Favorite Summer Rain Jacket

What lightweight rain-shell do you take into the mountains for afternoon thunderstorms?

I would like to only buy one, but not sure if I should spend a bunch on a gore paclite/event or go cheap with a precip.

I also have a little bit of Patagonia credit that I can put towards it, so I was looking at the expensive but nice looking [url="http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-mens-super-cell-jacket-with-gore-tex?p=83820-0-889"]Supercell.[/url]

that patagonia jacket it sweet. the only feature i look for in a rain shell for climbing is that it packs into it's own pocket and has a fairly burley clip in loop. it's going to spend most of it's time on your harness afterall.

also, I am usually just bringing a DWR treated windshirt as mentioned above. unless I really think it's gonna rain... which is rare.

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Simple and waterproof.
The small is only 5oz

I took this as my only rain jacket for 3 months backpacking in Europe. It worked great in the rain. Used it as my only rain jacket in Chile and Argentina for a couple of weeks too. Now I leave it always clipped to my harness for afternoon rain showers. I can't imagine spending $150 on a rain jacket when this one is $20.

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North Face Verto. Extremely light, has hood, packs into it's own pocket with loop to clip to harness. Sticker is $120.

Marmot Precip.

Inexpensive and light.

The Marmot Precip is a nice garment that is lightweight...and I just happen to have a good-looking one on sale, how about that for timing?
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If you're tall, be sure to check the back length. A couple of years ago only the Patagonia was long enough to take long arm movement for me at 6'3"

I got a Marmot Hyper earlier this year, it's super light weight. I love it.

I have a Rab Demand Pull-On that gets used for just about everything. I'm a gear junkie, so I wish this wasn't true.

I wouldn't buy a Goretex piece, not at 13.5 oz, not Paclite, for summer.

If you're just looking for a summer piece, the light options in this thread are great. The OR Helium is a fantastic piece. Much as I like Rab, I'm not a fan of the Nimbus. The North Face Verto is another good one. Marmot Precip, Sierra Designs Microlight aren't breathable and aren't really waterproof - you'll be miserable in either, especially in the summer, compared to the other jackets. I'm not familiar with the Marmot Hyper.

The Patagonia Houdini is a great summer "shell" at low elevations and warm temperatures. I wouldn't trust it in the mountains alone, though some people do.

The OR Helium II looks like the best light/packable rain jacket out there at the moment. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get one this year.

The SD microlight gets HORRIBLE reviews...definitely not waterproof. The Houdini is a nice light windbreaker but its not waterproof either. A non-waterproof rainjacket is pretty much useless when it really rains.

As a young buck, i used the microlight on winter ascents in the alps with nothing but a baselayer and was comfortable most of the time, despite being a heavy duty sweater....cheap, light, durable, simple.

and the precip is made out of event, which is the most breathable of the 'waterproof' fabrics. Not waterproof worth a damn(but no shell truly is), but it breathes VERY WELL.

The Patagonia Hoodini and the Patagonia Torrentshell pullover are two great jackets. The Torrentshell, though pretty simple, also doubles as my winter ice shell.

The Precip is definitely not made of Event. It has marmot's Precip coating, which is basically painted on PU, and is inferior to Event (which is a laminate, not a coating). They are cheap but don't last.

Read the reviews on Marmot's site and you will see that the coating commonly falls apart and flakes off after 1-2 years. Sure, they might give you a new one, but why not get something made to last?

Laminates in general are more expensive to make, but also more durable and more waterproof than coatings. Event is definitely more breathable than Precip.

The microlight may work just fine in winter - when temps are below freezing you don't need a rain jacket, a wind shell can work just fine. It's just not going to keep you dry in a real/prolonged rainstorm. The same would apply to the houdini and the north face verto. Good windshells, but crappy rainjackets.

lee pownall wrote: As a young buck, i used the microlight on winter ascents in the alps with nothing but a baselayer and was comfortable most of the time, despite being a heavy duty sweater....cheap, light, durable, simple. and the precip is made out of event, which is the most breathable of the 'waterproof' fabrics. Not waterproof worth a damn(but no shell truly is), but it breathes VERY WELL.

since when is the precip made of event, no. and not very waterproof? where do you come up with this shit. Either one is waterproof, maybe you should stop sweating.

I did forget to mention that I'm rather tall; 6'4" so NO to Marmot.

I'll have to try on a OR Helium, it looks like the perfect jacket. I wish Patagonia was consistent in there sizing, I tried an XL Torrentshell on yesterday and it was rather baggy, the Large the sleeves weren't long enough. But the XL Supercell fit perfectly.

for climbing rock?

i own and use an OR helium ... 6 oz, packs in its own pocket, use it as a windbreaker on belays, has ORs stellar warranty .... you can find em for ~100$

for something "just in case", it works well as youre unlikely to use it for very long except to sit out showers or bail off a climb ... for which you dont need the latest $$$$ jacket ...

just remember that a lot of "normal" rain jackets weight anything from 12oz (dead bird alpha lt) to 19+oz (dead bird alpha sv) .... thats an extra 1-2 red camalots you can be carrying instead ... or a set of nuts... etc ...

I may be biased since I sell North Face gear. I would wear my soft shell as I always do and back it up with the Verto when the weather really demands it. I have a Alpine Project Jacket on order for this year but that is hardly a cheap option.

The Precip is great in that it is relatively light, packs into it's own pocket, has pit zips and a descent hood, and can always be found for around $60. For an emergency shell I don't see a reason to spend a lot of money.

It is just a coating though, and it won't last forever. I have had two (first one got stolen) and use them a lot and have never had any delamination, but you'll read plenty of reviews from people who've had problems after a few years.

If you are looking for a piece that is going to last 5-10 years and can be used as a year round alpine shell then go for a good membrane and consider it an investment. Rab and Mountain Hardwear are usually my first two choices nowadays. I'd tell you to check out the Dissenter by the company I'm working for (Jack Wolfskin) but they are not available in the US.

Allen C wrote:The SD microlight gets HORRIBLE reviews...definitely not waterproof. The Houdini is a nice light windbreaker but its not waterproof either. A non-waterproof rainjacket is pretty much useless when it really rains.

The SD microlight is not factory seam sealed, so it should be no surprise that when you fill the jacket up with water and squeeze it, water drips out the seams. Most of the reviewers on REI.com are incompetent--it states on the webpage that the seams are not sealed; you can seal them yourself for about $2. It is true that the microlight is not as breathable as some of the other jackets mentioned in this thread, but it packs tiny, costs only $20, and is water proof.