Rain Gear

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PackRat

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2016
Messages
680
Location
Novato, CA
OK...the word "rain" is often a problem for campers up in the mountains even in the middle of summer. (I won't address the "S" word for weather, I don't go out in that kind of weather on purpose so someone else can.

Anyway, Gore-Tex and other high end foul-weather gear that costs an arm and a leg ain't my thing. I picked up a Vietnam-era rain ponch (with hood and side snaps) for five bucks one time and it is a Must Have for me. I keep it in the trunk of my car "just in case" but it goes camping with me also.

Anything that has multiple uses like that poncho is a good item:
Raincoat
Ground cloth
Tarp for firewood or your outside table
Dining Fly
Beach sunshade (OK you need trees or something)

I'm sure there are more to this list but you get the idea...

I wish I had it that time I had to lay down on in icy slush and freezing water to put chains on a VW bug one time....Brrr!!!
 
Goodwill/Salvation Army thrift stores. Gore-tex rain jackets, parkas, rain pants, bibs $8 - $30 each. I have found Columbia, Moonstone, Mammut, Marmot brands; some look like they have never been worn. I keep a set in my truck, camper, day pack, backpack, at home, go pack. It's one of my weekly shopping trip stops, takes ~ 15 minutes in each store. One has to know what he is looking for and grab it right away, they won't be there tomorrow.

jim
 
Small tarp/ground-cover: your last, recently replaced & cleaned plastic shower curtain. Ideal for having to lay on muddy/snowy/yucky ground to change a flat, put on chains, etc. Or should I have put that in the Under $50 Mods?
 
I used to work for a utility. I've worn plastic, goretex you name it. All work OK for a while.

Best rain gear I've ever owned is my Drizabone oilskin riding coat. I stay dry. It breathes. Of course they now cost 3 times what I paid for mine 30 years ago. it gets worn a lot and I've retreated it with wax treatment once over the years.
http://store.drizabone.com.au/riding-coat-brown
 
Marmot PreCip jacket -held up well, super light, and folds small enough to fit in the smallest pocket of a day pack. and Froggtogg rain pants. I also carry a poncho in my truck all of the time, but like to have my arms more free to do things for more everyday use than they are with the poncho. Poncho sure more versatile though.
 
x3 for the PreCip. I thought I lost mine, so I bought a replacement. Then I found my original one. They're quite affordable, so I kept them both. One is permanently in my Tacoma.
Especially useful these last few days of intense rain!
 
My wife and I both have Marmot precips and after about 3 years of light usage the jacket's inner coating is flaking off. The pants are fine but they don't seem to have the same inner coating. My favorite jacket is a Moonstone Goretex that I've had for 7-8 years and it is still in great shape, but I don't think Moonstone is in business anymore. For dayhikes and backpacking I use a sil-nylon poncho from Campmor. It doubles as my groundcloth and can also be used as a lean-to as well as other configurations for an emergency shelter. I prefer the poncho over all of my rain gear because of it's versatility and I don't stew in my sweat in it. My wife uses a sil-nylon rain skirt for hiking and backpacking. I'm tempted to try one too because they're easy to throw on and doesn't have excess material that flaps around in the wind like my poncho.
 
Ronin said:
My wife and I both have Marmot precips and after about 3 years of light usage the jacket's inner coating is flaking off. The pants are fine but they don't seem to have the same inner coating.
Click to expand...
You might want to get a hold of Marmot. That sounds like more than normal wear and tear and should be covered under warranty. They no longer require the item being registered to be covered.
 
Timothy McGowen said:
You might want to get a hold of Marmot. That sounds like more than normal wear and tear and should be covered under warranty. They no longer require the item being registered to be covered.
Click to expand...
It could be worth the trouble. I didn't mention that my wife had a another Marmot rain jacket for wearing to the office that did the same thing. It was only 2 years old and she tossed it because the flaking pieces were getting all over her clothes. Sad, considering we only use rain gear 3-4 months out of the year. I still have a Northface Goretex jacket that's over 25 years old and it's holding up fine. I think the fabrics used in light weight gear just isn't going to last as long. Who knows !!??
 
Do try Marmot for a warranty. At the very least it makes them aware of a possible issue.

The Lady and I use the Patagonia torrent shell jackets for light duty rain gear. I have had similar issues with delamination and flaking. I send it back and get a new jacket. I'm on my third currently. The fabric is wearing better on the latest. The hardest use on these jackets is pack straps and hip belts. Stuffing them hard down into a pack over and over is also hard on the fabric.

We in no way abuse the guarantee, but when it is the right thing to do, it goes back. Marmot is a good company, I'd expect the same great service from them. Our old zero degree down bags from Marmot are still going strong.
 
ski3pin said:
The Lady and I use the Patagonia torrent shell jackets for light duty rain gear.

Marmot is a good company,
Click to expand...
Agree with both. I've had Patagonia replace a ski jacket after ten years of hard use due to liner failure.
The current line up of the Torrent products are a good balance of rugged performance v. lightweight build.
I like the pit zips too when I'm steaming up.

I've used the Marmot precip products, which were quite affordable to outfit my son when he was young.
The duty cycle is not the same as Patagonia / Arcterex / N. Face, but neither is the price.
YMMV. Also YGWYPF (you get what you pay for).
 
Marmot has a really good return policy. I would recommend calling them up.

The brand I have come to like is Outdoor Research. They have an amazing warranty, They just replaced my 5 year old hard shell rain jacket replaced because the zipper wore out. Not bad considering I probably wore the jacket over 150 days a year while hiking climbing and bushwhacking.
 
I really like Marmot gear - I have two of their sleeping bags and my Windshirt is at least 20 years old and going strong except for a few burn holes from campfires. Just didn't have a good experience with the precips. The Patagonia jackets sound like a winner - if I feel the need for a new rain gear I'll check them out.
 
Sorry to hear people who have had problems with the Marmet PreCip lining. I have not. I bought this rain coat after it won the Outdoor Gearlab best rain coat review. It has now gotten that multiple years in a row. I have beaten this up for years now all over the world and it is still like new and very waterproof. I have taken it on over 40 backpacking trips and packed it for traveling for over 2 months a year for the last 6 years. Here in Oregon, and especially this year, I am sick of wearing it since my only time not wearing it was a short break from the rain when we had snow. It has velcro cuffs and ziped pits that work well for venting. And has a adjustable hood that works well for wearing over a baseball cap. It is so light weight that you hardly know it is on. Marmet has a great return policy, I can not imagine them not dealing with any coat problem.
 
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