First time hiker going straight for an AT thru hike.

Looks like a nice kit here are a few thoughts.

Arc Blast – Heard good things about it but that is a pricey pack. Make sure its what you want. Its a bit heavier but I like the look of the HMG Windrunner as an AT pack. All those mesh pockets look handy.

Zpack Sleeping Bag – Heard good things about this one too but $420 is a lot. You could easily find a $200 option that would give you similar performance for a similar weight. I suggest taking a look at Tim Marshell's quilts or MLD's synthetic quilts.

Neo Air – This is a personal preference thing but I'm much happier with my Prolite Short (11oz). Its enough padding for me, its rugged, and its only $60 or so.

Plasma Down Jacket – I don't think you'll use this often enough to justify the price and I'm skeptical of such light down. Instead of spending $269 on that I'd buy a $150 800 fill jacket. By May you should be fine with just the UL down vest so you'll only use the jacket for a short time.

Zpacks Raincoat – Not the most breathable raincoat out there. Several raincoats in the 7oz range are available for cheaper prices and with better breathability. In my opinion an extra 2 oz for a more breathable jacket is worthwhile.

I don't see any rain pants. You'll want them for at least the spring and fall.

Those are just a few suggestions, you could hike with exactly what is on the list and be fine but I think a few things like the Plasma 1000 are just not worth the money.

Thanks! I looked at the Tim Marshals quilts, which one would you recomend? I was shying away form quilts because ive never used one but I guess im open to them. To be honest I was thinking of going with a lower temp one. Ive read that 20 degrees should be plenty for the AT but I want a sleeping bag that I can use for more than just this hike. I forgot to put rain pants but I was thinking the ZPacks again. Do you have a brand that you feel is more breathable than the ZPacks? This may seem dumb but every list I see for the AT doesnt have a jacket and I was afraid that I wouldnt have anything to keep my arms warm. IDK maybe with all the hiking thats something i wont have to worry about. I was curious about the 1000 fill power thats the highest rating ive seen but its light so i figured thats what it takes.

Here is a link to an article about Ultralight Breathable Rain Jackets,

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/ul_wpb_jackets_sotmr_part2.html#.Uro_kMHTnIU

For rainpants I've used a pair old 5oz Sierra Designs pants. Golite has a 7 oz pair of rainpants for $49. I'd use them as is for the first part of the hike. When it warms up you could consider cutting them down to Capri length to save (minimal) weight and increase breathability a bit. Of course some people just hike without rain pants in the warm summer months. I've done that but I like having the option to stay dry if its chilly or I'm about to get to camp.

Even if its cold you probably won't be hiking in a down jacket. You only wear it in the evening and in the morning when its chilly and you aren't moving. For much of the trip I think the U.L. Down Vest will be plenty but it can get cold in the spring.

For a cheaper down jacket I'd suggest something like the Montbell U.L. Down Jacket or the U.L. Down Parka (same jacket with hood). The hood would be nice for sleeping in a sleeping bag with no hood. You could also look at the Montbell U.L. Thermawrap. Its synthetic but that would be nice if you end up hiking in a damp snow storm.

Whatever quilt or sleeping bag you choose I think 20 degrees is plenty warm. Remember if its a bit cold you can always hear your insulated jacket to bed.

I have not used Tim Marshell's quilts but what I us is discontinued. If you do go that route I'd have him make the cut on the wide side. You aren't sleeping in a bivy so a wider quilt will be less likely to let in drafts of cold air.

One thought on shoes. I lean towards trail runners rather then boots. If it rains long enough they'll get wet but trail runners will dry out faster.

Let me know if you have more questions. I have not hiked the AT but I spent a lot of time on it when I lived in VA. Once Christmas is over I imagine more actual Thru-hikers will chime in. Good luck and Merry Christmas.

I apologize in advance for what may appear to be a very blunt reply.

First, I would say that your gear list looks a lot like a very experienced UL hikers list which is what has me concerned. Many believe you can bypass experience with Internet knowledge and I believe this is a mistake. Making UL gear successful requires experience ESPECIALLY on the AT. I then hiked the PCT using a fairly similar kit as you have listed. I also have about 2300 miles on the AT as well, much of it in the winter and spring which will be similar to what you encounter leaving in March.

With a couple of exceptions I have no problem with your gear list. My two exceptions would be rain gear. You are spending an awful lot of money on staying warm and wet. There are much less expensive and equally effective means such as a simple poncho. I do use a cuben rain suit though I made It for a fraction of the cost. It is also not allegedly breathable and it is an important part of my cold weather gear as a VBL. So I would save hundreds and find a light weight non-cuben poncho. Second, agree with earlier suggestions on the quilt/bag.

Roughly 3 out of 4 Perspective AT thru hikers fail. Will you? Who knows not even you. You are talking about plunking an awful lot of money down on gear with virtually no real wold knowledge. I would do two things. First, get out to Ca and go to the GGG. You will see every piece of UL gear and see the pluses and minuses first hand. This will allow you to make an informed decision. Second, you really need to get out and do some backpacking with whatever gear you can beg borrow or steal, starting in March in the GA mountains with no experience is hardly a formula for success. You are likely going to learn significantly more from this experience than you will a Ford vs. Chevy debate on any particular gear.

Good luck and have a great hike.

Luke and Malto, thanks a lot for stopping to help me with my list.

Luke, I read that article and it looks like rain jackets are basically a bunch of compromises. That said I looked up the Rab Pulse and couldn't find it on there web site except in a pull over style and I think I would much rather have the zip. If I went ZPack (and at this point that looks like a big if) I was wanting the pit zips to help with the un-breathable nature of cuben.

Malto, I appreciate the feed back 100%. On one side I want to say thanks for saying my list looks like something an expert would use but on the other hand agree completely that it wont do me any good without experience. I should stay that after I have bought my equipment I plan to take several 5 night 6 day hikes at a local spot in February to give me and the equipment a couple shake downs before I attempt the AT. If I feel anything has to be changed Ill do it before I leave.

Now your to concerns with my list where lack of rain equipment and sleeping bag. The rain jacket I'm still at a toss up on. I've looked over the list Luke posted and I like the Rab Pulse but cant find it on there website. You mention that you use a home made cuben but it sounds like due to cost you don't want to recommend that to me. Is cost your only concern? Do you feel like cuben is a better material for this? Or maybe a better question would be do you have an exact brand and model you would recommend?

Both you and Luke don't seem to care for the sleeping bag approach. Im a little worried about the quilt idea. I just feel like id be more comfortable in a sleeping bag during the winter and sleeping on top of it during the summer if need be. Is there a reason you don't recommend the ZPack? Again is it because of cost? To be honest anything that ive looked at that is in that weight range is in that cost range too. Not that I want to spend that much but I do want it to be as light as I realistically can.

Unfortantly I wont be able to make it to CA without giving up one or both of my prehike hiking trips and I feel like those are probably more important. Now with all of this said I want to say PLEASE, PLEASE dont read what ive said as blah I want to spend a bunch of money on shiny new stuff and dont really care what you say. Ive seen others do that and believe me Im all for saving money on this even if I have the budget to not. But what I am saying is I dont want to buy cheap stuff that wont last a thru hike and then some. If I dont make the AT the first time I plan to do more hiking in the off seasons and try again and again untill I do. And if I do make the AT the first try im probably going to try another long hike. So my key things are lightweight and durability and id sacrafice cost to get those.

Thanks agian!

I forgot to mention that Luke's Ultralight (different Luke not me) has a limited edition Goretex rain jacket with optional pit zips that is $100 and light weight. I haven't used it but I've heard he does good work.

I'm going to disagree with Malto and say I prefer a raincoat to a poncho. However he's right in that you'll get damp no water what if it rains long enough. Cuban is less durable then silnylon but more expensive which might be why he said he wouldn't recommend it to you.

Actually I'm going to suggest an insulation change. You might have some fairly cold rains in the spring. No matter what you wear you'll get somewhat wet. So I'd wear a fleece underneath when its raining. It will keep you a lot more warm then a puffy jacket. I'd use the fleece as an insulation layer that replaces either the down vest or the down jacket.

My hesitation with the zpacks sleeping bag was mostly cost. I think the zpacks sleeping bag would be fine but I hope you've noticed it has no hood. The ability to open it up will be very useful when its warm at night. I've heard of hikers starting with a 20 degree bag and later switching to a lighter 40 degree bag for the summer. Probably not necessary since the Zpacks sleeping bag or a quilt will vent nicely.

Quilts are nice because you can open them up and allow more airflow. So you can be comfortable under a 20 degree quilt when its 40. On the other hand quilts aren't as good at keeping drafts out when its really cold. I use a bivy which solves the problem, it holds the quilt in place around me and keeps out cold breezes. If you are using a tent you won't need a bivy so you might as well have a mummy bag or a generously sized quilt.

Malto has a point in that hiking the AT is a big undertaking. If you aren't sure about the AT another idea might be to do several short trails in one summer. If you could afford the travel you could do the JMT, CT and Long Trail in less time then it takes to do the AT. Of course there is a certain appeal to the AT so I won't try to talk you out of it if that is what you want to do.

If you plan on future hikes you might want a more durable pack then the zpacks. It should last the hike but maybe not another big hike. A more long lasting pack would be the HMG Windrunner or one of ULA's packs.

I think the gear list is pretty good. You will be lighter than 90% of starting hikers.

Some of the UL gear isnt as robust or idiot-proof as conventional. It obviously works for many, but there are some that just arent willing to accept the tradeoffs and revert to heavier gear. As long as you understand the tradeoffs, and accept them, everything is OK.

The hexamid isnt as weather proof as a 3 season double wall tent. When its windy and rainy all night you might sleep snug like a rock in a tent,lulled to sleep by the rain. But might be a little worried and spend some time avoiding spray under the hex. Just an example. I use my hexamid most of the time due to the light weight, but have spent restless time worried about getting wet in it during storms. Site selection, orientation, pitch height all can become important. I agree, its a great idea to get some experience with the items first.

You will probably want a summer bag at some point. When night temps reach about 55-60, with humidity, it will be too cold not to cover up, and too hot to cover up even partially with a 20-30 degree bag, particularly when you go to bed. It gets frustrating unless you have a light bag.

Devon, great list. For two more ounces you can get the regular sized Hexamid for two people over the solo one. You'll get more use of it in the future as you hike with others and you'll appreciate the extra space when solo for your gear when it is raining. I would order it with the extended beak for further rain and wind protection. The built in cuben groundsheet is very convenient but an added expense. Only other thought on the quilt is depending on your size, consider a wide to more easily avoid drafts and if ordering from Tim, order 3 oz of overstuff to keep the down from moving as much.

Okay guys after talking with Luke here I started to think maybe I had to much packed clothing and maybe my list wouldn't make a very good layered system so I've gone back and redid it a little. I've gotten rid of some things and added a couple. Over all I think I've subtracted one article of packed clothing but my weight went up .03lbs, so not to bad I think. I think this will give me more versatility on the trail between cold and hot conditions.

Luke, I looked up that Gore-Tex limited edition jacket and am really impressed with it on paper. The $129.00 (pit zips and sealed seems) is a heck of a lot better than the $265 for the ZPack. Since i have no experience with Gore-Tex and Cuben im forced to go with what I can read. From what Ive read on the AT starting in early March Ill have to go thru
1)Cold
Snow
Rain
Sleet
Freezing Rain etc
2)Warm
Rain
3)Hot
Rain

Basically I need a jacket that's warm, breathable, light and cool when I need it. As far as I can tell if I wanted to spend $1000.00 on a jacket I still wouldn't get that. Soooo I have to pick some. I'm going to give up the warm since I'm hoping with waterproof my wool, fleece, and down layers will be able to do there jobs and keep me warm. What Im most hopping for is breathable and light. Now one thing that keeps popping up on the hundreds of rain jacket threads I've been reading is none of them are REALLY breathable. But that things like pit zips can help. With that being said I've found the most positive reviews on the ZPack. Its new laminate material is more breathable than the last and with pit zips and a slower pace hopefully I can manage. And as far as wight goes even with pit zips its still very light. If you have any other recommendations feel free to throw them at me. I have no problem doing as much reading as I can on them hopping to find a better option.

MB, Thanks for looking over my list, I hope you have time to look over my updated version and see what you think. I just noticed that I had the solo on my list and not the solo-plus that Im planning on getting. What are your thoughts on that? I want something that I can put all my stuff in at night and on RARE occasions have somebody else in the tent too (read girlfriend so close is okay).

On the sleeping bag front I may just have to get a second bag (or quilt). Im starting to think a really light quilt might be better for my second half of the trip. Like the lightest quilt I can find maybe? Ill have to do some more looking into that one.

Here is my updated list, let me know what you guys think of it.

Packing and Camping
Backpack-ZPack Arc Blast 52L-18.07oz-341.95
Shelter-ZPack Hexamid Solo-Plus Tent-16.5oz-$475.00
Stakes-ZPack 6.5" Orange Tough Titanium (10) 2.33oz-$20.00
Sleeping Bag-Zpack 200 900 Fill Power-19.8oz-$420
Sleeping Pad-therm-A-Rest NeoAir X Therm-15oz-$150.00
_________________________________________________________
Total Weight 4.44lb Cost $1407.00

Packed Cloths
Midlayer-Patagonia R1 Fleece Hoody-12.6oz-$160.00
Wind Protection-Patagonia Houdini Jacket-4.0oz-$100.00
Insulation-Mountain Hardware ghost Whisperer-7.5oz-$250.00
Rain Jacket-ZPacks with Pit Zips-5.5oz-$265.00
Spare Socks-Smartwool PHD Running Lite-1.5oz- $20.00
Warm Hat-ZPack Micro Fleece Hat-0.9oz-$13.00
Gloves-Mountain Hardware Powerstretch-2.0oz-$30.00
Midlevel-Smartwool Midleweight 250 Crew-9.0oz-$95.00
Midlevel-Smartwool Midleweight 250 Pants-8.0oz-$85.00
__________________________________________________________
Total Weight 2.84lb Cost $1,008.00

Cooking
Cook Stove-Classic Ti-Tri With Inferno-12.17oz-$119.95
Cook Pot-Evernew Ultra Light 1.3L-$69.95
Pot Cozy-Anitgravity Gear-1.5oz-$12.00
Mug-Evernew TI MUG 400FD-1.7oz-$22.00
Spoon ULV Titanium Spork-.38oz-$8.84
Fire Starter Bic Mini Lighter-.40oz-$2.00
Dish Scrubber-1/3 Scotchbrite Pad-.5oz-$1.00
Towel-1/4 Pack Towel-.5oz-$10.00
Water Container-1L Dasani Bottles-UN-Free
________________________________________________________________
Total Weight 1.04lb Cost $245.78

Worn
Hiking Shirt-Smartwool NTS 150 T-Shirt-5.29oz-$70.00
Hiking Pants-Mont-bell Trail Ridge Convertable-14oz-$85.00
Underwear-Icebreaker Anatomica Relaxed Boxer-UN-$50.00
Socks-Smartwool PHD Running Lite-1.5oz-$20.00
Shoes-Merrell Moab Water Proof-24oz-$110.00
Insoles-Sole SIGNATURE DK RESPONSE-UN-$45.00
Sunglasses-Okley Fuel Cell-UN-Free
Trecking Poles-Locus Gear CP3-5.5oz-$100.00
________________________________________________________________
Total Weight 3.14lb Cost $480.00

Accesories
Light-Petzl Tikka RXP-4.1oz-$90.00
Knife-Leatherman MICRA or Styles CS-1.4-1.8oz-$30-$35
Sleeping Bag Linner-Sea to Summit Silk Mummy-4.8oz-$60.00
First Aid Kit-Undecided
Hygene-Undecided

Steve thanks a lot! Now which tent are you talking about? The Plus like I meant to put on there from the beginning or are you talking about the Duplex? Also I was thinking about talking to ZPack about doing a custom Tyvek ground sheet for under the netting on whatever tent I get. I don't know if that a good idea or not but an over sized ground sheet under the whole thing seemed like in might be good cheap light insurance to keep the tent a little more water tight, clean, and puncture resistant.

What are your thoughts on a summer only style quilt? Maybe the Enigma 50?

#1 thing that came to mind.. Multipurpose

sounds like a lot of jackets. you can't wear all of them at once and many do the same thing as others. windshirt seems the least useful. R1 could possibly eliminate the long sleeve baselayer.

70 bucks for a tshirt? go to Tjmaxx and get any synthetic shirt in your size. my "8" brand (tjmaxx house brand i think) weighs 4oz and cost like 10 bucks.

+1 for a Enlightened quilt. 20* and it will go the whole trail. you will need the cold gear again at the end in NH-ME. skip the bag liner.. wear your base layers and insulation to bed.

$12 Opinel #6 and $4 Westcott 3" sewing scissors will be a better knife and better scissors than the multitool at a similar weight.

$2 23g get a campbells cup o soup (short wide version) cut the metal rim off and you have a semi insulated mug.

that is an expensive pack for not being able to try it on.

for a lot less $ and similar weight WITH fuel you could get the Snow Peak Gigapower or Optimus Crux stove. Do you really want to gather and deal with making a twig fire every day for 4-6 months? in the rain, outside of the shelter? my Crux boils 2c of water in 3 minutes.

my only addition to the comments is to ditch the smartwool, especially the socks. I've had nothing but bad experience with them. get some darn tough or icebreaker socks, your feet are not something to mess with on a long hike.

are you wearing waterproof shoes the whole way ?

"are you wearing waterproof shoes the whole way ?"

And if so, why in the world would you do that?

Jake, thanks for the comments. I guess ill go down your list as see what you think?
1)Multipurpose, it is a lot of jackets and I agree that the wind jacket is probably the least useful. That being said I thought the purpose of a layering system was so I could wear them all at once if I needed to. I hope it never gets that cold but I have read that there can be plenty of snow on the trail for a early March start.
2)I like the sound of the Tjmaxx shirt. Is the base layer really not that important?
3)Enlightened 20 Quilt. You think that I could get that and be happy with that from beginning to end? That could end up saving me a lot of money. Seems like everybody here prefers quilt.
4)Ill have to look at those but i do like the convenience of having everything together in one on a multitool. From what I read most people don't even use the knives they take?
5)I've been wondering about the mug all together. I'm not much of a hot drink kind of person so I wonder if I even need it.
6)Are there any packs that would weigh in the same range that could be bought off a show room floor so I could try them on first? I would love that option and would be willing to travel a good ways to do it
7)I plan on taking alcohol to run it on and refueling with HEAT at gas stations along the way. No I don't want to look for sticks the whole way. But I like having the option.

Steven, thanks for the comment! To be honest I thought I wasn't messing around on the socks. I went with them because there double layered and I've read that's best for keeping away blisters. What bad experience have you had? They have great reviews everywhere I go.

Link and Greg that seems to be a big question. No I'm only going waterproof for the first pair after that ill go to the regular Moab. I thought about that long and hard before I got these. Some say yes, some say no and there's always a different reason why they do that. I HOPE that the shoes don't let water in during snow and rain I might see in the first part of the AT. Maybe not. If I get 100 miles into this and they just suck well Ill bite the bullet and get the regular Moab then.

Devin,
You might enjoy reading these articles by Andrew Skurka
Why “waterproof” shoes will not keep your feet dry
Minimizing the effects and aftermath of wet feet

I have had wretched experience with Goretex shoes. You have be waterproof though Ga but I would be surprised if it lasts much further. the conditions you will likely have are about as ideal as you can find for them and I think your move to non Goretex is right on. As far as hiking vs GGG. Your priorities are right, experience over gear.

Looks like Ill be taking back my waterproof MOAB to REI and grabbing a pair of the regulars. FYI anything that can be bought at REI I would rather do even if its not the best price out there for there return policy. Thanks guys!

I started my AT thru hike this year in March. There was a lot of snow and I brought Gortex socks. One of the best decisions I made. I also used the Zpacks rain jacket which I bought in gear swap and the rain pants. I liked them fine enough though all rain gear seams to be lacking. I used them a lot and I am planning on having them last the PCT this year as well. The pants were great for wearing while doing laundry.

Unless you plan on doing a lot of night hiking you could get by with a lighter head lamp.

I used the hexamid and loved it. Perfect AT tent.

I was very cold in March on the AT and had about as many layers that you have listed. of course we had an unusual snow year.

Boxers- I find the smartwool boxer briefs to be much more comfortable then the icebreakers you have listed. I own both but can't hike in the icebreakers because they are shorter and ride up.

Good luck, have fun

James could you give me some more feedback on the ZPACK rain jacket and pants? If you were me would you drop the money on them or where they not that impresive? And could you tell me more about the Hexamid? How was the size? Like I've said I'd like something I can put all my gear in and a girlfriend on rare occasions. Thoughts on that? And on the boxers I'd have no problem swapping those out if that's a problem. I can't imagine anything worse than boxers riding up on a 2000 mile walk. Lol

Devin,

For a little clarification. In March I used a nonbreathable cuben jacket that I made and it also served as a vapor barrier. This worked well but quickly became too hot and forced me to switch to the WPB ones that Zpacks sells. I would have made my own but I was already hiking. Another member offered me a great price on the pants and jacket and got them to me on the trail.

The Zpacks jacket breathed well enough for me. I really like the fit and hood. I had high hopes for the jacket but could never keep the water from running down my neck and soaking me out. In light rain this was not a problem but on the AT rain is often not light. I think when I have to replace the jacket I will make my own and attempt to make modifications to get a little better coverage. I do like the material a lot. I think that the pit zips would be a good addition but once added you are creeping up into the wright range of some other jackets that are much cheaper.

The pants are amazing. I am pretty sure I will be using WPB cuben rain pants until the invention of a better material. I liked having them to wear while doing laundry and used them for warmth once I traded my hiking pants for shorts. Here is a pair on gear swap.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=85215

Another thing I used was WPB cuben rain mitts. I made these myself. You can see a pair hear which I had leftover and sold. They worked very well.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=85621&skip_to_post=730037

The hexamid worked great. I hiked as part of a couple and we used the Hexamid Twin. With UL gear we had plenty of room for all of our gear and ourselves. We used Torso length pads and would put our packs under our feet. They were often wet so we would turn our pack liners inside out then put the pack in there to keep them from getting use wet. We tented 90% of the time and there is still a lot of life left in the tent.

I also think having the separate ground cloth is very nice. It allows you to have some protection for your pad when you are staying in the shelter. Also the shelters are very dirty and it will help keep your pad and bag clean.

We used MLD Prophets for our packs. We thought they were the perfect size and performed very nicely. I have picked up a Zpacks Arc blast for the pct though because I want to be able to carry more weight and more voulume (food). I dont't think I would take a pack this large on the AT though and often found the prophet too large. I would suggest buying your pack last in order to determine the size after you have the rest of your kit together.

With all that said. You could take the list you have and be very happy. It is a great list and Would probably leave you at about 9 lbs. Anything less than 10 lbs is great for the AT. Though you might not realize it from reading this site but you might only see a dozen or so other people with base-weights in this neighborhood during your trip.

It's such a great trip! You are going to love it.

Well you don't seem strapped for cash so USPS flat rate box can send any clothes you don't need home :)

t shirt baselayer isn't complicated.. just that it dries quickly and isn't cotton.

i figure if you are going to have 1.8 oz of knife and scissors you should make it a good 1oz knife and a good pair of <1oz scissors. Opinel 6 is a 3" blade folder that would be a lot more useful than the dinky thing that comes in the Micra. the scissors have large finger holes and Ti blades that are very sharp that will be easier to use than the Micra. There is nothing on the trail you need any of the other tools for.

the Osprey Exos 46 and 58 are very popular Thru hiker packs. not as light but have a great suspension system that supports 25-30lb very well. They also have a great company warranty. can try them on at REI and see what you think.

many here like alcohol, i'm not one of them. you figure that you have a 3-4oz? stove/screen combo plus 8oz of fuel gets you 8 boils. my 3oz Crux plus 8 oz canister gets me at least 20 boils.

i forgot to add that Dirty Girl gaiters are well worth keeping crap out of your shoes.
and that a clean pair of the lightest ankle socks just for sleeping in is really nice.

I used a 7 oz Golite Virga on the first 409 miles of the CT. Lot of condensation and the less the ideal hood meant I got water in through my face.

When I went back to finish the last 76 miles I made two changes.

1. I switched my loose fitting wool shirt for a tight synthetic base layer.

2. I used a North Face raincoat with pit zips and Hydrovent fabric (sorry I don't remember the model).

When I hiked in prolonged rain with that setup I was much more comfortable. First the tighter and thinner base layer dried faster. Second the rain coat breathed better. I know no raincoat is perfect but I could tell a difference. The hood was much nicer as well so my face stayed dry. Another trick was sort of a "well duh." I quit using my trekking poles when it rain. So I didn't have water running down my wrists and soaking my arms.

BPL had an article arguing really expensive (i.e. event) raincoats are not worth it because after a while you get steamed up no matter what. I agree but I do think some raincoats are "unbreathable" enough that you will notice the difference. If I recall my Golite raincoat had roughly half the breathability of my North Face (in addition to pit zips). I'm just one guy but I definitely felt like it made a difference.
I thought my Golite raincoat was leaking at one point but now I'm inclined to think it was mostly condensation plus some water working in through the hood and arms. I found no obvious leaks and the jacket slip beads water.

I recommend that you buy most of your gear from gear swap if you can. You'll save quite a bit of money. Plus, if you don't like something, you can sell it on to someone else.