Best rain gear

[Tbone84]

I'd like to know opinions on what you prefer for rain jacket and pants. I'm not interested in ponchos, kilts, or packas. I have fleece gloves and challenger rain mitts from ZPACKS, so just need advice on jacket and pants. Also, has anyone used gtx socks? Thanks!

[Puddlefish]

There are probably twenty rain gear threads that I've read on this site. The general advice that I've picked up is that it's primarily to keep you warm, and you're going to get wet no matter what. There don't seem to be very many band choices at all. Most every single rain jacket does pretty much the same thing, get's soaked through, or let's you get soaked in your own sweat. Breathability is pretty much a lie in most situations outside of a lab. Then it's a matter of weight, durability, fit, pockets in the right places and price.

I spun the wheel and got a Lightheart Gear jacket. It's fairly light, not too expensive, has a few pockets, is roomy enough to wear over my layers. Choice of two different fabrics. Speaking of which, I should seam seal mine today.

I've had good luck with rain kilts, so can't help you with pants. The ones I researched all seemed expensive, sweaty and inconvenient to switch into once the rain starts falling. I'm also not a fan of waterproof socks, although they can keep you warmer in extreme conditions.

[Tbone84]

Thanks paddlefish. I have a gtx arcteryx paclite shell I think will suffice. I'll do some more research on the kilts though. I thought I liked the idea of socks but if they don't work I'll scrap them. I was only thinking of them because of their functionality with my hiking shoes but if getting wet is inevitable, not sure they'll be worth the weight and space. Guess I'll just keep a dry change of clothes and socks in a dry bag for when I finish a wet day!

[nsherry61]

I recommend hiking in your birthday suit. That way you don't have to worry about the breathability of your rain-gear and can keep all the rest of your cloths dry.

[rocketsocks]

I personally would never buy a rain coat without pit zips, and with large enough openings to slide my arms through and wear as vest.

[Malto]

I recommend hiking in your birthday suit. That way you don't have to worry about the breathability of your rain-gear and can keep all the rest of your cloths dry.

I come as close to this as possible without getting arrested. I keep sacrificial clothes to a minimum. Shorts not pants and the lightest base layer you can find. Then the raingear dilemma is a non issue.

[jdavis7590]

I use a poncho. Cheap, can "whip" the bottom up some to vacate some hot humid air and helps add another layer of moisture protection for my pack.

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[Turk6177]

http://www.froggtoggsraingear.com/DriDucks.shtm These are super light weight and relatively durable as long as you aren't rolling down hills. At $20, they are easily replaced as well. I have used them in some torrential rains and they worked great. I also used them as windbreaker material in the evenings in camp to add to my warmth.

[Slosteppin]

I use Frogg Toggs when building and maintaining trails. Cheap enough to replace after too many rips.

When backpacking I have an extra long Cuban Fiber jacket with a two way zipper and big pit zips. The Jacket is long enough that I use rain chaps instead of rain pants. The long Cuban Fiber Jacket is expensive! But the combination is just 10 oz. This combination weighs less than my Frogg Togs jacket and packs much smaller.

[RockDoc]

For mild AT type rain we've found Frogg Toggs to be excellent, especially combined with a small umbrella (Raines skinny-mini; 6 oz). Most of the time we would just wear the unzipped jacket, and use the umbrella. Only rarely would we hike in the full Frogg Toggs suit, and only for the duration of the downpour (or snowstorm in GA in April). An added advantage is that they are highly warming and windproof. No need to spend a million bucks on Arcteryx or Marmot (which I also own BTW).

I've also run several 50K ultramarathons in WA wearing the Frogg Toggs jacket. Very useful item.

[squeezebox]

Is there any difference between dri ducks and Frogg Toggs??

[nsherry61]

Is there any difference between dri ducks and Frogg Toggs??

Similar, slightly more expensive, and much more durable . . . check out O2 raingear.

[LAZ]

I have tried both the Frog Toggs and an O2 jacket which I purchased after inadvertently leaving the FT jacket in a shelter. The O2 is lighter and much much less bulkky and I really dislike both because they are just cut to be unappealling. But inexpensive, and they basically do the job. Another benefit of the O2. Is that they are cut to be very wide at the bottom so you get ventilation that way.The only advantage of theFT is it's so bulky and kind of spongy that it makes a great pillow if you kind of bunch it up into it's hhood.I have tried both the Frog Toggs and an O2 jacket which I purchased after inadvertently leaving the FT jacket in a shelter. The O2 is lighter and much much less bulkky and I really dislike both because they are just cut to be unappealling. But they are inexpensive, and they basically do the job. Another benefit of the O2 jacket Is that they are cut very wide at the bottom so you get ventilation that way. An advantage of theFT is it's so bulky and kind of spongy that it makes a great pillow if you kind of bunch it up into it's hhood.

[Vegan Packer]

I agree that the topic has been beaten to death, but...

I am very happy with my Outdoor Research Helium II. When I was using it to walk through overgrown (over my head high and virtually covering the path to the point where it was just a step from bushwhacking) trails in North Carolina, it was quite durable, and never ripped. When I was walking in a continual rain (walking in the clouds) in Washington state, it never wetted through. I found it to breath quite well.

Though you say that you don't want to consider kilts, I would relook at them, were I you. Great coverage, and they breath so well. When you combine wearing them with something like the Helium II, you won't get overheated and sweaty. I got a long size, so that it covers down low enough that I don't get the bottom of my legs wet.

If you would like to see the Helium II in action in the rain cloud walk, check out the footage from 6:25 to 9:10 in the video below.

[aka.cyberman]

I like the Frogg Togg pants going full commando. Nothing works on top.

[bugeyemonster]

I have frog togg pants and a surplus Soviet army poncho which doubles as ground tarp and can be made into a shelter with some guy line and a couple trees.

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[Gambit McCrae]

Winter Rain Gear: OR Helium HD jacket with a underlayer - Frogg Togg Pants

Summer Rain Gear: Your skin..If its raining and im not freezing I just stick as much of my not needed clothes in a dry bag and hike on

[smokey mtn hiker]

I also found that the Frogg Toggs do a reasonable job of keeping you dry. They are also good at braking wind and keeping in body heat when colder. When it is warmer, I just use the jacket. They are, however, prone to rip. That is why I like that they are about $20 for the suit. And you can take along some duct tape for repairs.

[Tipi Walter]

I agree with Gambit McCrae about winter vs summer protection and the need for rain gear---and yet often summer rains fall from a high cold cloud system which causes the rain to be butt cold even in July---so the point is, I bring my rain gear all 4 seasons and on every trip. Next time you're in the mountains of NC or TN or Georgia in July and it starts raining, go out naked and stand in it for 30 minutes and see if you get cold or not.

Since this thread was started in January and it's now February, I am assuming backpackers would like to stay alive while still hiking in a butt cold rain which is the predominate winter weather in the Southeast---a long 35F cold rain in miserable conditions. The only purpose of a rain jacket is to keep you alive and warmish while hiking in such crap. It's not designed to keep your dry which isn't important anyway since you'll be either wet on the inside from sweat or wet on the inside from outside rain.

And a rain jacket also provides a good amount of dryness while hiking thru a snowstorm at 0F, thereby keeping your all-important midlayers and fleece dry while moving.

There is warm wet and cold wet, and a rain jacket provides warm wet vs a naked body which allows cold wet.

The other purpose of a rain jacket is to provide longevity and durability in all hiking conditions---encountering poking blowdowns, going thru briar fields, bushwacking into thickets and rhodo clumps etc.

I used to have a Marmot Minima paclite goretex jacket which lasted me around 2 years before getting pinholed by brush and high usage. Then I went with the outlandishly expensive Arcteryx Alpha Proshell gtx jacket which is amazingly durable and still going strong. It should be for its price. While you're on your 10th pair of Frogg Toggs, I'll still be in my Alpha, as shown below in a nasty sleetstorm on the BMT near the Brush Mt trail jct.