What rain jacket does everyone use

[Tino B]

I used a NZ made Macpac Prophet for almost 20 years. It was quite light weight in its day and used stretch Goretex panels. It had an ergonomic climbing cut that didn't ride up when stretching while scrambling. Unfortunately, it has started to delaminate around the sealed seems, and although still pretty waterproof, it wets out quite quickly.

My fast and light raingear is a Montbell Versalite jacket (pre pit zip model) with waterproof rating of 30,000mm+ and breathability of 43,000g/㎡, along with Versalite pants. These are great if it's not going to rain all day, but are very light weight - 185 grams and 95 grams respectively. I've used them in the Northern loop of Wilsons Prom, which is quite scrubby, and they performed very well in foul weather. I've kept them very clean and apply DWR after each wash. The only wetting out has been on the sleeves around the cuff where there has been a lot of rubbing. I usually travel at a fair pace and sweat a lot, and my only misgiving is that neither the jacket or pants have any venting. They would probably be ok for tracks like OLT in milder months where you won't typically be brushing up against vegetation.

For a trip to the OLT in April this year, I purchased a Montane Alpine Pro jacket from Cotswold Outdoor for AUD360 and a pair of Montane Ajax pants from Backpacking Light in Melbourne that were about $300 with a discount. The jacket is Goretex Pro and the pants are regular 3L Goretex. Day 1 from the start to Windemere Hut saw approx. 40mm of rain and 80kph winds. I stayed totally dry. Subsequent days weren't quite as rainy but at no time did I get wet. I walked in 2XU 3/4 length compression tights and a light weight Patagonia capilene top under the jacket and pants. With pit zips on the jacket and 2 ways zips on the pants, I was able to vent the heat and moisture well. I was unperturbed by high winds and snow on Mt Oakleigh, Pelion East and Mt Doris. Although the jacket and pants seem basic in appearance, they are quite technical and very ergonomic. Both are worth the investment if you can get them at a good price. I have washed both at 40c per manufacturers instructions but haven't reapplied DWR, and they both still cause rain to bead and run straight off.

[bigwallclimber]

I use a North Face Summit Series 3 layer GoreTex Pro jacket, cannot remember the name but is helmet compatible, has pit zips, super breathable and hard wearing.

On the look out for a new jacket for my partner, she would like an Arcteryx.

[whynotwalk]

After many, MANY attempts to find the best rain jacket for the kinds of walks I do (mainly Tasmania & NZ), I finally settled on an Arc'teryx Zeta AR. I reviewed it for Bushwalking Blog, and summarised it like this:

SUMMARY The Arc’teryx Zeta AR Jacket performs very well as a wind and rain shell. During my testing of it in severe conditions in the Western Arthurs, it kept me comfortable and dry for 5 out of 6 days. It only finally wet through after 7 hours of continuous wind and pouring rain on my final (retreat) day. I doubt that anything would keep you dry when you are sweating hard and trudging through that kind of slush in torrential – and often horizontal – rain. If it’s not the Holy Grail itself, it’s certainly the most effective and comfortable jacket I’ve worn in 37 years of bushwalking. Yes, it’s pricey, but perhaps I’m finally learning that you get what you pay for. I would highly recommend this as a rain jacket suitable for most situations and most weathers.

It's probably not up to the roughest scrub you might find on an off-track SW Tas expedition, but it's suitable for most bushwalking uses, not to mention just as a daily rain jacket for Tassie life. You can read the full review here https://www.bushwalkingblog.com.au/review-arcteryx-zeta-ar-jacket/

cheers

Peter

[nq111]

Two problems I reckon for what it's worth-
Respectfully, I reckon asking this question is like asking "I want the very best New Zealand music-which Dave Dobbyn album should I buy?" What do you reckon Wayno?
Are you after scrub/track/summer/winter-All- 2 days/ 8 days?
What does for 'Tasmania' mean for you? That's the question I reckon. Wouldn't areas of Victoria and ACT (NSW?) be similar?
The other, which has not really been addressed (Crollys poncho did I reckon ?) because perhaps it can't is-
"this jacket X has been used in all day rain, I put it on next morning and it was dry"-which seems to be the real thing you want (is it?) and likely (very) aren't going to get.
If you want it to hold up for one trip you'll likely be fine I would expect but have many stories of wetting on the first day and remaining wet for days even on a new/newish jacket.
Put it on the second/third day on your subsequent trips and it will likely be increasingly wet and likely stay wet as long as it rains. So I suppose I'm wondering what do you mean by 'stand up to rain' do you mean avoid become saturated on the outside?
I would be really interested to know if anyone has a jacket that basically has the DWR C6 as most resilient to rucksack rubbing -which stays put for the longest period.
Or is easily refreshed after a walk and really good for use soon after?
The Sack and scrub will wear away the DWR coating pretty quick won't it?
Outside wets pretty quick (DWR C6-coating on nearly all jackets) once you've worn the jacket a few times and you will always get sweaty (no matter what the marketing hype says) on the inside-scares me in the cold-wearing a wet piece of clothing in the wind.
Most of the jackets mentioned have the same DWR coating C6- Just wondering Crolly does the Arcteryx hold the DWR well after repeated rains/snow?
If that did I would seriously look at that- they make nice stuff. They make especially nice hoods!
I much prefer front vents/pockets over pit zips, but most jackets don't have them. Mechanical venting is a great help as a few have said.
Good hunting-I always like to hear what works for people so I will follow and don't forget to give an update of your experience with your new jacket!
ps-don't be afraid to pose this question as well over on BPL-(pay your basic subscription) they are really up on this stuff. You'll likely find not much support for 'permanently WPB' rain wear for the conditions that you describe but as Moondog said new stuff is coming and out quite often and we hear of it way after the Northern Hemisphere.
Cheers.

I reckon Lamont is on the money here.

DWR rubs off after a bit of time (maybe only a few days (hours?) of serious bushwacking/dirt clinging conditions). and then your wearing a fridge with a cold 'wetted out' outer fabric. Its not much of an issue if your returning to a car and a hot shower at the end of a day or a hiking in warmish conditions but is a serious pain on a single digit to zero degrees multi-day trip with constant rain and mist.

Almost as bad is sweating while heading up a spur and wetting your inner layers (and the inner of the jacket) out from the inside. Now i often take off everything but the rainjacket and shorts/gaiters when walking up hill

Currently Im using a Columbia outdry extreme jacket. It has a tough membrane with no outside fabric so it cant wetout. and has pit zips and front zips that vent.
Negatives: its not a long jacket and its cut quite snug (wish they made a thigh length, more loose fit one) and while it breathes ok it can still wetout on the inside due to sweat. Also when its really coming down you have to close the pit zips due to water runoff . So far durability of outer membrane has been excellent when walking through softer scrub. Though im careful not to scrap it against rock or push through heavy spikey branches.

Not sure what brand is the DWR C6 that lamont mentions? but ive found nikwash DWR treatment rubs off after a few hours in the scrub when used on RAB jackets Pertex 2.5 layer jackets and didnt last long on my old sierra designs Event jacket either.

+2

I've gone to the Columbia outdry because it solves the biggest issue with the other jackets - that being the DWR wearing off. May not be quite as breathable as some other fabrics (though I find it pretty good), though any of the 'better fabrics' stop breathing once the DWR wears off and they are wet. Only takes a few good days in the Tassie SW for that to happen. So over a week in the bush I reckon the Outdry jacket will have breathed better on average than, say, an eVent or Goretex shell.

Also, hard to find, but Columbia does make some extra-long sizes that may be a better fit.

[farefam]

I have pretty much come to the conclusion that most rain jackets are windproof (which is very important), but that their claims to being waterproof and "will keep you dry" are pretty much completely spurious. I've yet to find a jacket that can withstand several hours of heavy rain or wet scrub-bashing. That includes heavy duty Wilderness Equipment and Mont designs (the middle layer of my Mont jacket for instance has completely disintegrated, in spite of being properly washed and cared for). My comments apply doubly for overpants.

Hence I generally stay put in my tent on really wet days, or simply grit my teeth and accept that if I do go out walking in the rain, that by the end of the day I'm going to be soaked. Hence on rainy days I just wear a thermal top and bottom underneath my rain gear to keep me warm enough to get to my next camp site.

If there are any other hard core off track scrub basher's out there who have found a jacket that will keep them relatively dry in Tasmanian or New Zealand conditions, I'd love to hear feedback about what they are using, as I'm in the market now to get a new one and feel that it is a bit of a lottery as to which model to choose (other than it will definitely be a long jacket).

[Zapruda]

I have pretty much come to the conclusion that most rain jackets are windproof (which is very important), but that their claims to being waterproof and "will keep you dry" are pretty much completely spurious. I've yet to find a jacket that can withstand several hours of heavy rain or wet scrub-bashing. That includes heavy duty Wilderness Equipment and Mont designs (the middle layer of my Mont jacket for instance has completely disintegrated, in spite of being properly washed and cared for). My comments apply doubly for overpants.

Hence I generally stay put in my tent on really wet days, or simply grit my teeth and accept that if I do go out walking in the rain, that by the end of the day I'm going to be soaked. Hence on rainy days I just wear a thermal top and bottom underneath my rain gear to keep me warm enough to get to my next camp site.

If there are any other hard core off track scrub basher's out there who have found a jacket that will keep them relatively dry in Tasmanian or New Zealand conditions, I'd love to hear feedback about what they are using, as I'm in the market now to get a new one and feel that it is a bit of a lottery as to which model to choose (other than it will definitely be a long jacket).

I agree.

Im in the scrub a lot year round in Namadgi and Kosciuszko. I find on warmer days I don’t mind getting a bit wet under a jacket. The rain jacket keeps most of the water off and stops the wind.

In the colder months when it’s snowing or raining and blowing a gale I’ll use a 100wt fleece under the rain jacket and remove my shirt or tee. The fleece keeps me warm even when damp and it’s easy to wring the moisture out the next day. When I get to camp I put on my dry shirt and/or dry sleep clothes.

On normal trips I confidently use a Montbell Versalite. On off track trips, especially in Namadgi, I use an old but durable Marmot precip. Both have pit zips, which I think are key to reducing moisture caused by the body.

[Heremeahappy1]

+1 on the precip pit zips. Regardless of tech fabric and hype, good ole venting does wonders for moisture management.

[Lamont]

Would still like to know what variant of Columbia Outdry the Oates brothers used on their winter traverse of the AAWT that Zapruda linked some time back. I know most of the tramp was in snow but... seemed pretty good. Do you happen to know them Zapruda? Montbell seems to be mentioned a bit in reference to their resilient DWR.

[Zapruda]

I’m interested to know as well Lamont. Mark is on this forum sometimes. I’ll see if we can get an answer. They certainly put their gear to the test on that trip.

[Lamont]

Hell yes! I think it was Mark that said they would put their gear list out but they never did. Both wore the Outdry jackets the whole way. I'm fairly sure neither had pit zips also and those tough buggers worked themselves and their gear hard! I checked when I saw the Outdrys- being a big fan of the COEF. Am very keen to know. Especially if they still rate it.

[Jazzman56]

I have used a Mountain Design Melaleuca rainjacket but it delaminated after about 5 years of use. I have now just bought a Montbell Raindacer on special and shall see how it fairs for the Overland Track in Tasmania !

[rcaffin]

We gave up on jackets ages ago. NONE of them breathe enough, and the expensive GTX ones get pinholes which leak.
These days we use UL silnylon ponchos - even in scrub. The silnylon just slides off the wet bush.

Cheers
Roger

[Lamont]

The LighheartGear jackets are nice. Slippery and slidey to be sure. Nice looong armpit zips. Next best thing to a poncho? No water is getting into the sil nor getting through that thing and it blocks the wind so if I am damp on the inside at least I am warm. I would like another. Nice colours too.

[wayno]

the waterproof membranes that let out the most moisture often have the worst durability, neoshell has about the best moisture permeability, but doesnt last, a lot of vendors have stopped using it. event is diabolical for durability especially if you dont wash it regularly according to instructions

[wildwanderer]

Try the outdry extreme material. It works.

[Rileyr]

Frogg toggs [OK HAND SIGN][OK HAND SIGN]

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[crollsurf]

Most of the jackets mentioned have the same DWR coating C6- Just wondering Crolly does the Arcteryx hold the DWR well after repeated rains/snow?

Hi Lamont, Too early to tell how long the factory DWR lasts. Still like new after 30+hrs in the rain on good track and about the same skiing. So already better than many but I'll know more once I've had me precious in scrubbier conditions.

Come to think about it, the DWR did appear to wet out a bit in heavy wet snow 1 day. I was still dry but everyone looked soaking wet that day. Wore it for a couple of hours in torrential rain on the weekend and the DWR was good!
Maybe those big heavy wet snow flakes were just too much for the DWR or maybe the DWR was fine but the snow was accumulating on top. not sure.

[Lamont]

Your 'precious'.
You crazy kid!
Sounds good though.
Be interested to hear when you start rubbing on wet branches and leaves.

[ofuros]

Something different from across the ditch...probably not the best if it's raining cats & dogs for days on end or pushing through wet scrub.