Red Ledge Rain Jackets $22

Thanks for the link, I might just get one of these.
I've never been able to justify the cost of expensive wp/b jackets that eventually fail on you and dri-ducks are not much better because they get torn up easily. This looks like a good budget option.

Justin, for colder weather stuff at least, have you tried recreating a cheap version of Paramo type WPB? All you need is a wind jacket, a thin/light poly fleece hoody that has fuzzy on one side and smooth weave on the other. The smooth goes inside.

Soak the hoody in a good DWR (and the wind jacket if it needs it) and voila you just recreated the super breathable, super quick drying, and normally very expensive Paramo system for super cheap and the hoody will double as insulation mid layer when you need it and if not, don't wear it. Good for most conditions except a strong wind driven deluge. Even in the latter, when you do get wet, will dry out very quickly, especially when active.

Sorry Dale, nice find BTW.

They aren't stellar on breathability, but the quality is acceptable. The pockets are mesh and it has a back vent, but that can be blocked with a pack on. The usual street price is more like $40, which is too close to the sale price on a Martmot Precip, which is my favorite low cost rain shell. But at $21.95, it's good for a spare-in-the-car-trunk-because-I-forgot item. I don't like putting on chains in a $200 jacket either!

I've done three thru-hikes with Red Ledge Thunderlight parkas and they've performed well. They tend to last for one thru-hike. They aren't the lightest, but I've found them to be a great value.

They make pants using the same fabric. I'm a fan of cheap rain pants as they take the beating and I don't need as much ventilation on the legs as the torso.