breathable rainwear for the tropics

J

Juramentado

Joined
Aug 23, 2003
Messages
185
I'm considering retiring my North Face Mountain Light parka. It's taken a lot of abuse and leaks in some spots. It's well made and before the leaks it kept the rain out. The problem is that it's still rather thick for use at sea level in the tropics. When I bought it several years ago I thought it was thin enough for use where I live. But it was somewhat too warm to use here and I often sweated under it, even under heavy rain.

I'm looking for a light, waterproof and breathable parka, one that's suitable for use in a tropical monsoon with high humidity and will not cause me to sweat underneath it. I'm impressed by the quality of North Face (although lately they seem to be going for the "fashion" market) but I'm open to other brands, as long as it does the job.
 
For the tropics, the best rainwear is an UMBRELLA.

It's usually too humid for a rainjacket to work properly, Goretex and similar membranes need a temperature diffrerential to be able to do their thing.

Next to an umbrella, a poncho is a decent Plan B.
 
Juramentado said:
I'm looking for a light, waterproof and breathable parka, one that's suitable for use in a tropical monsoon with high humidity and will not cause me to sweat underneath it.
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Not gonna happen. :thumbdn:

In high humidity and high temperature conditions there is no waterproof material breathable enough to keep up with persperation. Such materials rely on a temperature and humidity gradient to work. You will sweat just about as much in gortex or other breathables as you will in a fully waterproof garment in the tropics.
 
I've heard that Event fabric performs somewhat better on breathability than many of the others, like Gore-tex. There may even be a thread in the Wilderness & Survival Skills forum with a chart on the subject. However, the points made above are well taken. In areas like Cozumel and Belize, even if I tried to keep my activity level low I didn't feel like I was getting much breathability out of my very light Marmot Precip jacket. The pit-zip vents did seem to help.

If you use an umbrella, consider one of the dual-canopy designs like the Gustbuster. With the shock-mounted vent provided by the second canopy, they don't blow out nearly as easily in wind.

DancesWithKnives
 
crucible said:
For the tropics, the best rainwear is an UMBRELLA.

It's usually too humid for a rainjacket to work properly, Goretex and similar membranes need a temperature diffrerential to be able to do their thing.

Next to an umbrella, a poncho is a decent Plan B.
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What he said. Apparently he's been there. :thumbup:
 
You may want to check out the North Face Triumph anorack, its supposed to be the "lightest" thing going in breathable waterproof wear
 
also you might want to check out Deluth trading, they are offering a lightweight raincoat intended for trpical use. I can't remember what its called.
 
the problem is Materials lose breathability when they become wet. As long as you are dry on the inside, great. The minute humidity increases to the point it becomes moisture, breathability is out the door.

Umbrella / loose poncho is great advice. When we went to costa rica, we took super lightweight cotton and Hemp clothes that dried quickly. Orvis has some good product, high tech material tend to fall apart in the tropics. the default position, do what the locals do.
 
I recently purchased a set of Frog Togs at my local Gander Mountain store. I've had limited time to truly test the suit, but friends who own it tell me they have worn thier suits while riding motorcycles in excess of 60 mph and remained dry.

The one day I have used my suit, it was approximately 90 degrees in southern Ms. II had no problem with breathability and remaining comfortable. The price of the suit wasn't bad either $50. I'm sure you could probably find a better price by shopping around.
 
I have become fond of the 100% polyester fishing shirts put out by a variety of companies.
They are cool, breathable, dry incredibly quickly, and protect you from UV rays.

701-751-03front
 
chinatool said:
the default position, do what the locals do.
Click to expand...

What he said. If you're outside during the monsoon season, you're going to get drenched--no ifs, ands, or buts. An umbrella can only shield you so much when the rain is coming down in buckets. Same for a poncho.

The good news is that monsoon rains tend to be just slightly lower than the ambient temperature, so getting drenched in the hot and humid tropics is can actually be quite refreshing. :thumbup:
 
I have a Go-Lite Poncho that works well in the Everglades. I also have a North Face Anorak that is Ok too.

Like it was said earlier... you are going to get wet and that can be a good thing in the tropics. The main reason for a jacket is to keep you warm when you are wet.

A poncho can also be used as a tarp shelter, and to help gather rain water for drinking. The poncho is in my survival kit at all times!
 
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