Lightweight Rain Jacket for Climbing and Hiking

Considering these two.

wildthingsgear.com/wild-thi…

patagonia.com/us/product/me…

Anyone have a postive/negative experience with either of these jackets? Up for other suggestions as well.

I have an Outdoor Research Rampart Rain Jacket but it's a few years old and seems to have lost all its resistance to rain and soaks through quickly.

It depends on what you are going to use it for. The Wild Things is for light rain and won't proect you from getting drenched. The Patagonia is not that packable and expensive. If it is to stash in the bottom of your pack just in case of rain I use this inexpensive highly packable jacket: ems.com/product/index.jsp?p… I don't normally carry my Gortex parka because of weight unless I expect to be cold and wet (alpine).

If you still like your OR jacket, why not just restore the DWR? All jackets need this done periodically.

I usually bail when it rains. But, for example, a few weeks ago I was two pitches up and waiting for a 3rd partner to finish climbing when all of the sudden we found ourselves caught in a downpour and had to rap two pitches, pack up, and walk back to our cars. Took close to 40 minutes and my OR jacket isn't really good for walking across the a parking lot anymore...so I need to trade up.

The Patagonia and Wild Things Jackets do pack into themselves and can be clipped onto a harness (see pics in links). My OR jacket doesn't pack down like that. And I'd rather have something that I can carry on me on a dark cloudy day, vs. something stashed in pack or that I need to be wearing since most of these jackets get pretty hot, even with pit vents.

And I don't mind paying a little more for something that I know is reliable. I have a lot of Patagonia gear but I'm still open to other suggestions as long as someone can vouch for it being worth it.

Arcteryx Beta Fl. Pricy, but it will be the last shell you'll ever buy. Good for almost any condition with the right layer.

Hey Mike. If your willing to pay a bit more, my suggestion is the Marmot Nano. Weighs around 9 oz and packs down to a softball size. I was considering the appalachian trail and this was my choice. And its gore tex.

I have a mountain hardwear plasmic jacket in the for sale section cheap. Size large, color acid green, weight 10.2 ozs..

mountainhardwear.com/Men's-Plasmic%E2%84%A2-Jacket/OM5354,default,pd.html

pm me if interested.

The helium jacket is pretty cool, folds down tiny and is completely waterproof

outdoorresearch.com/en/or-g…

i'd look at a company called montane....ultralight jackets from eVent and pertex fabrics...I just pickedup an Air jacket on backcountry. a little over 10 oz for a medium and bombproof waterproofness with breathability

Trash bags! 2-3 in the bottom of ur pack or folded in a pocket.. You'll never know they are there and they are 100% waterproof.. You can fit your pack under em, cut vents under ur arms, tear it thrash it whatever... And you won't put a gash in the side of your $150 jacket when you hit an offwidthy or chimney...which are even more fun when wet!

Rohan de Launey wrote:Trash bags! 2-3 in the bottom of ur pack or folded in a pocket.. You'll never know they are there and they are 100% waterproof.. You can fit your pack under em, cut vents under ur arms, tear it thrash it whatever... And you won't put a gash in the side of your $150 jacket when you hit an offwidthy or chimney...which are even more fun when wet!

Haha...thanks buddy. But there's no way I'm going to be That Guy and wear a trash bag. I got a job. I'm ok with spending a few bucks on a proper jacket with a name brand etched on it.

I do keep a couple of those $2 Emergency Ponchos stashed in my pack just in case SHTF. They're pretty much trash bags but at least they come with a hood.

I have a torrentshell. It is not that breathable and the cuffs get soaked, which I find super irritating.

I like the Marmot Precip jacket because it is cheap and works and I tend to beat up shells a lot.

You can usually get one for 60 or 70 bucks.

I don't recommend the precip pants though as they are not very sturdy for some reason.

Jim

Not my sale but I've been using the Rab Momentum for a few years and it's a nice jacket. Waterproof, fits well, 12 oz., and breathes a hell of a lot better than any other PTFE jacket I've had.

geartrade.com/item/320824/m…

I really like my OR Axiom. Light, super breathable (doesn't need pit zips at all), totally waterproof! So far it has held up well to abuse; seems very durable.

I've had a torrentshell parka for a few years. Biked in downpours, skiied in mixed precip, and endured the chilly Alaskan seas. No damage yet other than the Velcro over the zipper coming off. It's burly, highly water resistant, but it doesn't breathe at all. Maybe the stretch one will breathe more? It does wet out at the cuffs even when new. And after biking for an hour or two in the rain, the whole thing was drenched, granted it needs a replenishing of the dwr.

pros: burly, fits (me) well, highly water "resistant"
Cons: price (even at the outlet), cuffs wet out even when new, not very breathable

If you like the OR coat you might consider checking with their warranty dept. I have found OR to be extremely helpful.

Check out the M10 from Patagonia if you are willing to front some bucks. Otherwise the torrentshell is a great shell for pretty much everything. If you are looking for the absolute most lightweight check out the Houdini jacket. A personal favorite, but it's truly the best when only getting super minor rain. If your in a downpour you want something with a multiple ply. As much as I hate to praise north face, their Verto jacket is a favorite of mine. Good luck!

I have the M10 and the Torrentshell from Patagonia and I also have something equivalent to the Torrentshell from Sherpa. The M10 I only take out in the alpine and ski touring, it's too expensive for thrashing around on rocks near the car. The Torrentshell soaks through pretty quickly now but sometimes I carry it around at the crag. The Sherpa still stays dry (it doesn't have as much use as the Torrentshell) and so it gets balled up and clipped to my harness or tossed in my pack in case of actual rain. It was cheap enough on SAC that if I tear it up I'm not too worried and can stick on a patch and carry on (same with the Torrentshell really).