Durability of an ultralight rain suit

I used a pair of Golite Reeds (5oz) for years and thousands of miles and they lasted pretty well.  My last trip with them was in Brooks Range and all the brush did a number on them putting some holes in them and decimating what was left of the DWR, but honestly they did better than I expected them to.

I haven’t used the Versalite long term but do have a Haglofs Ozo Pullover I have used for years (7.5oz GTX Paclite) and it’s held up extremely well.  I also used a Dri-Ducks jacket for quite a while on trail years ago and it even survived being under pack straps better than you’d think it would.

The issue with the Versalite may be more that since it’s a 2 layer jacket, it doesn’t have the “.5” layer to protect the membrane from your body oils and dirt and that may be what does the jacket in more than the face fabric wearing out.   I do think GTX jackets hold up better than the proprietary membranes, but I’ve never used a 2 layer shell.

I know that you probably want to avoid the weight of a separate wind shell, but I find a wind jacket so much more comfortable than a rain jacket, I think it’s worth the extra weight.  And since rain shells are pretty expensive and more fragile I like using a wind jacket that doesn’t loose functionality if the DWR wears off due to abrasion, or it gets pinholes in it from thorns or vegetation, and save my expensive rain shell for when it’s actually raining.

I have a Versalite  and  have used it on multi-day ski trips. As a skier, my main skill is the graceful fall, so the Versalite has had to take something of a beating at times, and seems to hold up pretty well to crusty snow. In my experience, light “waterproof/breathable” jackets (I put that in quotes because they are rarely both) tend to start leaking long before they look like they are worn out. so your choice is really about weight vs. durability. you can get a little heavier, 3-layer jacket which will probably hold up longer, or you can carry a couple ounces of windshirt along with your light rain shell to save it, or you can just live with the short lifespan in order to have the lightest option.

Idk how much this helps but I took a pair of new current version (gore infinium) versalite rain pants on my cdt hike using them primarily in camp for warmth and some cold mornings. They did develop numerous holes/small tears but not anything I would be too concerned about. In all honestly, with durability being the primary factor, I think they have performed as advertised. Not any better or worse than what I’ve expected. With that said, a through hike puts a lot of use on gear in a very short amount of time. I would expect this material (as pants) to last for at least several years of normal use.

I will still continue to use them in limited circumstances as a water proof rain paint but don’t expert much more from them at this point. Also, I find the pants to be too clammy and not breathable enough for use as sleeping pants…if that helps with breathability.