Rain jackets for mountain minimalism

I’ll add the option I went with, a black diamond storyline stretch.  10oz in large.  Generous cut, pit zips, helmet ready hood, adjustable cuffs

I’m intrigued that Helly Hansen claims their Lifa Infinity Pro tech, available in their Odin 9 Worlds Infinity Shell jacket, does not require any rejuvenating of DWR on the face fabric.  They claim the face fabric is hydrophobic without needing a DWR chemical.

it sounds like that shell is seriously heavy duty (not light). And perhaps breathability suffers as well.

Is the Helly Hansen odin 9 worlds infinity worth if for $300?
byu/Dodoford inalpinism

I live in New Zealand,

Ultralight hiking gear isnt big here, the weather is one of the reasons.  when it rains it can rain in massive amounts, up to tens of inches in a rain sttorm is not uncommon and its always cold when it rains, hypothermia is common, and still happens in summer. thin raincoats all wet out and dont retain much heat, if light rain or showers is forecast and the weather isnt too cold , I will take an ultralight jacket, but if you dont need it on for  along time , venting doesnt matter as much… if its going to be raining for longer periods, i’ll switch to a vented heavier rainshell. i’ve never had an ultrallght shell with venting. they are hard to find in NZ and never felt the need to buy online from overseas yet..

In the PNW I have found Patagonia Torrentshell 3L jacket and pants are fantastic in winter, late fall, early spring. I have been just dumped on with cold windy rain-they really shined. Summer I use Lightheartgear silnylon jacket and pants. I have been toying with a poncho but just don’t think they will do well with high winds or if conditions really get bad in the higher elevations in summer.

Thank you Ryan. I was recently bicycling for several days in cold blowing rain and ended up putting a $10 super lite Frogg Toggs rain suit over my older Marmot gear and it made all the difference. Of course neither of those options can hold up to bushwacking. I have HH Impertech for that-but it is heavier as you know. Movement helps, but when cold rain or wet snow penetrates to the inside layers hypothermia is a real issue not to be ignored.

I was strongly agreeing until the 5 point list. No, no, no to helmet compatible hoods! They blow off as soon as you turn into the wind. Also, the hard adjusters found at the back of hoods these days mean I can’t sleep with the hood up anymore. I also hate Napoleon pockets. Symmetry appeals visually to me but, if I have 2 chest pockets, I use both. As far as waist adjustment is concerned, it’s a feature and features mean taping. On the jackets I’ve used, taping does not breathe. Back in the 1980s, when I was bagging Munros, rain fell for 21 days in a row. I ended up with nappy rash around my waist because of pooling sweat and condensation.

Also, waterproofs fit for Munro bagging in poor weather are very expensive. I use a cheaper windproof to take the rucksack’s abrasion. I used to swap jackets when rain started until Chris Townsend wrote that he puts his waterproof over his windproof. That’s what I do now. I agree with the sentiment of the article but it is possible to get away with using a delaminated waterproof if you have a showerproof windproof underneath.

I would hate all of these jackets, for one reason: they don’t cover the bum. For women in particular, this is a place that can lose a lot of heat. I’ve never understood why any rain jacket doesn’t cover the pelvic area, and if it doesn’t, it forces the use of rain pants, even in a short thunderstorm. No one wants wet undies!  It does save time comparing rain gear; so few go below the waist that there are only a few to choose from. I won’t wear one that doesn’t, no matter what weather. I just think it’s a major design flaw.

yeah, jackets in general are too short.  They should go down to your thighs at least

I would hate all of these jackets, for one reason: they don’t cover the bum. For women in particular, this is a place that can lose a lot of heat. I’ve never understood why any rain jacket doesn’t cover the pelvic area, and if it doesn’t, it forces the use of rain pants, even in a short thunderstorm. No one wants wet undies!  It does save time comparing rain gear; so few go below the waist that there are only a few to choose from. I won’t wear one that doesn’t, no matter what weather. I just think it’s a major design flaw.

That was an issue for my wife. To keep things polite, what fit my rather straight build, didn’t work at all for my wife’s curvier figure.

I got lucky in that an eBay-purchased Patagonia Granite Crest worked really well for her. It does cover the hips/bum well. It’s roomy enough for layering or full movement. It’s slightly thinner face-fabric makes the jacket wear very well.

After some other trials, I settled on a Granite Crest myself, for a few other resasons. While it busts the 110z. target set-fourth in the original article, my men’s medium weighs in at 14.3 oz, including a recent DWR spray-down. :) I guess it’s not “lightweight” but it is a full-featured jacket, with bi-directional pit zips, 3-layer construction, etc… I wouldn’t call it a heavyweight, and it seems to check enough boxes that it could work 365 days a year. Though, I’ll have to check if I can squeeze a helmet under the hood…

I agree. But it is an American problem: Australian-made jackets have always been long, even back in the 1960s.

(SW Tasmania. Yes, my wife on the left. Oiled Japara no less.)
Cheers

Yeah, an American problem

The jacket on the right is pretty good (you?)

The jacket on the left could be a bit longer (your wife?)

Like in WWII – Germans had better (longer) coats, Americans had shorter coats.

But cowboys in fictional TV shows always had longer coats.

I told Luke ” make it long” and we decided on a number. Too short is too short,  Too long is too long. Too long gets annoying and restricts air. I’m thinking a midriff with a high waisted mini skirt. It might work for rain gear too. Actually, more like a waist gator using a hook and loop system so it hangs underneath the coat, allowing better ventilation.

yeah, too long blows around in the wind too much.

It’s easier to shorten a jacket than lengthen it

I like it to at least cover the pants pockets.  And some warmth around the bum, going back to AK.

My coat has an elastic around the waist to minimize blowing around in the wind.