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InFlight
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InFlight
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PostTue Sep 13, 2016 2:44 pm 
I’ve been looking at upgrading my rain gear for the fall hiking season. During the summer I normally just keep a pair of frog troggs driducks in my pack. Not the most durable item, but no failures or tears in four years The Coat is 5.9 ounces The Pants are 4.8 ounces My current Rain Gear is out of production REI Ultralight Rain Coat Tall ~17 ounces REI Ultralight Rain Pants Tall ~ 13 ounces Not very ultra-light, but ridiculously rainproof. Really got these when boys were playing premier soccer. Tested in nasty Full out Rain for hours, and well up to the task. Primarily keep these in the trunk of my car for as need use. I would generally prefer a jacket with a hood and pit zips. Any lighter weight favorites out there that work well here in the Pacific NW?

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” ― Henry David Thoreau
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Ski
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PostTue Sep 13, 2016 7:17 pm 
haha! The best rain jacket in the galaxy can be yours for only $749.00 This claim, of course has been disputed by other members of the site. Still using my crappy old Marmot "Precip" (now down to $65.00 at REI) even though I hate it. (Noisy. Doesn't "breathe" worth a damn.) You're really opening up a can of worms on this one. You can have "waterproof", or you can have "breathable". Choose one. Claims that you can have both in one garment are (in the opinion of many) unsubstantiated advertising hype. Flame me! naughty.gif

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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Ski
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PostTue Sep 13, 2016 7:43 pm 
okay but seriously.... The Marmot Precip keeps the rain off, but (as I said above) it's noisy and it doesn't breathe worth a damn - it's like wearing a plastic trash bag. My old beater LL Bean Anorak, re-treated with a "Nikwax" water-repellent, shed rain great. (Method I used for treating the old garment with the "Nikwax" DWR product HERE )
L.L. Bean model L339 Anorak
L.L. Bean model L339 Anorak
I also used the same treatment on an old Marmot nylon parka, and it worked great. Neither the anorak or the parka are "Goretex". Both shed water like a newly-waxed car right after I treated them. After a year of bashing around in the parka it lost some of that water-repellency, but I suppose that's to be expected. (Thanks for bringing this up, by the way - I am packing for a trip and will take the anorak instead of the Precip because it looks like Saturday/Sunday might be sketchy.) You might want to also take a look at Fjallraven's product line. I have a pair of the "Keb" trousers and I think they're great. Spendy, but they do what they're supposed to do. Some previous threads on "hiking pants": Hiking pants discussion thread 11/14 Hiking Pants discussion thread 05/14 Rain Pants discussion thread 09/13 Rain Pants discussion thread 09/11 Fjallraven "Keb" trouser initial report 10/16/13 Fjallraven "Keb" trouser report 05/16/14 Fjallraven "Keb" trouser photo Again, if a hundred people respond to your question, you're going to get 99 different opinions.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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InFlight
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InFlight
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PostWed Sep 14, 2016 9:36 am 
I think I'd be served with divorce papers if I bought a $749 rain jacket! Was really looking at these options for waterproof & packable rain gear. Arc'teyrx is way more than I want to spend Columbia Evaporation Jacket is 11 ounces, List $100 Columbia Evaporation Pants (weight?) is list $99 Marmot Precip Tall Jacket is 13 ounces, List $120 Marmot Precip Pants (32 inseam) are 9 ounces, List $80 North Face Resolve Jacket is 12.5 Ounces, List $90 OR Helium II Jacket is 6.4 Ounces, List $159 OR Helium II Pants I are 5.4 Ounces, List $129 Patagonia Torrential Jacket is 12 Ounces, List $129 (Pit Zips) Patagonia Torrential pants are 9 ounces, List $99 Patagonia Houdini is really light weight, but OK for NW Storms????

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” ― Henry David Thoreau
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Randito
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PostWed Sep 14, 2016 10:09 am 
Lately( last 15 years) I've been favoring using wind proof / water resistant parkas and pants + umbrella + Silnylon poncho.

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seattlenativemike
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PostWed Sep 14, 2016 10:35 am 
Check out the ArcTeryx outlet in Tulalip. 30% of retail to start and often they have 30-40% more off with certain sales. You can call the outlet and ask if certain items are in. Alpha SV is awesome but way overkill for hiking in the rain. There are many other Arc options at half that price or more... fyi there are several huge shipments of good stuff coming in in the next month. Everything is full lifetime warranty and 60 day return

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wakerobin
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PostWed Sep 14, 2016 3:12 pm 
Just took my new Columbia Arcadia jacket to Montana. We had rain and really high winds most of the time we were there. Hiked up to the top of the Madison Buffalo Jump and stayed really dry and comfortable. It's not real fancy and I think they make a more technical (probably lighter weight) model, but I was pretty happy to finally have a jacket that I wasn't as wet on the inside as I was on the outside. And it didn't cost me a month's salary either. Also, the Cabela's XPG super light weight, stretchy jacket works real well. It has more technical features than the Arcadia.

Between the silence of the mountains and the crashing of the sea...
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I'm Pysht
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I'm Pysht
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PostWed Sep 14, 2016 6:58 pm 
To paraphrase the Eleventh Doctor: "Umbrellas are cool."

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Bronco
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PostThu Sep 15, 2016 10:36 am 
Patagonia Alpine Houdini is pretty bare bones and not especially breathable in my experience. More of an emergency piece than something you'd plan to go hike in the rain with.

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Randito
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PostThu Sep 15, 2016 11:56 am 
Bronco wrote:
Patagonia Alpine Houdini is pretty bare bones and not especially breathable in my experience. More of an emergency piece than something you'd plan to go hike in the rain with.
Here is what Pataguici has to say about their own product -- so yeah.
Quote:
Featherweight, emergency storm protection for light-and-fast alpine endeavors, the Alpine Houdini® Jacket disappears when clipped to your harness, then deploys to shed wind and precip when your weather window closes
Lately I've been using a Marmot DriClime Windshirt -- treated periodically with ATSKO SILICONE WATER-GUARD I find this sheds wind and drizzle pretty well -- without being clammy. When the precip shifts from drizzle to rain -- I break out the umbrella and if it really gets bad -- the poncho comes out -- which I also use as a shelter.

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PorcupinePhobia
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PostThu Sep 15, 2016 8:24 pm 
I recently upgraded my backpacking raingear from DriDucks to the amazingly named Berghaus Vapourlite Hypersmock II, in the Electric Blue Lemonade color, of course... embarassedlaugh.gif Anyway, surprisingly watertight, weighs 3.6 oz, cost me $147 on amazon And is at least marginally more durable than the DriDucks... right? lol.gif For trips where I expect sustained daily rain or off trail shenanigans, a $50 Columbia outlet steal (tall sizes!?!?!?!) does the dirty work.

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Riverside Laker
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PostThu Sep 15, 2016 8:41 pm 
My favorite rain gear is a really good weather report.

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jared_j
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PostFri Sep 16, 2016 7:02 am 
The waterproof breathable fabrics on the market today all more alike than they are different (in my opinion). Based on my own experience, I believe neoshell is slightly more breathable than some of the other fabrics out there, and Gore Tex Paclite less so (though this one I see less and less these days). Why not just use your Dri Ducks once it's really pouring? I don't see an intrinsic need for a fall layering system to be materially different than a summer one, unless you are intentionally heading out in bad weather (are you?).

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InFlight
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Joined: 20 May 2015
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InFlight
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PostFri Sep 16, 2016 11:07 am 
I don't go out in full rain storms. However, if you limited yourself to only going out when there's no chance of rain, you will be spending many spring & fall weekends indoors on a couch around here. Guess I'd rather take my chances getting rained on.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” ― Henry David Thoreau
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Bikeclimbski
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PostThu Sep 29, 2016 10:11 pm 
I'm somewhat of a jacket freak, and have way more than any one person should. Here are my $.02. The most breathable/waterproof jacket I own is a Goretex Pro shell. I bought it when Mountain Hardwear still used Goretex, which they don't any more. Any Pro shell will be pricey though. I think that one was close to $500 new. My new favorite is the OR Helium II shell. I LOVE that jacket. I have used it in fairly hard rain and stayed totally dry. I find that it breathes WAY better than any of the Goretex Paclite shells. Best thing about it is that it's so light, you never feel like you should leave it home. It is my new go-to jacket for anything except mountaineering or backcountry skiing. It packs small and is super lightweight. I think it is, hands-down, the best rain jacket for the money.

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