Too many choices, rain jackets

Thanks for all the replies so far,

"You are looking for a jacket with the most durable and "restorable" DWR. Once a jacket is "sheeted" in water, the transport mechanism of the membrane is significantly reduced and you get wet from the inside."

No. I am not looking for a jacket that needs to be reproofed really. I also do not generate enough heat walking the dog or around town to sweat and make myself clammy on the inside. I do not expect any jacket to breath well enough for me not to get soaked from the inside while hiking wearing a pack. I'll buy just the one jacket and wear it doing both. Has to pass the in town test before it ever goes out of town.

@ Craig. Thanks for the great reply. It is too bad that the fit, finish and durability of the Dri Ducks, O2, Frog Togs is just not there to keep it from needing to be replaced so often. Landfill fodder.

"It'll probably help both yourself as well as everyone on here to give a little about what you're looking for, in terms of important features. Are you looking for something thats lightweight above all else? That favors durability over weight? Cost, cut, features, etc?"

Fair enough Cameron. I want a fabric that won't wet through on its own. I like a jacket with side pockets that is cut long enough to cover some of my rear. Sleeves long enough too. I think all hoods suck and wear a rain hat. But appreciate that there is a hood there for really terrible conditions. I don't find that pit zips work. I don't like cuffs that can't be cinched down. I try to stay away from any reflective garment trim. I'll spend the money it takes to get the jacket I want. I just don't want it to take six more tries.

Ken–
Is Paramo on your radar? No. I thought that I would find it too hot for here. Temps from freezing to 60, wet and windy. Prime hypothermia zone.

The hassle and added expense of reproofing just seems so much like a bad patch job. But if that is the height of our technology to have any sort of comfort while wearing under way, I'll bite I guess. But damn it rains here a lot and is wet the rest of the time during six months of the year. Would love to be outside all day and not have the DWR fail after 45 minutes. The cheap plastic rain suit thing has been done before and I do not relish going to that extreme.

No thanks to ponchos. Too windy Too much underbrush.

It shouldn't be so hard.

Hey Ken–

Just went through this process myself. I agree with the comments someone said about DriDucks feeling nice on the inside, but I always got so wet from the poor hood or holes I didn’t see/patch or new holes that developed mid-rainstorm that I’m giving it up. It also doesn’t meet your pocket requirement.

You may want to check out the MH Super Light Plasmic. It’s been on sale up to 35-40% off around the net recently.
– has adjustable cuffs
– has front pockets
– doesn’t have pitzips (which you mention not wanting)
– pretty great fit
– the hood is terrible. Since you use a rain hat, you could cut the hood off and make it a VERY lightweight jacket.
– has a high-quality zipper compared to the coil zipper used on most rain shells (according to Prolitegear.com’s take on the zippers, which, after comparing the zipper types in person seems like a reliable assessment)

I compared the fit and finish of the OR Helium II, MH SL Plasmic, and Marmot Essence in a recent post

Not sure if you’ve ever owned any MH clothing, but they replaced a slipping zipper on a fleece jacket for me, no cost, no receipt, no questions asked, on a jacket that was over 10 years old.

I opted for the Marmot because I found the hood to be outstanding, I did NOT want hand pockets, and I like having the pit ventilation. For your goals, I think the Plasmic is worth serious a look.

I’ve still got all 3 jackets on-hand. If you have any questions or want photos of anything, send me a PM.

chris

NM

+1 to Chris's post about the MH Super Plasmic. His assessment is spot on. The hood does indeed suck, but everything else is pretty great.

Ryan

Any thoughts on the regular Plasmic? I want more durability than the 15d face fabric.

I just picked up a Marmot XXL PreCip on sale for $75 to try out.
Weighs 12.5 oz and is pretty nice pit zips etc.
You would probably want a XL if you want to try one.
Gets high ratings but have not tried it yet.
Pit zips are mandatory if you want to stay dry.

Gortex does not cut it for me.

Also have several driducks and they breath better than almost everything. Bring duct tape. 6 oz.

3000 miles, dont know. Depends on how you treat your gear and terrain.

I really prefer a cuben parcho in combination with a top wind jacket.

If I were looking for jackets right now and $ was no object I would probably buy a Zpacks jacket.

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Rain-Jacket-Reviews

My Precip wetted out in less than an hour. My Torrentshell from Pattagucci lasted about 35 minutes.

No ponchos or parchos need to be even mentioned. Not going there.

My Haglofs Ozo (Paclite) is over 3 years old, with quite a lot of use in that time. I've never had it wet out. I've gotten wet from sweat wearing it, but not too wet, and that comes with territory. I've not had to re-treat the DWR yet, though I'll likely do that before an international trip next month. I do wash, rinse, and reactivate the DWR (with heat) regularly.

While I still think the overwhelming majority of WPB "failures" are user error, I also think that Goretex is still the most dependable laminate out there when it comes to keeping rain out in a sustainable fashion. I can't give a complete account of why that is. My best theory is that the certification process Gore imposes of companies who use their membrane, along with the premium one can charge for the name, encourages the use of better face fabrics which are more durable for the weight and better hold the DWR.

FWIW Ken, if the Ozo died tomorrow I'd buy either an Arc'teryx Alpha FL or a Haglofs Gram. I haven't checked this year, but I think Arc'teryx still hasn't figured out how to make a hood which when cinched doesn't form a gutter to direct rain into your eyes, while it looks like Haglofs still doesn't put a fricking flap on the top of their pocket zipper. Neoshell is tempting, but I'd probably steer clear until it's more proven.

I picked up a Mountain Hardwear Super Light Plasmic jacket this spring and have been very pleased with it. It's got a great fit for taller folks, it's fully waterproof, but breathes pretty well, and it weighs under 9 oz for the XL. I'm 6' 5", 220 lbs & the XL fits really well – with room underneath for a puffy.
No pit zips (I haven't missed them), but it does have an adjustable hood and roomy mesh hand pockets. It got pretty good reviews @ GearInstitute & Backpacker mag. You can find 'em on sale for under $140 at numerous places online.

I don't really have any specific brand advice; I use a poncho.

However, something that may be worth considering is the way that I look at shoes: miles per dollar. Rather than having a specific set number of miles you want the jacket to last, why not look at it as a ratio of how many miles per dollar you're going to get out of the jacket. It may help you budget better (it does for me; my absolute lower limit for shoes is 3 mi/$) and decide between features associated with the jacket.

Hope it helps!

I'd consider looking at the MEC Alpine Refuge jacket. I picked one up this summer and have loved it so far. 12oz for size large, DWR, and seam sealed. It's made of
3-layer Toray Dermizax NX nylon. Hig and Erin had good things to say about the toray fabric they used in their Alaska trek and KUIU has been using it in their waterproof rain gear.

We didn't get a lot of rain this year but the jacket handled four hours of fishing in a torrential downpour and never wet out. I've found the material quieter than most rain jackets and it is stretchy, which is nice while active. And though I am reluctant to say it, it has also been the most 'breathable' rain jacket I've ever used.

The colours are also subtle so I don't look like a futuristic robot clown if I do wear it around town.

Good luck with the search…

best rain jacket ive ever owned that is tough and well built… Patagonia M-10. wind proof, breathable and full water proof! can layer several layers to

This jacket looks AWESOME. a 3L jacket that weighs less than 9 oz. I very much wanted to consider one of these in my recent search, but yikes that is an expensive jacket. I couldn't even find anyone who carried one in-store in Los Angeles (including two Patagonia stores) to look at in person. Some day

I tried the standard Plasmic on in an REI to figure out what size SL to order. It had the same nice fit and finish as the SL, and I also think it might have a nicer hood, because when I tried it on in the store and played with the hood, I remember being pretty satisfied with it (not that that would matter to you with a hat, though).

Aside from the heftier fabric, the hand pockets are a little different. They are lower and in a more traditional pocket position, and have storm flaps. I cannot remember if the hand pockets ALSO had water resistant zippers as the SL does, and I do not think the pockets are mesh-backed to double as ventilation.

i will never own/buy anything waterproof with an REI label. i cant recall which model but it had event dry system. i got caught up in a bad pour down. when we got back to the camp site… i was completely drenched! i returned immediately. with my Patagoochi M-10, there is absolutely zero concerns with water proofness. great jacket but expensive

After using a PacLite parka & pants for several years and wanting more breathability I got an REI Kimtah eVent rain parka & pants and like them much better. Both parkas weighed about the same, 15 oz. in size XL. I got one size larger than my normal size Large to wear over my light down jacket.

Like all breathable membrane rainwear you have to re-spray the garments at least once a year, depending on use. A recent thread showed a Granger's DWR spray to be the best overall. I've been using REVIVEX with good results but will try Grangers next.

Got a regular Plasmic from STP for $68.56 Rainy season here so will be able to test right away. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for all the responses.

How about the Rab Demand anorak that just went up for sale on this site. 11 ounces, three ply event. Not made anymore for some unknown reason–an excellent jacket IMO. British sizing so it runs a tad small in the body.

Got the Plasmic yesterday. Too short in the torso and arms. That's a common issue for me, so. Interesting fabric though. The lining feels more like paper than plastic.

Search continues…

Hi Ken,

Most of the the Rab stuff I have is very long in the sleeves, worth looking at.

The Myriad is really long in the arms. A climber's cut I believe.

"Got the Plasmic yesterday. Too short in the torso and arms"

Weird. I wonder if the cut is different between the SL Plasmic and the Plasmic. I wear a 36/37" sleeve length and the SL sleeve goes almost to my fingertips. Best of luck on your continuing search.

Ryan

Picked up a Haglofs LIM II Paclite jacket at STP for $115. Super nice fit and quality of construction. Of course right now we are having great weather.

Sleeves with thumbholes that are long enough to retract into are great. Hood with an adjuster and a stiffened brim are great too.
All that in 10.5 oz.

Hope it works.

Hi Ken,

I have used a lot of Haglofs kit over the years and its top quality.

I find that the pants wet-out over the course of a day hike, where the leg fabrics brush against each other. Pants inside get quite wet too. The rain coat also wets out where my daypack carries against it. Changes to a dark green so I know it's not just inside-sweat. I've had good luck with the poncho and umbrella. Still working on the perfect set-up.