Light jacket for general wear and rain

K

kidwholaughs

Joined
Jan 17, 2004
Messages
1,189
Hey guys,

Long time reader but occasional poster. I know that we have some very knowledgeable people in the WSS. So here is my question: I am looking for a light jacket to keep light to medium rain out ie walking to school while venting sweat out as well. Most of all, it must be comfortable to wear when the weather is gorgeous. Trying to keep it under 120 bux. Does such a jacket exist?
Now, I saw a North Face Venture jacket that seems to fit the tab. Does anyone have one. If so what's the opinion on it.

God Bless
 
Check out these tests of breathability. Turns out Gore is far from the leader.

http://www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/breathability.pdf

From what you say, a "soft shell" of highly water-repellant fabric would do ya', and be lots more breathable. They are around in the price range you specify and in the better fabrics. You have to look around. Do a Google search for whatever brand/material you're looking for.

The "Big Brands" sell a whole range of price and quality, and the two may not track.

These guys real world test and, unlike the 'zines, dont get paid for their opinions. http://www.backpackgeartest.org

I got an eVent parka (Lowe) for < $100 and a Schoeller soft shell (Marmot) for < $100. Last season's styles, but not an issue for me.
 
marmot precip is 90.00.
I have hiked through down poors and blizzards in it for 3 years and never got wet.....
the arm pits have zipper vents the tech lets swet out and does not lets water in. I think it is a membrain....
http://www.rei.com/product/718330
 
Now is the time to shop as most of the retail places will be getting rid of their 2008 fall/winter brands.

I agree with Thomas Linton about looking at a "soft-shell" jacket. Our new Army RFI issue included a soft-shell jacket and I also have one from ORC industries. I much prefer them to a dedicated rain jacket...if it's raining too hard, than out comes the poncho or I put up a quick tarp to wait it out. The soft-shells will repel most light rain, but the beauty is that they dry out extremely fast. Older Gore-Tex military parkas that get soaked take forever to dry and get heavy. Having something more "breathable" is better suited to more active hikes/activities where perspiration is more of a threat than external precipitation...an area where most soft shells excel.

I did pick up a nice Patagonia rain jacket (can't remember the model) last year which was a close out from the previous year...it's great for actual wet/rainy conditions, but if it's hot/humid, I sweat pretty hard with it on.

ROCK6
 
Thomas, I'm not very bright - I never admitted I am a cranial powerhouse...so can you or someone else interpet what you're graphs are trying to represent? What is this data trying to tell me. Which product seems to preform the best under what conditions...please decipher for me.
 
Quirt said:
Thomas, I'm not very bright - I never admitted I am a cranial powerhouse...so can you or someone else interpet what you're graphs are trying to represent? What is this data trying to tell me. Which product seems to preform the best under what conditions...please decipher for me.
Click to expand...

The top graph measures resistance to passage of water vapor. Less resistance = breathes better. Note that many of the fabrics breathe better as it gets wetter inside the jacket (left to right on the bottom scale). So Membrain and Gore producrs work best when you're soaked. Other Products start off breathing much better and simply stay that way - better than Gore and Membrain.

For "soft shells", Nextec (used by U.S. mil and more durable in the field) was good, and Schoeller Dryskin Extreme breaths better. In "hard shells, eVent and Entrant were better.

Expanded PTFE (expanded Teflon) is used as the standard but is not pratical in the field because skin oil makes it leak. That's why Gore (and others) back it with urethane film, which resists skin oil but slows down breathing.

The bottom chart measures passage of moisture for a given area of fabric Higher is better. Again, as you get wet inside, some fabrics improve.

But the idea is to stay dry.

Holes in the garment (zips) improve performance because nothing in the way works better than anything in the way. Heat also escapes, which may be good or bad depending.

I too like a good soft shell plus a poncho for serious deluges. The soft shell handles condensation inside the poncho.

Lowe was swithching to eVent five years ago when Gore offered them a big discount. Since the consumer is ignorant (literally - not an insult), Lowe went back to Gore. But best known product = better power in the market place for inferior products but at a lower cost to produce. Win for Lowe. Loss for consumers.

Verber is interested in testing things: http://www.backpackgeartest.org/rev...Gear Spinnshelter/Mark Verber/Initial Report/

He published the official U.S. Army test labratory results as a service to us. That makes him one of the good guys IMO.
 
Thanks Amigo! That explains why my eVent bivi works so well even though I'm cranking out the moisture as I sleep!
 
s7_922398_renderset_08


Cabelas GoreTex Pac Lite...100$ right now, but I bought mine for 60$
 
Thanks guys. I really appreciate all the advice. I am looking at Marmot, Patagonia, and NorthFace softshell jackets as we speak.

God Bless
 
Here is another vote for the Patgonia, they vent very well with a pit zip. Mine have never leaked.
 
Make sure to check out what Sierra Trading Post has on clearance. I bought a Cloudveil jacket made with Schoeller fabric there a few years ago for under $100. A couple of other brands I'd recommend looking at are Mountain Hardwear and Arc'teryx.
 
Try looking around for a wilson made jacket, there are great and around $60 bucks, I have never had any problems with mine, %100 water proof and very comfy, comes with a liner, and is expandable to add sweaters for extra layers.
 
My Marmot Precip works well. Very light, waterproof, relatively breathable(esp. with pit zips) and can be had for $60 on sale. I also have a softshell by Cloudveil made of Schoeller Dryskin Extreme. While super breathable, it is only water resistant.
 
Marmot's Precip jackets are going to be your best bang for the buck for major name brands that are not on sale.

You can also look at rainwear from companies like DriDucks, Frogg Toggs and O2. The material they use is supposedly the most breathable fully waterproof material available. It's dirt cheap, breathes amazingly well, and incredibly light weight, but it's pretty fragile stuff and it's bulky. I have a couple of the jackets that live in my trunk and one I use for long bike rides in the rain. I tried to use one while alpine climbing but it didn't survive the trip.
 
Might wanna look into Frogg Toggs too. I live in Texas where the rain is almost always accompanied by incredible heat and humidity and this thing works great...
 
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