Looking for a most-case rain jacket

[Matanya “Wonka” Loewenthal]

Hi y’all,

I’ve started working at REI, and that means I get both steep employee discounts, as well as a little disposable income. I’ve used a number of different rain jackets before, but there is always something that I wish it had. There is no way for me to look at every rain jacket there is, so I think if I give some of my pros and cons of previous jackets, one of you might be able to push me in the right direction. From lightest to heaviest, here are my past jackets:

• FroggTogg Ultralight II jacket
• OR Helium II
• Marmot PreCip
• North Face Hyvent something

Pros and Cons:

• FroggTogg Ultralight II jacket
  • Pros
    • Light as fuck
    • Totally waterproof when I wore a full brimmed hat
    • Cheap as fuck
  • Cons
    • Not durable at all
    • Not at all breathable
    • No pit-zips
    • Trash hood
• OR Helium II
  • Pros
    • Very light
    • Packs small
    • The waterproof zipper is a really nice feature, even if it was kind of tight
    • I got a good deal on a gear swap
  • Cons
    • Not long enough to cover my mid-layer at the bottom
    • Wet out very quickly, and felt clammy
    • Not great wrist cuffs
    • Was a weird fit
• Marmot PreCip
  • Pros
    • Definitely my favorite jacket!
    • I end up taking this even when the rain is supposed to be minimal
    • Amazing pit zips
    • A great hood that rolls up into the collar well
    • Pretty good packed size
    • Nice pockets
    • Good length overall
    • Fantastic price
  • Cons
    • A little heavy, but not too bad (13 oz)
    • DWR instead of some more permanent waterproofing like Gore-Tex
    • Zipper with flap seems worse than a waterproof zipper.
• North Face Hyvent something
  • All shit, every time I wore it. From before I actually cared about gear.

So I guess what I’m looking for is a Marmot precip with some sort of Durable Gore-tex, Large Pit zips, similar if not lower weight, waterproof zippers, and a good fit.

I don’t like taking entirely different things depending on small changes in the weather. %10 rain to %80 rain, I want to take the same jacket. I can carry even a 15 oz jacket if it means that I’m covered and I don’t have to think about it. Thanks for your help y’all!

[Brad Rogers]

All Gore Tex jackets, except the few Shakedry shells also rely on DWR.   That being said, I’ve had better luck with Gore Tex shells than any others.  Currently my two go two shells are the Haglofs Ozo pullover  and the Montane Spine Jacket.  The Montane Spine sounds like what you are looking for and it was sold at REI but I’m not sure if they still have it.

What about the REI Drypoint GTX?  I haven’t seen it so I don’t know what the vents, fit or hood look like, but on paper it seems like a pretty decent shell.

I don’t think there are any Gore Tex Shakedry shells on the market with pit zips, and I’m not sure about Columbia Outdry EX shells either, but both don’t require DWR.

 

 

[JCH]

Not sold at REI, but might want to take a look at the Montbell Versalite anyway?

[Brad Rogers]

Mont-Bell makes great shells all around.  Their Storm Cruiser Jacket is a really nice shell for nasty weather and I’d love a new Peak Shell with GTX Shakedry.

Of course your REI discount won’t help you there.

[Charles L]

We tried those Frogg Togg jackets, pretty much consider them single or double use, at best.  They were miserable.

[Brad Rogers]

Interesting I have a Dri Ducks jacket that has seen quite a bit of use (including wearing on a 3 day 54 mile hike where it rained 7 inches in 48 hours and caused major flooding) and I thought it’s held up relatively well.  Sure it has a few duct tape patches and I think it’s due to go around the zipper any time, but considering what it is – for on trail use it’s OK if you’re careful.   Mine lasted probably 3 years and 700-800 miles before I’ve retired it to the back of the gear closet.

The fit is poor (though I find baggy raingear OK as it’s cooler) and the hood is terrible but it feels nice against the skin if you’re wearing a short sleeve shirt which you can’t say about any other jacket that light.

I do prefer 3L jackets when I’m expecting real sustained rain.  The 2.5L shells are OK for short showers or thunderstorms but they tend to get clammy after a few hours.  I’ve used the Colomibia Featherweight Outdry EX shell some running and hiking and though it’s not the most breathable thing I’ve used It has kept me dry and doesn’t wet out.

Most US made jackets have poor hood designs in my experience (I’m looking at you OR). Haglofs has the best hood design I’ve used, but all the European brands like Rab and Montane seem to have superior hood designs for whatever reason.

 

[Stephen Seeber]

The Marmot Precip has an extremely high MVTR in my testing. I tested it several times because I was so surprised by its breathability.  Low price.  Good feature set.  The drawbacks are  weight and packability  (OK, but not great).  And, importantly for you, sold at REI.  By comparison MVTR for Hyvent 2.5 or Dryvent 2.5 or OR Helium 2 are all pretty mediocre.  HH  for Precip exceeds Hyvent, but a little lower than Dryvent.  HH for Helium II is slightly higher than Precip.  HH for all of them is adequate, ranging from 16170 to 21792.  From what you described above, the Precip may be your best bet.

[Cameron M]

I own several 2.5-layer jackets, which combined with a poncho can perform OK. If rain is unlikely, a 2.5  provides basic protection and is a great wind shell. But with any hint of rain, I more often pack the bulkier and heavier 3-layer Gore-Tex Montbell Storm Cruiser, and it really does make a difference in comfort.

[Ralph Burgess]

I think Marmot Speed Light fits all points on your checklist.    When I researched it a couple of years ago, it was the lightest I could find in full 3-layer Goretex (it’s “Goretex Pro”), 14oz.  Has pit zips.   It’s described as “athletic fit”, where Preclip is “regular fit”, so I don’t know how that works for you.

It’s obscenely expensive, of course, but that’s where your REI discount comes in, right?

[Brad Rogers]

The Marmot Precip has a long history of early delaminations and virtually no warranty support from Marmot.  It is cheap though, and can often be found at steep discounts.

Outdoor Research Accentshell is supposed to be pretty good, but I haven’t used a jacket with it so I can’t validate those reports.

[Adam G]

I’ve noticed that 3-layer jackets far out-perform 2.5 layer when in steady rain. My experience with the PreCip was that it was better than 2.5 layers, but still just OK. You may look into eVENT jacket. I have an eVENT rain jacket that I use cycling in the PNW, and it’s better than anything I’ve ever used. But realistically, the only waterproof breathable jacket is an umbrella.

[Sam Farrington]

If you loved the Precip, you are one easy to please hiker. Maybe they can get you an REI Kimtah eVent jacket. They were very popular, but got phased out.

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