I recently purchased the Salomon Bonatti Race Water Proof Jacket to add to my backpacking gear ensemble. This jacket was designed for runners but was being offered by the local backpacking store. $150 was a reasonable price, I thought, for a hooded rain jacket that weighed 5.2 oz. in size Large (on the store scales) with the tags still attached.

For people like me, who appreciate minimalist design with a minimum of things to break, this jacket was something that I have been looking for for a long time. There is only the front zipper - that's it. No pockets, no hood drawstrings, no pit zips, no buttons, snaps - no extra anything.

This jacket purports to be waterproof and breathable. It does have a nice range of motion, with room underneath for layers, at least for my frame, in size large. The breathable technology is named AdvancedSkin Dry. I have not had an opportunity to test it yet, but being Florida, there will be plenty of opportunities to experience a downpour, so I am looking forward to putting it to the test.

My Marmot Precip is hereby relegated to the car camping equipment stash....