ZPacks Vertice Rain Robe

I’ll stick with Frogg Toggs poncho. 7oz and $15.

a full front zipper would allow better ventilation when it’s not raining

That looks utterly miserable.

ultralight flashers are gonna love it.

But it’s light! It’s the lightest! That automatically makes it the best!

Since Vertice fabric can wet out like all WPB fabric, I think the concept of using a jacket with an overlapping front closure is a good idea. When the top layer wets outs the inner layer will hopefully have enough of a buffer to not also wet out. So walking into wind driven rain won’t be nearly as bad as with a single layered zippered jacket.

Likewise pairing this with the pants, as they recommend, would give similar double layered protection to the hips and thighs (I hate it when my upper pant legs wet out and get sticky). They have knee height gaiters in the vertice line so they could have recommended those.

I wish they showed taking it on and off in more detail. It hard to see how open/ undone you can leave it.

I vote Nay.  Looks to me to be very close to the body, stuffy and likely to wet out. Also don’t see how it seals up well unless the neck is buttoned up.  Too many questions left unanswered by the description/video. Tis light for it’s size tho.

But it’s light! It’s the lightest! That automatically makes it the best!

Except it isn’t even that light. OK, it is probably the lightest robe out there, but there is not much competition. My Berghaus rain jacket weighs half as much, and comes down below my butt. If I don’t mind wet legs, I won’t wear rain pants. If I do, then I have double rain coverage over my mid section. I don’t see much difference, except I guess this can is easier to get on and off.

Looks like they found all the worst parts about ponchos and all the worst parts about rain jackets and combined them in one handy ultralight package.

I could not imagine using a poncho without a front opening. I would boil.
Even in fairly heavy rain (unless I am facing into the wind), I have my poncho at least half-open at the front, and that still keeps me warm (for a given definition of ‘warm’ when in 0 C rain and wind.

Cheers

Bingo. Worst parts for sure.

I actually like the idea of trying different fastening systems to zips and different ways of venting, but this achieves precisely nothing.

Another issue.

I was experimenting with a longer jacket recently to see if I could get away with chaps rather than rain pants. I was remembering the long cagoules we used to wear in the early ’70s in Scotland.

So I ran up a quick prototype in a light sil. Total fail.

What I discovered was that the bottom hem spent a lot of time flying around above waist height as soon as I was in any kind of wind.

Turns out the old cagoules only worked because of the stiff neoprene nylon they were using.

Unless that “Rain Robe” is made of a stiff fabric, it won’t work well above the treeline.

But at least your wet pants will help cool you down while you stew inside that thing…

That’s good to know Geoff. I was considering making a silpoly chaps and cagoule combo but it sounds like it’ll be too light and soft to work from your description.

I wonder if a PU poly would work better as from memory of PU floors they’re a bit stiffer? Or maybe the lower section could be made of a stiffer or thicker material.

A strap joining the front and back between the legs might work for a cagoule and chaps combination.

I did try a strap between the legs, but it was still too flappy all round. And a pain to use as well.

A stiffer fabric might work, but it would probably be too heavy – and I don’t have anything suitable to try.

Next experiment will be overtrousers with better venting around the groin. I think that will be the more practical way to go.

Until I tried this, I didn’t understand why modern jackets are all so short. But now I’m pretty sure it’s because of the lighter, more pliable fabrics. Turns out the designers aren’t so daft after all.