Waterproof Jacket

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Jun 26, 2009
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I am out in England this winter and it rains here all very often. I am looking to buy a jacket with a hood which is also decently warm and waterproof to some extent so that I can wear it in light rain and snow. Any recommendations in the range of $150 or less?
 
Is this something you will wear only for short periods at at time? I.E. walking from your house to the car to the grocery store and back? If so, there are all kinds of jackets out there that will serve your purpose for $150 or less. Your requirements could be fulfilled with everything from a $20 wal-mart jacket, to something by North Face, Columbia, or Marmot, etc. The different clothing companies also usually have essentially the same jacket with different pockets, lengths etc. It really comes down to the type of style you want, so it is really hard to make a recommendation.

If you want something you can wear in warm/rainy weather (meaning, insulation is not required or desired all the time) consider getting a 3-1 Jacket. These jackets are essentially 2 jackets. You get an inner "liner" which is basically just a thin fleece or primaloft insulated jacket, as well as an outer, waterproof jacket. The 2 jackets can be worn separately, or you can attach the inner jacket to the outer.

If it is something that you will be wearing for long periods of time, and/or will be doing any kind of physical activity in it, I recommend you get one with "pit-zips", which are basically just zippers near the arm pits for ventilation. If you plan on doing any kind of activity in relatively deep snow (skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, etc) you might want something with a "powder skirt". Basically, a piece of elastic sewn near the bottom that creates a barrier between the inside of the jacket and the outside world, designed to keep snow from getting in.
 
Filson jacket with a zip on hood and lining in their oil finish tin cloth would be pretty water resistant. Expensive but it will last a lifetime.
 
I walk to work and back home and during lunch as well which is 1 mile each way. Also it will be used over the weekend for the run down to the grocery store etc. It just rains anytime it feels like here so a rainproof jacket with insulation during winter would be a good thing to have i presume...
 
Filson jacket with a zip on hood and lining in their oil finish tin cloth would be pretty water resistant. Expensive but it will last a lifetime.

I recommend against Tin Cloth whenever you need something to sustain a large amount of rain. That fabric might have been the bees knees before Nylon came on scene, but not anymore.
 
You should be able to find some nice waterproof Gore Tex military surplus jackets online. Google search " British Military Gore Tex jacket" and you'll find a lot of British website that have them.
 
There is a couple one deal at a time sites that are outlets for Backcountry.com that have extremely discounted higher end skiwear and outdoorwear. If you check them a few times you might find something you like. If you get a good shell with taped seams and a good waterproof/breathability rating, you will be set.
 
You're going to want something that breathes. Carhartt makes a nice one. Not that warm, but I prefer the option to layer anyway.
 
I have a Mountain Hardware rain jacket that performs well. It's very light-weight and packs easily.
 
I wear a Carhartt Shoreline coat, which sounds like what you want.

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http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10051&productId=100458&langId=-1

It is warm enough down to freezing, below which you'll want a warm sweater underneath. That should get you through a UK winter, unless you're backpacking in the Hebrides. I wouldn't buy it for Carhartt's list price, but US Amazon sells it for $78 and IMO that is what it's worth. UK Amazon wants ₤150 which is ridiculous.
 
Any feedback on the Land's End range of jackets? They are all praise about their Squall series of jackets. Since it is an American company, no one knows it here in UK. They are right now on sale for a good price but I never heard anyone using them here.
 
I use a Marmot precip jacket it works incredibly well in heavy rain and cool weather. There's enough room underneath for it to serve as a shell jacket meaning I can wear a whole other thinsulate jacket underneath. The only issue is when it is pouring and hot and humid. None of the waterproof jackets breathe and you basically sweat inside the jacket and end up all wet. I'm presuming you are saying that the weather doesn't get cool enough to produce snow if that's the case this combined with a cool weather jacket works well. http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ma...~2283a/?filterString=s~precip/&colorFamily=44

You have to make sure that you use the special cleaner for it when washing and then you reapply the waterproofer to it. That said after drying and following the instructions I can run the jacket underwater for five minutes and nothing leaks through.
 
You should be able to find some nice waterproof Gore Tex military surplus jackets online. Google search " British Military Gore Tex jacket" and you'll find a lot of British website that have them.

The U.S. GEN I and GEN II military Gore jackets for the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System were replaced as dysfunctional by GEN III some years ago, so buyer beware.

In testing for the Dept of Defense, eVent fabric was much superior in breathability. www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/breathability.pdf
 
Don't know if you have access to Cabela's across the pond but I use one of their jackets in "Dry Plus". It will keep me perfectly dry in a Florida deluge & can be picked up over here on sale for $100 +/-.

Tom
 
I am out in England this winter and it rains here all very often. I am looking to buy a jacket with a hood which is also decently warm and waterproof to some extent so that I can wear it in light rain and snow. Any recommendations in the range of $150 or less?

Well Filson is out of your price range, but if you are in GB, then Barbour, priced roughly the same as Filson.
 
The field jacket is not waterproof in the slightest, nor was it designed to be....

If we are talking about the M-65 Field Coat, as issued it was to be water repellent.

This specification covers the requirements for one type of a straight front, cold weather, field coat made of water repellent fabrics.
 
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