Looking for a good technical outdoor jacket. All weather & Waterproof.

T.A.D gear is some of the best gear I've ever worn from civilian everyday wear to combat zones
 
Amtify.com website has Alexa World Rank #289,232 Amtify.com's estimated total Traffic Net Worth $8,329 USD. Amtify.com has been receiving a Daily Pageviews 3,803 and should generate an estimated Daily Advertisement Revenue $11.41 USD and Monthly Advertisement Revenue $342 USD. Amtify.com's average Pageload Time 4 second which is a 13% Percentile in Fastest Pages around the World. Amtify.com website is Linked with 36 Websites. Amtify.com is most Popular in
Hong Kong so 53.4%% of it's Users are from
Hong Kong. Amtify.com has a FWR site popularity score 1 out of 5 Stars. Amtify.com's Servers Located in United States. Check more reports Website Backward Links and Realtime User Traffic for Amtify.com.

The waterproof rating of this garment is that it can withstand light rain.

It is described as both a "soft shell"(water resistant) and "waterproof." It would seem to be the first and not the second.
 
I think the OP is trying to pack too many variables into one garment. I have yet to find a 'perfect' all weather jacket, but the Goretex one from LL Bean seems to be pretty close. It's waterproof, breathable, and serves as a wind breaker. It is not insulated, but is large enough that it fits easily over a sweater or down vest.
 
My most important outerwear has always been a hooded wind shell
It used to be a duck canvas Anorak, I then progressed to a Kelty nylon full zip
I now use a Marmot Wind Ion shell, that is very thin and light but almost totally windproof

So I layer using the wind shell as my climate control, that can be over or under my layers of a wind resistant vest, and my soft shell
I carry an insulated jacket that can go under the wind shell or under my soft shell
Then finally my rain jacket can go over all the layers or straight on a tee shirt depending on the weather
 
Last edited:
I use a USGI gortex gen 1 ECWCS woodland parka, and a USMC SPEAR fleece combo( black polartec 300 fleece).
 
neeman said:
My most important outerwear has always been a hooded wind shell
It used to be a duck canvas Anorak, I then progressed to a Kelty nylon full zip
I now use a Marmot Wind Ion shell, that is very thin and light but almost totally windproof

So I layer using the wind shell as my climate control, that can be over or under my layers of a wind resistant vest, and my soft shell
I carry an insulated jacket that can go under the wind shell or under my soft shell
Then finally my rain jacket can go over all the layers or straight on a tee shirt depending on the weather
Click to expand...

^ this :)

think system; no one single garment is going to cut it, if it's waterproof and isn't going to breathe, if it's warm it will be too warm on the move, etc

a few well thought out pieces are going to take care of you 3+ seasons, on the move and on the stop
 
uluapark said:
I use a USGI gortex gen 1 ECWCS woodland parka, and a USMC SPEAR fleece combo( black polartec 300 fleece).
Click to expand...

And Gen 1 (and 2) have been replaced. Troops reported they were as "breathable" as a plastic bag, and testing proved the customers were (dah dah !) correct.. Replaced, for the most part, by a water-repellent "soft shell" and poncho (except in extreme cold when an insulated overcoat is available).
 
I don't like Goretex myself. Feels cold. Found a new army surplus anorak from 1948. Put a couple coats of wax on. Comfortable windproof and water resistant not water proof. Tight weave won't tear on brush. Sometimes old tech is better than new
photo-3_1_zpspgk7wpu9.jpg
 
I don't think there is a totally ideal jacket, but a matter of choosing the compromises that work for you.

I previously had a Marmot Super Mica which was AWESOME as an ultralight rain shell with decent pockets and hood. Super packabale but "cold" if work by itself. I recently upgraded to a dark gray discontinued Marmot waterproof softshell which isn't as packable but more practical for urban where it has a light inner fleece facing. No cold nylon on the skin. But also tough enough for outdoors.

I'd give waterproof soft shells a closer look since they are more versatile for urban and active environments, if you can bear the weight.
Give Goretex a miss... there are better fabrics out there like eVent, if you are set on a hard shell.
 
I wonder if that's actually an advertisement from Goretex to help push hardshells and Goretex:)

TAD Gear advertise their softshells as waterproof using Schoeller fabric: http://store.tripleaughtdesign.com/Stealth-Hoodie-LT
But I note even Schoeller don't provide specifics: http://www.schoeller-textiles.com/en/fabric-groups/soft-shell/schoellerR-wb-400.html

I suspect softshells do vary (like Goretex) in their properties of waterproofness versus breathability... so again, it's compromises.

I think we also get hung up a bit on the level of waterproofness we actually need. While any situation could be become life threatening, most of the gear we're talking about is going to be more than capable. I understand we like to plan for the worst (e.g. 1/4" belt knives so that we pry!!)
 
bore said:
I don't like Goretex myself. Feels cold. Found a new army surplus anorak from 1948. Put a couple coats of wax on. Comfortable windproof and water resistant not water proof. Tight weave won't tear on brush. Sometimes old tech is better than new
photo-3_1_zpspgk7wpu9.jpg
Click to expand...

I retired my 30/40 year old gear
All my new system of jackets combined, they weight less and are less bulk than a single heavy weigh coat like this

I have snowshoed in a coatl like this with the wool lining and the wolf fur hood ruff
Wonderful for standing sentry guard
But impossible to walk in or be active
 
I'm using a voodoo tactical storm proof parka that has a detachable fleece liner to survive the coming Australian winter . I have to ride a mountain bike 40 minutes each way to get to work and back , even if there's a storm on , and so far it's working, keeps everything in the pockets dry , and the top half of me warm. If it's too warm , which it sometimes is , I just unzip the fleece liner and put it in my pack. The hood is even big enough to fit over my bike helmet. It dries out again quick too
 
neeman said:
I retired my 30/40 year old gear
All my new system of jackets combined, they weight less and are less bulk than a single heavy weigh coat like this

I have snowshoed in a coatl like this with the wool lining and the wolf fur hood ruff
Wonderful for standing sentry guard
But impossible to walk in or be active
Click to expand...

Doesn't have any liner. I like layering w wools. Merino base and heavier wool sweater for when sitting in the tree stand or around camp in the colder temps
 
I'm one of those that is firmly in the systems camp too. And I too believe you will have a hard time finding a stand alone jacket that ticks every box you want.

My personal system uses a lot of Gore-Tex, maintains my long standing affair with Buffalo clothing, and over the last few years makes use of soft shells too, and of course down. Most recently I've finally decided to wind a bit of eVent into the mix as well.

That said, if I were in your position and determined to stick to my guns I'd be looking at something like this - http://harkila.com/products/jackets/pro-hunter-x-jacket
 
Count me in the camp that believes there is not a single outerwear solution for all your needs. I'm a minimalist at heart and a gear junkie in practice and Sierra Trading Post is one of my main suppliers. I have accumulated an embarrassing amount of technical wear for fishing, hunting and other outdoor pursuits yet I still feel I have voids and often wear old school Filson Tin Cloth outerwear mostly because I like how it looks.

If you are steadfast in your pursuit of a single piece of outerwear for all needs you may want to consider a hooded softshell jacket with a DWR (Durable Water Resistant) treatment and some kind of wind barrier feature such as a tight weave or wind barrier membrane like Gore Windstopper. Examples of this concept are the Simms Windstopper Hoody, Sitka Gear 90% and Arc'teryx Gamma jackets. A very affordable version of this type of jacket is the Condor Summit that El BanditO suggested. Sitka named the jacket 90% as it is designed to meet 90% of outerwear requirement so even the marketing people will admit there is no single solution to ones outerwear needs. These type of softshells are very comfortable as they stretch and provide excellent warmth to weight results but in my experience aren't the best thing to wear during sustained downpours.

For sustained downpours it is hard to beat a hardshell made with a laminated breathable membrane such as Gore-Tex 3 layer & Pro fabrics. I like to stick with 3-layer laminates for durability as many of the lighter 2 layer options tend to wear out easily although they are much lighter and easier to pack. As mentioned by Thomas Linton there are always trade-offs to consider. Event and many proprietary laminates such as Mountain Hardwear's Dry.Q (3 layer) are good as well. Although they may be technically breathable I wouldn't consider a jacket that didn't feature a venting system such as pit zips as they just aren't that breathable. For insulation just add a mid-layer. One of my favorite combinations is a merino wool mid-layer for warmth with a hardshell for wind and rain protection.

Then there is the poncho which is cheap, light & effective as well as being versatile. One of my lightweight hunting options features a merino wool hoody with a poncho in my pack. Try making an emergency shelter out of a softshell jacket.
 
Thomas Linton said:
And Gen 1 (and 2) have been replaced. Troops reported they were as "breathable" as a plastic bag, and testing proved the customers were (dah dah !) correct.. Replaced, for the most part, by a water-repellent "soft shell" and poncho (except in extreme cold when an insulated overcoat is available).
Click to expand...

USMC uses gortex still,(APECS).
 
So does the Army, when the relevant commander calls for it. It's level 6 for the Army.

And the Gen III hard shell has vents, unlike Gen I.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top