ultralight raingear

“Yes I know there are already threads about this. I am hoping for more/new info. I am looking for an incredibly light(well under a pound)raincoat. It also must be very small when packed, giant pit zips are preferred, condensation or wetting throough are a no-no. Does this miracle coat exist? Forgot to mention breathability, I sweat like a hog.”

“My Marmot Precip has served me very well and it was about 50.00 and weighs about 8 oz. Hell, I think both my pants and jacket weigh in under 1 lb.

The only other thing I can think of is that jacket that le Subtil brought to school house that one time. It was around 3 oz, I think, but wasn't it a little pricey?”

“I recall that jacket Q, it was patagonia I think. No pity zips though...bummer too.”

“How much jack you looking to lay out, Birch?

Here is one of the latest products on the market: Integral Designs eVENT Rain Jacket

Here is a first impression review.

No pit zips, but this one is supposed to breathe like crazy.”

“OK, for the second link, go to Lite Gear Talk and look for the eVENT jacket post.”

“hubcap, thats perfect, can you pay half LOL.”

“Frogg Toggs!”

“I tried to navigate frogg toggs site. Egads! what a mess.”

“I've used Marmot Precip for a few years now and used it on the AT. It's a pretty good jacket but breathability isn't great. It does breathe, but only so-so. I think the jacket is 12 oz, pants 7 oz. I've heard it said that Marmot doesn't have the best customer service re: the precip, ie they're virtually disposable as far as they are concerned. Not sure of the truth to this, just reports on the Trail.

I don't know about the e-vent stuff, but GoreTex was always the most breathable wp fabric around. The lightest gore jacket I've seen is the Arc'teryx Sirrus. Pretty good stuff for 12 oz. Not sure about pit zips, though.

Happy hunting.”

“MM, I had heard similar stuff about the precip. I want this raingear for racing so breathability is a must.”

“I really like my Red Ledge jacket. Pit zips, adjustable hood strings, drawstrings at the waist. The jacket is under a pound. The pants are under a pound too and have full zip sides and a pocket on the hip.

Might be a little heavier than you'd ideally like, but for the price I don't think you can beat it, either in weight or performance.”

“i have ultralight rain jacket by Red Ledge. I think I paid $69 for it during Traildays. It's not seamsealed so they can't sell it complete waterproof, but I didn't feel any water get through it yet. You could always seamseal it too.

its' made out of silnylon, so it's very light.”

“I bought a custom-made rain suit (jacket/pants) about 6 months ago. Weighs about 7 ozs total, both parts pack down to a total size of a softball. I paid extra to have pit zips added - I love 'em, they are quite long so provide lots of ventilation. Both parts are made out of silnylon and have as few parts as possible to keep weight and size down.

From experience and by talking to others, the concept of "breathable" for hiking clothing is nonexistant. Doesn't matter what the marketing hype is, when you are producing as much sweat as you do when you hike nothing on the market can breathe it out. The point for your hiking rain outfit should be to keep your core temp warm. With pit zips you can at least wick out some moisture because of your wicking base layer, but when it rains you are either going to be wet from rain, or if you put a jacket on you will be wet from sweat.

The owner of this store is a thru-hiker and all her gear is trail tested. She doesn't offer the pit zip option anymore but if you email her she should agree to it for an extra fee.

http://www.trailquest.net/dlgcgwrainsuit.html”

“I don’t think you’re going to find anything that will breath as much as ya want. I’ve always wanted a Precip jacket but the price just keeps going up and up. Something like $175 now. Have you looked at any of the Golite stuff? I know Patagonia has some good stuff but pricey. If I’m not mistaken REI has an ultralite jacket out but their waterproof ness is lacking IMHO.”

“Gemini - what do you think of the silnylon for raingear? Seems like it'd be a sauna.”

“what tec and nigal said.

i think "breathability" in rain gear is waaay over rated and pretty much a scam from my experiences and what i've read.”

“One thing I take into consideration when I pack my Marmot Precip is that I use it as a windbreaker, too. So I'm not just taking x ounces for rain protection.

I, too, am a pretty serious perspirer, birch, but I wore it almost the whole time on my winter trip in Feb (skiing up from 7000 to 9000 feet with a pack on, then around some more the next day), and I was amazed at how little condensation there was.”

“Would something alone a light fleece jacket work? I mean, if it rains, wouldn't your body heat dry you off. PLus, you're sweating, wouldn't the "cool" rain help cool you off?”

“Q just might have a point. Ever look at the soft shells?”

“I've got one of the "old style" Precip jackets, and they're only slightly breathable. I wear mine as a windbreaker or outer shell too.

Once on a winter hike, using my Precip as a shell, I unzipped it and noticed that the inside was covered with condensation. Of course, it was about 18F outside that day, so it's probably no wonder. I was wearing (in order, from skin out) a wicking long-sleeved shirt, another long-sleeved shirt, a fleece vest, and the Marmot. The fleece vest was a little wet, but I still felt dry. It wasn't raining that day, thankfully.”

“I love mine. Yes, it's hotter then not wearing a rain jacket, but I don't sweat as much in it then in my northface rainjacket.”

“"Of course, it was about 18F outside that day, so it's probably no wonder."

I thought the colder it is the better the transference of moisture was? I have hiked in some good fleece and I was dry yet all the moisture was drawn right to the top. I've never had a WB shell that breathed and didn't get me wet on the inside. Even my $400 TNF shell.”

“I'd think the opposite, at least with that much insulating clothing on, because the shell is going to be colder, and so when the warm water vapor hits it, some of it condenses immediately. Without the shell, the water vapor just keeps on going, so maybe for cold dry weather, the right answer is windproof fleece for your top layer.”

“i'm gonna hafta go against the smartest man on TT with this one.

from what i understand, it is the difference in temps which causes breathable, wicking materials to work - i.e. your body heat pushes the the moisture outside the material.

so it seems to me that the greater the difference in temp on either side of the material, the better they work.

no?”

“But you're agreeing with me. I thought you said you were going to disagree with the smartest one on TT? LOL!”

“Sacco, all I know is the inside of my Precip was covered with condensation, and my fleece vest was wet from it. Seems if it were working better, then there wouldn't have been as much water on the inside of the jacket. If it had been warmer, I wouldn't have been wearing the fleece.

I think the fleece may be somewhat to blame, since it was trapping my body heat (quite well too). This may have allowed the air temperature between the fleece and the jacket to drop, and allowed the Precip to get cold. Now, no doubt the Precip handled this better than something that doesn't breathe at all. I wonder if I hadn't been wearing the fleece, and my body heat had been able to keep that airspace warmer, if all of the water vapor would have made it out. I dunno. It doesn't get that cold here very often so I have no way of testing it. I just know there was a lot of water on the inside of my Precip that day.”

“nigal i said smartest, not smarmiest.

hehe.

bit. sounds reasonable to me.”

“Did I just get burnt?”

“ZING!”

“I made him and I can break him, lol.”

“Maximum ventilation. Does double duty as a pack cover. They range from $3 to $100. Add gaiters if you want dry boots.”

“If you're slpashing out Birch.
http://www.prolitegear.com/montane-event-superfly.html”

“Correct on the heat driving out the moisture, that's why I said you should have a wicking layer on underneath. Some of the commercial clothing out there does use a light layer of fleece bonded to the breathable outer layer, with the fleece the wicking layer. Your heat drives the moisture (including leaked rain) out through the fleece to the outer layer.

In light rain as long as its above 50* I stay in my wicking shirt only. When it stops raining I dry off. Colder than that I'll add my silnylon rain jacket. Much colder I'll add the layer of fleece between my wicking layer and the jacket, so I really have 2 wicking layers with one of them acting as insulation too. With the pit zips open I really don't get that wet inside. My silnylon layer is my wind protection too.”

“Here's what argear sells -

http://www.argear.com/gear/grjackets2.html

The Precip anorak is silly light, and on sale. Not having a full front zip might be a pain, though.

I think that breathability is important with a hiking/active sports jacket and, like any piece of gear, has it's application. For example, when it is cold and raining, a time when hypothermia is a big risk, and also a time when the breathable of the fabric can work very well.”

“Montbell Versalite”

“Silnylon Poncho. I literally have tried every WP/B known to man (except for eVent which is supposed to be the best). I'm sorry but none of them are nearly breathable enough. I've hiked in 90 degree showers in my poncho and didn't have much more sweat then normal. Plus it doubles as a pack cover and you can use it as shelter too. I have 8 wp/b shells and those are the ones I kept and didn't give away. I only wear them around town or skiing or car camping and suchlike now.”

“das what i do 2.”

“I took a scout group to Philmont this summer. It rained every day.

A troop from South Carolina all had matching frogg toggs - with custom logos. They all looked great on the first day. We ran into that same group on the 13th day - they all had multiple duct tape patches, some were quite severe.

My precip - 59.00 on sale at REI - performed great. No damage, no condensation problems, good ventilation, stayed dry & warm.”

“I have a set of Provent which is the same fabric as Frogg Toggs. They are delicate. When they wear out I'll probably make myself a silnylon poncho. If it tears you just add a patch when you get home. Also, I do a good bit of bushwhacking, so a poncho will probably work good for that.”

“WOW! great stuff,thanks.

Q I have thought about using just fleece but am concerned about maintaining my core temp consistently and I know that when I stop I will chill ( I am doing 4 winter races this season). Thats is why I really want ginormous pitzips, to help regulate my temp on the move.

The precip seem sto be the winner. I have some OT money this check so I amy go shopping.Thanks again for all the input.I will give a report as to my choice...”

“Frogg Toggs are crap. They are made from tyvek suits which cost about 2$ each and are disposable. Frogg Toggs are much to expensive to be made from disposable material. For multiuse raingear go with the poncho. While in the field in the Army we only carried poncho and liner. We left the big heavy canvas and down bags at home. If you are tall add gaiters.”

“bateauxdriver, the poncho is great for hiking but really poor for adventure racing and trail running. I carried mine in the army but never used it for more then a shelter.”

“Birch, the pit zips on my Precip are about 12". Is that ginormous enough?”

“I shopped around last year and ended up buying the Mtn Hardwear Epic parka. They have a shorter (and less expensive) jacket but I wanted the parka 'cuz it's longer.

http://www.mountainhardwear.com/www/action/catalog/DisplayStyle?id=350

Anyway - from personal experience I can only compare it to Frogg Toggs - it breathes better, has pit zips as well as chest vents that can double as pockets, a chest pocket, velcro wrist seals, and draw for the bottom and an excellent hood with visor. The parka weighs 13 oz. I paid $120 for it.

I have never worn the Precip so I can\'t really compare. The deciding factor was the length for me.
last edited: 10/06/04 10:07:18 PM”

“Wow - you can just paste a link now.”

“bloodpusher, 12" pit zips sound about perfect.

Coop the jacket version looks promising,I'll have to try to find one locally to checkout.”

“For high exertion the Precip isn't breathable enough for me. Condensation builds up fast, is slow to dissipate and the jacket feels clammy and hot. For racing a better setup is something water repellent instead of totally waterproof. Cyclists and cross country skiers normally go for breathability over waterproofness since you get just as wet from your own moisture as from rain.”

“I don't know Birch. I have a a patagucci microburst jacket and it is pretty breathable as long as the DWR is going. Weighs around a pound. Great pit zips. I saw Sierra Trading post had them on sale. Worthy of consideration, I says. THere is some condensation but not terrible.

But for serious breathability, you might think about something like the REI All in One jacket or something with Schoeler Dryskin fabric or sumtin. Don't ya know? Softshells are all the rage, mang! Git with the program!”

“Breathable raingear
Reality TV
Jumbo shrimp
.....”

“Good one, fullmoon. Too true, as I indicated in my first post.

Pit zips - the ones on my silnylon rain gear go from my elbows to half-way down my torso. That big enough?”