Frogg Toggs for JMT?

[Anonymous]

I did the John Muir Trail 10 years ago. At the time my gear averaged 15 – 20 years old. I’m doing it again in a few weeks, and now my gear is 25 – 30 years old – so I’ve been on a bit of a buying spree. WM Flash Jacket, Tarptent Notch, Rab Pulse rain jacket, lots of new, cool and light stuff.

But of everything I’ve bought, and all this new high tech gear, I am most amazed at the Frogg Togg Driducks rain suit for $20 – how cool are they? I got these just to get light rain pants, but I’m thinking of returning the Rab Pulse and using the Frogg Togg jacket also. If like most of my 50 years of hiking in the Sierra, I’ll need a rain jacket on a rare occasion. But if I get the unusual multi-day storm, will the Frogg Toggs stand-up to the rain and wear under a pack? I’m treating this as a throw away suit. If they can handle 12 days of use, that’s all I need.

What do you Frogg Togg users think? Return the Rab Pulse and go Froog Togg all the way? I will also carry a Patagonia Houdini wind shirt.

[Cayenne Redmonk]

Should work great.
It's useful to have three feet of duct tape handy, just in case you use the pants.

[Mitch Chesney]

I settled on the MontBell Tachyon Anorak (2oz less than the Patagonia Houdini) for light rain and wind, then a Frogg Toggs jacket in inclement weather. Froggs and Dri Ducks are pretty fragile so, like Cameron was saying, carry duct tape. If you don't like stopping or realize the rain pants are too fragile, make a rain skirt from a garbage bag.

[Tyler Johnson]

I agree with the posts above about carrying duct tape with frogg toggs on a long hike (though I would imagine one would already be carrying some anyway…)

Perhaps mine were a size too large (normally wear mediums and own frogg toggs in that size), but whilst hiking in the Smokies in the Spring I found that the cuffs of the pants got shredded within a couple of rainy days. Not quite a big deal, but a torn half of a cuff wrapped itself under my shoe and tripped me a couple of times before I took out my knife and cut it off. Though I've yet to try it myself, I'd recommend doing as one BPL'er suggested in a thread I haven't successfully located using the "Search BPL" function: cutting off the bottom foot of the pant legs, perhaps hemming them, and making "rain capris." Seems like a great idea to me, unless you hate wet ankles.

I think the fabric durability problems are of little concern on the jacket unless you're bushwhacking; I use it for everything. Rain jacket, wind shirt, tarp storm door, and, depending on the length of the trip (i.e. size of pack) I'm on, pack cover.

[Nathan Stuart]

I've often wondered about frogg toggs jackets and durability if the rain does set in for multiple days….

Would it be possible to throw on the windshirt over the jacket if light scrub, increased pack abrasion etc was causing durability concerns ??

Or would you cook and kill any advantage of great breathability of the frogg toggs with the light shell over the top.

Frogg Toggs just seem so fragile.

[Jeff Jeff]

I only carried the top. The only time I wore it hiking was when going up Whitney in the morning from Guitar Lake. Otherwise I used it while resting on tops of passes or when taking a break in a buggy area. That was 2007 and I still use the same jacket. No holes yet.

[Dena Kelley]

I have a weekender coming up next weekend- we will be bushwhacking for the first part of the trip, and then we'll be in alpine tundra for the duration. Is a little bit of bushwhacking going to destroy my new Frogg Toggs jacket? I would prefer to take it as August is our rainy month but if necessary I can take my OR wp/b jacket, it's just not that wp/b and all the glowing reports on Frogg Toggs here made me think I should try them instead.

[Katy Anderson]

Love my DriDucks and have exclusively used theses jackets as my rain gear in the Sierras for years now. However the zipper is of very low quality and fails quickly. Have three of these jackets, one yellow, one beige and one blue, hanging in my gear closet. One has a rip, but they all have busted zippers.

[Seth Brewer]

I used the Jacket for about 4 1/2 months on my A.T thru, and for the 230 miles of the New England Trail. About 12 duct tape patches before it got thrown away. Well worth the cost.

[Peter Griffith]

I have an older jacket and the zipper failed. They are putting a heavier duty zipper on them now, bigger teeth.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I have carried mine for "height of summer" day hikes and keep in the pack of the car for emergencies. I would say 12 days is a realistic goal. I put a pack of "pocket duct tape" in the pocket of the jacket (http://www.bydezignproducts.com/pocketduct.html), which gives me 18" of repairs. Do downsize one size– they are huge.

A light poncho would be a good alternative, and doubles as pack cover. It would last you many years and provide emergency shelter.

[Katy Anderson]

Peter – thanks, that's great news about the sturdier zippers on these jackets.

[Tom D.]

Just finished the JMT and had 4 consecutive days of heavy thunderstorms. The Dri-Ducks UL 2 set saved my trip, including many miles hiked with the jacket on under my pack. No problems at all, but as somene said, be careful not to snag them if bushwacking. Duct tape does fix minor holes and tears, but I didnt need any.

I have nothing but good things to say about the set after this trip.

[Erik Basil]

I was just in those same thunderstorms, which we found to be a great test-platform for a variety of gear and "systems"! The storms on the 11-13th were the most extended I've experienced in the High Sierra.

I'm stoked to read that the DriDucks performed well. Although the Precip jackets my son and I used were excellent, they cost quite a bit more than the Frogg Toggs stuff. Other members of our team were in Mountain Hardware and HiTec jackets that leaked and watered-through, so not only are they looking for alternatives, but I am renewed in my search for a product I can direct my Scouts and parents "to just buy".

Great thread, folks. Thank you!

[Scott Bentz]

"I am renewed in my search for a product I can direct my Scouts and parents "to just buy".

Eric, for our troop it's Dri Ducks for all. We went to Philmont a few years ago and had to hike in a bit of rain. We were completely comfortable in our Dri Ducks. They are my go to rain gear for the Sierra. Scouts can be hard on equipment so a $20.00 investment is just right. If you bushwack a lot then they may not be the right thing. Also, they rip real easy when the kids want to climb on sierra granite so they do have to be careful.

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