by westcomb … and mec will use it so you know there will be more "value" neoshell products

as to whether 10k is enough … ive been fine with my 2 pertex shield jackets so far, enough so that ive sold my dead birds … who knows maybe ill end up being a shivering statistic …

consider all those poor sods who use their 1.5k silnylon poncho tarps ….

Mar 1, 2011 at 6:51 pm #1703254

Nick Truax
BPL Member

@nicktruax
Locale: SW Montana

Been using a PT neo shell from Westcomb for all of the winter now. Its a prototype/tester jacket and has performed w/out complaint. Waterproof and breathable when ice climbing, nordic skiing, etc. Although it is the winter here in Montana (no T-storms), this jacket has been the cat's meow IMO. High exertion, and all points between. Much better than any WP/B that I've used thus far. Horses for courses – you know the deal. Give it some time and the neo shell will probably surpass expectations.

Just wait (weight):) and a LW neo shell will come to us eventually.

Mar 1, 2011 at 7:13 pm #1703268

Wayne Wagner
Member

@wagnerw
Locale: NorCal

Brendan-

If you cut a hole in your polycro groundsheet, is that a problem as a ground sheet? It seems like it shouldn't matter, but I need to ask.

Also, is there any science to cutting this hole? Do I need to worry about the hole spreading? Should I tape it or do anything to keep it clean? Also, how do you keep the sides connected, or do you just let them dangle?

I can definitely see the logic in windshirt with a poncho emergency backup…especially at that weight.

Thanks-
Wayne

Mar 1, 2011 at 7:40 pm #1703277

Brendan Swihart
BPL Member

@brendans
Locale: Fruita CO

i just cut a slot with some tape on both ends to reinforce it so it doesn't tear further. i have an inflatable pad and haven't had any problems. i suppose water could come through the bottom of it was really swampy, but if it was that wet it'd probably be coming over the sides anyway. I've thought about adding a cuben hood, but really it's been so rare that I've used it that I haven't done it. I hike mostly in the high desert/CO plateau and rockies, so the setup might not be as functional in wetter climates. The windshirt is sufficient 95% of the time.

Mar 2, 2011 at 11:18 am #1703489

Thomas Gauperaa
BPL Member

@gauperaa
Locale: Norway

Maybe the Montane H2O? Very light, but maybe not as breathable as you want.

Mar 2, 2011 at 11:48 am #1703503

S Long
BPL Member

@izeloz
Locale: Wasatch

I have kinda narrowed it down to three candidates I think. The Montbell Outpace, the Eddie Bauer BC-200 from the FA line, or the Marmot Super Mica. Any thoughts on these?

Mar 2, 2011 at 12:08 pm #1703514

Mike M
BPL Member

@mtwarden
Locale: Montana

I like the feature set on the super mica, weight is decent, don't care for the price that much :) the other thing that is a little worrisome is there have been a few folks that have had de-lamination issues w/ the mica and evidently Marmot didn't (wouldn't) cover them under warranty

so maybe a purchase from a retailer that would (REI, others?)

if you do go w/ that one I'd definitely like to hear some followup as I've been looking pretty hard at the super mica
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