Rab Phantom as part of multiuse SUL (and review)

I’ll be curious to see how this shell holds up for you. It seems like it’s a ‘just in case’ shell, but it would be great if it can stand up to frequent use.

Thanks for the post Monte!

I have both the jacket and the pants. I’ve been using them for a season or two now, mostly in the Sierra for fastpacking/SUL trips. Very happy with them. I use the jacket in combo with an alpha hoodie (any wind goes right thru the alpha) in the morning to break camp and warm up when I start moving. The pants function as wind pants also. They have a patch of velco and a snap instead of zippers at the ankles. It’s difficult to get the pants on and off without removing your shoes. As rain gear, I pack them for short monsoonal T-storms, not extended rain. That said, I did hike out during a 24h+ storm (several hours in the rain) and while not dry (sweat & perhaps some wetting out), I was warm enough during a early September storm. They are delicate though—I’ve already patched the rear of the pants. They fit well and have a nice brim. I would choose something different if I expect extended rain or cold temps.

I wasn’t aware that Rab also offered Phantom rain pants. At about 3 oz they’re even lighter than the Montbell Super Dry Tec UL. Darn, now I’m going to have to try and resist the temptation to buy the Rab. https://www.backcountry.com/rab-phantom-pant-mens

ZPacks Vertice Rain Pants are also around 3 oz and priced at 149 USD, but backcountry has recurring 20% off specials, so would be 120 dollars for Rab.

Marmot used to sell a similar jacket, pants and anorak made from Pertex Shield 2.5L in a very thin fabric maybe 7 or 10d.  My XXL jacket weighs 5.7oz and has hand pockets. XL pants are 3.8oz with calf height zips. The jacket doesnt have pit zips but has some micro perforations that are supposed to vent.

I got the pants off Ebay new for about $30.

I’ve also been eyeing off this jacket but haven’t pulled the pin yet… Kinda waiting to see what else comes out in the next year or so that is also non-PFAS. I’m a sweaty boy so kinda hoping for some pit zips if possible…

If you want pit zips the ZPacks Vertice will be pretty much unbeatable in terms of weight and quality. It’s a little over 1 ounce heavier than same size Phantom.

But the Vertice sells for 299 USD whereas Phantom’s MSRP is 200 USD, but the Rab can periodically be found on sale for 25% off. I paid 150 USD for my Phantom during backcountry’s Memorial Day sale. For anyone interested just wait until their next holiday sale to buy.

Sounds like Baja Bob may be referring to the Marmot Mica? I had one for a few years and when the rain came, I was completely soaked. The slightly heavier Marmot Essence was perfect for me (no pit zips) and actually kept the rain out for the most part.

The Rab Phantom is intriguing for the right situations. Looks like they dropped the pullover version which would have saved you an ounce or two.

As for rain pants, my Montbell Versalite pants are more durable for the same weight as the Rab, but they seem to be discontinued as well as Montbell switches to newer technology.

If you are considering the Rab jacket plan to size up as they run a tad small in my experience.

Not the Mica. https://www.peakmountaineering.com/marmot-bantomweight-jacket-review/

I mentioned it because it seems similar to the Phantom (same Pertex Shield and lightweight) and pants can sometimes be found inexpensive on Ebay. I see a jacket new with tags for $80

Another thing I like about the Phantom is its stowaway hood which eliminates the need for a stuffsack. The volume is incredibly small.

Thanks for reporting this, Monte. I’ve been curious about the Phantom, but not curious enough to buy one. :)

Now that I have accepted that it is OK for a WPB to not be 100% waterproof, garments like this make more sense to me for mixed conditions.

The OR Helium is also a 2.5 layer Pertex Sheild, but it’s 30D instead of 7D (Phantom). I’ve gone through a few Heliums and I find that after 8-10 hard sustained rains they start to wet out. I guess the DWR simply wears off, however don’t kid yourself into thinking you can reapply DWR and bake it in the way the factory does. UL rain jackets are expendable IMO.

I’m not one who usually walks far when a rain sets in though. I always carry a superlight small tarp I can quickly set up to ride out a hard rain, although sometimes the situation requires I keep slogging in a downpour.

As you’d expect, the Phantom is more breathable than the Helium. I know some people have gone to straight up waterproof silpoly jackets that last forever, but I’ll pay the price for my “breathable” rain jacket thank you.

If I want a true waterproof breathable jacket to hike in the heavy stuff, I’ll go with a triple layer GORE-TEX Dead Bird Beta SL. Expensive yes, but supreme quality. https://www.rei.com/product/235112/arcteryx-beta-sl-jacket-mens

Cool comparison to the Helium. OR changed to NikWax DWR this year and claim that it is more water resistant now. Since it has a membrane, DWR isn’t the source of the water resistance anyway.

As you say, we can’t get the same controlled heat at home for reapplying the stuff.

However, I don’t think it’s the DWR wearing out that reduces rain resistance over time. I think it’s actually the membrane degrading or stretching, as discussed recently. The DWR isn’t relevant to water resistance beyond the first few minutes.

Agreed that UL rain jackets wear out (like any clothing), and also that they are worth paying a premium (and replacing when necessary). They aren’t perfect, but I agree they are more comfortable than a fully waterproof jacket.

The fabric weight makes a difference, of course. More breathable makes sense, although I have to say that I’ve been using one of the new Heliums recently and it isn’t as bad as I expected. The fabric is light, dumps heat decently well, and breathes well enough that I could see carrying it without a windshirt in order to cut weight.

Overall, Pertex Shield is at least “Good Enough” in performance. Some of us may have overlooked this fabric because the test scores are middling, but real-life performance is more satisfactory than most other currently-available WPB fabrics, IME.