UL/SUL rain jacket? (Without a hood?)

Look at cycling jackets, they are made without hoods, I have a couple that I wear. Will Rietveld recently wrote a review of the  Berghaus VapourLight Hyper Smock 2.0 a pullover with hood that weighs 2.65 oz in medium.

I’ve been looking for such a jacket for a while now. I use an Outdoor Research Ghost Rain hat, and really never find a hood all that necessary.

Unfortunately, the pickings are slim. I haven’t been able to find much. It’s a bit heavy, but I’m considering Montbell’s trekking rain poncho. It claims to have a “2-way adjustable “roll away” hood.” I’ve contacted them in hopes of clarification.

I might just have to go to a cottage company and see if they can make a jacket without a hood. I guess I could always remove a hood from a jacket as well.

I use a Packa for all-day backpacking in the rain, but was thinking it might be nice to have an Uber-light rain shell for night/camp use. I have considered using my Montbell Tachyon for that purpose, but it won’t hold up to much rain.

I started thinking about the Montbell Versalite jacket as the lightest “full featured” (hand pockets and pit zips) choice. The Berghaus is ~1/3 the weight *but* lacks the pockets and zips.

I would be really interested to hear from someone who has used both of those pieces about how “waterproof” each is in actuality, i.e, how much continuous rain can each withstand?

Just to throw it out there, Berghaus actually makes a full-zip version of the smock, if the lack of a full zip is a negative to some. Still not pockets or pit zips, though.

Still haven’t been able to find a light, hoodless jacket. Been searching pretty obsessively last 24 hours or so. Ergh.

I own both the half and full zip Berghaus jackets, they were $60 on sale during Memorial Day and figured I would try them for that price.

I remember reading on here about a company that made simple cycling jackets out of Frogg Togg-like material. Perhaps someone else can chime in or you can try to find via search.

@annapurna

How do you like the Berghaus jackets?  Link to where you got them?

I just ran across this review, which was pretty favorable:

http://sectionhiker.com/berghaus-hyper-jacket-review/

The smock, at around 3 oz or less, or maybe the full zip, is probably exactly what I was looking for as a summer rainjacket.  My primary concern is breathability. Looks like it is waterproof.

@Jack, I’m guessing it was by O2 Rainwear. They sell cheap hoodless jacket at about 6oz, but I’m unsure how durable it is.

My OR Helium II weighs in at 6 oz, so no weight savings there.  The Berghaus Vapourlight smock has my interest, though, at half the weight.

I also find the Helium hood annoying. I was looking at the Ultimate Direction Ultra which seems to have a better hood for the same weight.

There are also the new Gore-Tex permanent beading surface jackets (they need a new name): The Gore ONE and the Arcteryx Norvan SL which are lighter still but much pricier.

I tried posting with links to these, but BPL wont let me post with links for some reason?

@Marc Wow, those look amazing. The Gore ONE jacket is only 130g and hoodless!

Guess it’s time to start saving my pennies.

Ditto on the Helium (II) hood, trying to get a little too cute with the shock cord design and do everything at once. Sizes run small as well, so I needed a L instead of usual M.

I switched to the Montbell Versalite and love it. And it’s actually a little lighter than the Helium, with hand pockets and pit zips, and size M fits me with room for layers under it, easily fits base layers plus a 150wt fleece or even the MB Ex-lite down jacket.

I bought both my jackets at campsaver but the sale is over, and I had read all the online reviews ( including sectionhaiker ) before deciding to try them. I like them fine, I have only tried them on since I just received them in the mail and it is 80 degrees outside. My size small (mens) pullover weighs 2.5oz and the full zip weighs 2.7oz, they look and feel like a wind jacket with taped seems..

You could contact Luke from Luke’s Ultralite and see about him making a rain jacket for you without the hood.

Link@Annapurna, who had it on sale for Memorial Day? What a deal…

Link@Annapurna, who had it on sale for Memorial Day? What a deal…

in honour of Link:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/ulsul-rain-jacket-without-a-hood/#post-3406874

Ito..lol..thanks…I skipped that part. What a great price on those.