<p>I’d like to get a rain jacket and pants, of the kind that you could wear if you wanted to take a walk in the rain for an hour or two and stay dry.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any recommendations?</p>
<p>I prefer something that isn’t too heavy, as it is easy to add layers under something but not so easy to deal with unbreathable rubber if it is relatively warm out.</p>
<p>I think the key is “waterproof” vs. “water repellent” Something like this? [WeatherEdge®</a> Girl on the Go® Trench Coat | Eddie Bauer](<a href=“Page Not Found”>Page Not Found)</p>
<p>We got my son something similar to this [Snowline®</a> Shell | First Ascent](<a href=“Page Not Found”>Page Not Found) for his Spring semester in Dublin where it often rains and will be cool, but not freezing cold. He has a fleece to wear underneath for layering.</p>
<p>Our rainwear is Goretex. I have North Face. DH has LLBean. We both have Goretex shells that can either be worn alone, or with a fleece underneath. </p>
<p>DD has an REI rain jacket (3/4 length) and fleece. Not Goretex but she had it in Africa and it worked well during the rainy season there (which was a good chunk of the year). Hers was a bit less costly than Goretex!</p>
<p>I’ve got a Gortex rain jacket and pants from EMS–it’s called the Deluge rain jacket/pants. I got it for a hiking trip but never really tested its waterproofing capability until last night. I went with H to the Patriots/Colts playoff game, and it rained really hard for almost the entire game. I stayed dry.</p>
<p>I have a north face, I highly recommend. I’ve been through several downpours with it and it has kept me perfectly dry every time. If you get the right size, it’s also a very flattering cut for a rain jacket which is a plus.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions!</p>
<p>What are people’s thoughts on the ability to stay dry without wearing rain pants in addition to a jacket?</p>
<p>After some minutes in the rain, the water drips from the jacket onto your pants.
Dry torso, wet thighs.</p>
<p>Gore-tex has historically been the go-to, and was very pricey 'til the original patent expired. The competing breathable fabrics are good. For extended walking, you definitely want something that breathes, rather than completely waterproof. With the latter, you get wet from your own sweat.</p>
<p>And all other things being equal, I’d look for ‘pit zips’ too.</p>
<p>I have a nice raincoat from lands end that is like new after 5 years. It’s very light weight, but I would not wear anything but a short sleeved shirt under it or a lightweight long sleeved shirt unless it is cold. The material doesn’t breathe much. </p>
<p>I think with boots, you don’t need the pants unless you are out walking in the middle of a storm where the wind is blowing the rain horizontal (and your coat is long enough, mine goes to mid-thigh). I used to just wear the coat and rainboots out in the rain all the time and my pants stayed pretty dry, maybe a few droplets of water but never wet. The problem is that the bottom of your pants will get wet without boots and the water will seep upwards to your knees. If you arent planning to get boots, I think you need pants.</p>
<p>expatCanuck, I tend to agree with you.</p>
<p>Ema, that makes sense about wearing boots.</p>
<p>Looks like the jacket+pants could be a significant investment ($300-ish).</p>
<p>Going with the REI / EMS brand (or waiting for a sale), you may be able to drop that to $250 (and still get quality garments). But, yeah, they’re costly. My last pair of rain pants were about $100.</p>
<p>Fendrock:</p>
<p>Rainwear is the most confusing topic ever. They’ve made it nearly inscrutible with all the buzzwords and stuff. Let me see if I can decipher it a bit.</p>
<p>Waterproof versus water resistant. Be careful with these labels. They can make any fabric water resistant with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment. This will make water bead up and will keep you dry for a few minutes in a light drizzle or light snow. It is NOT waterproof. All waterproof garments have an actual waterproof coating or layer on the inside. Waterproof garments should have tape-sealed seams.</p>
<p>Waterproof/breathable. They ALL claim that his waterproof coating or layer on the inside is breathable, meaning that moisture you generate from sweating can escape so you don’t boil like a lobster. None of it is really breathable. Not the cheapest stuff. Not the most expensive GoreTex Pro. Some of it is a LITTLE less “not breathable”, but that’s about it. If you start exercising hard in truly waterproof rain gear, you will boil sooner or later. </p>
<p>There are basically three categories (price ranges) of waterproof/breathable rain materials. I’ll cover the basic range in here and then a second post with the more pricey options. I’m not including the plain plastic rain panchos and stuff. </p>
<p>Basic polyuerthane (PU) coating. This is a thin coating that is “painted” on the inside of the fabric to provide water resistance. Sometimes, there is an inner mesh layer against your skin, then the outer fabric with the coating. Sometimes it is a “2 layer” or “2.5 layer” material – just the outer fabric and the coating rests against your skin (sometimes with a little textured pattern). All of the name brands use this for their basic range of rainwear: </p>
<p>[Trail</a> Model Rain Jacket: Rain Jackets | Free Shipping at L.L.Bean](<a href=“http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/68168]Trail”>L.L.Bean: Page Not Available)</p>
<p>[REI</a> Rainwall Jacket - Women’s - Free Shipping at REI.com](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/843960/rei-rainwall-jacket-womens]REI”>http://www.rei.com/product/843960/rei-rainwall-jacket-womens)</p>
<p>[Marmot</a> PreCip Rain Jacket - Women’s - Free Shipping at REI.com](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/859978/marmot-precip-rain-jacket-womens]Marmot”>http://www.rei.com/product/859978/marmot-precip-rain-jacket-womens)</p>
<p>[The</a> North Face Venture Jacket - Women’s - Free Shipping at REI.com](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/827195/the-north-face-venture-jacket-womens]The”>http://www.rei.com/product/827195/the-north-face-venture-jacket-womens)</p>
<p>[EMS</a> Women’s Thunderhead Jacket - Eastern Mountain Sports](<a href=“http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13188403&lmdn=Weather%20Conditions&cp=3677318.12125209]EMS”>http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13188403&lmdn=Weather%20Conditions&cp=3677318.12125209)</p>
<p>This stuff will all have a nice nylon or polyester ripstop fabric on the outside. It’s a little crinkly/noisy to wear, but not fairly comfortable. Jackets almost always have a hood. Pants are available, sometimes in two versions – one with full length leg zippers for putting them on over boots.</p>
<p>Jackets are in the $59 to $99 range. Pants under $100. You can find deep discounts on this type of rain jacket at Marshalls, etc. All brands make them. I found a really nice heavier Columbia version (with a mesh lining) for $39 at TJMAXX. </p>
<p>I also have a matched pair of Marmot Precip Jacket and pants that I wear quite a bit. I bought the Marmot because they sell their pants in several lengths. I got my daughter the LLBean Trail Model rainwear jacket for her birthday. Same thing. Both really nice product in this category as are the similar products from REI, Lands End, North Face, etc.</p>
<p>If you live in snow country, this stuff is great for those blizzard days when you are popping in and out of the house to shovel. Just wear fleece pants and top around the house. Put the rain jacket and pants on over it when you go out.</p>
<p>Main downside of this basic range? It’s the most “not-breathable” of the fancy rain gear. It tends to have a limited life span. After five or ten years, you can expect the coating to start separating from the fabric, at which point you may or may not go through the hassle of getting a warranty exchange from the manufacturer.</p>
<p>Still, all in all, this the biggest selling range and probably the one that makes the most sense for a nice occasional use rainsuit.</p>
<p>I think you have to decide where your own moisture/comfort line is. I am comfortable walking/running for an hour in a wool sweater and insulated pants, even though I’m soaked to the skin when I get home–and I prefer that to trying to walk in rain gear. I sometimes wear an old wool cowboy hat to keep my head dry. </p>
<p>Wet cotton is dangerous and uncomfortable. If you decide being a little wet might be okay, look for wool or synthetics that insulate when wet.</p>
<p>I always wear Goretex shoes–I hate having wet feet.</p>
<p>When I bicycle, I wear a completely waterproof rain jacket (Showers Pass) and the insulated pants. (While several companies make athletic pants that are theoretically waterproof, I’ve never found them comfortable.)</p>
<p>That said, when I do dog agility, which requires being inside->outside over and over for about ten hours, I wear a fully waterproof jacket, insulated pants—and carry spares so that I can change halfway through the day. Spare shoes, spare socks, spare shirt, spare pants, spare jacket (even the best raingear can get wet inside if you forget to zip it).</p>
<p>Cotton kills. Once it gets wet, it stays wet and will wick away your body heat. When I’m doing serious backpacking, I even pull out the polypropelene underwear. </p>
<p>I’ve had an EMS Goretex raincoat for nearly 10 years and love it. I may sound like a broken record, but a great online site for outdoor gear is Campmor. (& no I don’t work there, just adore the place and could wander around all day). </p>
<p>[Camping</a> Gear & Outdoor Gear - Outerwear & Outdoor Clothing from Campmor.com](<a href=“http://Www.campmor.com%5DCamping”>http://Www.campmor.com)</p>
<p>Husband and son have gone to Philmont, the Boy Scout camp in New Mexico where they’re on the trail for 10 days and experience lots of rain. My son has a Mountain Hardware raincoat; I believe husband has a Columbia brand jacket. Both bought at Campmor.</p>
<p>OK, now on to the next level:</p>
<p>Polyurethane (PU) Laminates Instead of a PU coating, these have a thin PU film bonded to the inside of the jacket fabric. The advantage is that this layer can be much thinner than the coating on the basic models, which means that the fabric is a little less “not-breathable”. Because the coating is thinner, the fabric can also be lighter. Or have a third layer of fabric bonded to the inside for more comfort against the skin. Or, the laminate can be used in stretchy materials. Or sewn as a glove liner or boot liner for waterproof accessories… Or adjusted to make a jacket less than 100% waterproof, but more breathable… </p>
<p>The key buzzword to look for here is “laminate”. That’s the marketing distinction from the less expensive “coated” fabrics.</p>
<p>Every company makes a number of “laminate” jackets. It’s used in ultra-light rain jackets. In heavy duty rain jackets. In ski shells. In softshell jackets.</p>
<p>There are two high-end brand names for laminated stuff: GoreTex and eVent. Goretex started out with a different material for their laminate (ePTFE) that really was breathable. The problem was that it really wasn’t waterproof once it had been exposed to a little sweat or body oils. The first generation GoreTex stuff leaked like a seive. So, they added a PU layer to their laminate to protect the ePTFE. Now, it’s the same PU as everyone else’s, but a thinner layer bonded to their ePTFE. eVent is selling a version of the original ePTFE that is more breathable, but less durable. Really, when you pay the big bucks for a GoreTex jacket, you are paying for their rigid testing requirements and the brand name. The actual laminate is not really the big difference. That’s why the same jacket with a GoreTex laminate will be more expensive than with a non-branded laminate. Also, GoreTex has several completely different types of jackets.</p>
<p>Generally, the laminates fall into three categories:</p>
<p>2-layer or 2.5 layer lightweight jackets These are exactly the same as the coated jackets above, except they use a laminate on the inside of the fabric. They can be exactly the same, only nicer feeling, sometimes with a mesh lining. Or they can be ultralight with very thin fabrics. For example, I found a deal on a Marmot ultra-light laminated rain jacket at TJ Maxx that only weighs 6 ounces. It’s gossamer thin and not very durable, but it takes up no room and weighs nothing. Perfect for a hiking backpack (or a 90 degree summer rain shower).</p>
<p>The GoreTEX version of these lightweight jackets is called GoreTEX PacLite technology.</p>
<p>You can expect this range of jackets to retail for $100 to $200. Just a few examples:</p>
<p>7 ounce Marmot Membrane Strata:
[Marmot</a> Crystalline Rain Jacket - Women’s - Free Shipping at REI.com](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/846342/marmot-crystalline-rain-jacket-womens]Marmot”>http://www.rei.com/product/846342/marmot-crystalline-rain-jacket-womens)</p>
<p>15 ounce Marmot GoreTex PacLite:
[Marmot</a> Crystalline Rain Jacket - Women’s - Free Shipping at REI.com](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/846342/marmot-crystalline-rain-jacket-womens]Marmot”>http://www.rei.com/product/846342/marmot-crystalline-rain-jacket-womens)</p>
<p>LL Bean sells a GoreTex version of this with a mesh liner (this style is called just GoreTex or GoreTex Performance. This type of GoreTex with a mesh liner is probably like most “GoreTex” jackets.</p>
<p>[Stowaway</a> Jacket with Gore-Tex: Rain Jackets | Free Shipping at L.L.Bean](<a href=“L.L.Bean: Page Not Available”>L.L.Bean: Page Not Available)</p>
<p>With a non-GoreTex laminate, this is what most “ski jackets” use for waterproofness. Outer fabric, waterproof laminate, inner liner</p>
<p>3-layer. This is the super high end for rain or wintersports shells. GoreTex calls their version GoreTex ProShell. It’s an outer fabric with the laminate bonded to it, then a fabric inner layer bonded to that. So it ends up being one thin fabric with three layers bonded together. Very, very durable. Very expensive. Put it over a fleece for a ski jacket or wear it as a rain jacket. These jackets are super nice, but are often in the $500+ range from the major brand names and probably overkill for occasional use, unless you are doubling them up a your main winter jacket over an insulation layer.</p>
<p>[Women’s</a> Terminus Jacket | Marmot.com](<a href=“http://marmot.com/products/details/womens-terminus-jacket]Women’s”>http://marmot.com/products/details/womens-terminus-jacket)</p>
<p>The cheapest I’ve seen is LLBeans on sale for $299:</p>
<p>[Ascent</a> Jacket with Gore-Tex: Rain Jackets | Free Shipping at L.L.Bean](<a href=“L.L.Bean: Page Not Available”>L.L.Bean: Page Not Available)</p>
<p>Softshell </p>
<p>These laminates are also bonded to soft stretchy fabric to form softshell jackets with names like Gore WindStopper or PolarTec NeoShell. These are usually somewhat less than 100% waterproof, although waterproof enough for most days in exchange for being somewhat more breathable. These are really more suited for activewear: hiking, running, climbing, skiing, etc.</p>
<p>Campmor, Sunnysports, and Sierra Trading Post are all great choices for really good deals on outdoor oriented clothing.</p>
<p>Sunnysports has the Marmot PreCip basic women’s rain jacket for $59.95 and the Minimalist GoreTex PacLite jacket for $125:</p>
<p>[Marmot</a> PreCip Jacket for Women at SunnySports](<a href=“http://www.sunnysports.com/p-mrmpjwn/marmot-precip-jacket-for-women]Marmot”>http://www.sunnysports.com/p-mrmpjwn/marmot-precip-jacket-for-women)
[Marmot</a> Minimalist Jacket for Women at SunnySports](<a href=“http://www.sunnysports.com/p-mrmmjw/marmot-minimalist-jacket-for-women]Marmot”>http://www.sunnysports.com/p-mrmmjw/marmot-minimalist-jacket-for-women)</p>
<p>Sign up for Sierra Trading Post’s e-mail and you’ll get 30% off coupon codes…</p>
<p>I think REI usually sends out a 20% off one item coupon when they mail the dividends (March, I think). </p>
<p>I watched STP for two years, trying to find a replacement for my old Patagonia Goretex jacket. I finally gave up and paid retail for a North Face jacket. I was unable to find a coat the length I wanted-- long enough to to cover my tush if I was sitting in a damp place.</p>
<p>I also have a knee length Goretex coat from LLBean that is great for rainy weather in town (especially with tall boots) but would not work for trail hiking.</p>
<p>I didn’t read the whole thread but I got my Marmot Precip pants for about $35 at Sierra Trading Post. They have all kinds of sales and special offers so it’s worth keeping an eye on the site and signing up for their email offers until you find what you want. Then you can unsubscribe.</p>
<p>interesteddad, thanks for your “Raingear for Dummies” guide - I think the jacket I have now is of the crinkly, eventually peels variety.</p>
<p>I also have a pair of rainpants from Campmore, but they are simple nylon and soak through if I stay out in the rain.</p>
<p>dmd77, what do you wear as a “fully waterproof” jacket when you do dog agility trials?</p>
<p>The scenario I am envisioning is that I take a vacation to Nova Scotia/Ireland/Iceland and have the bad luck of getting bad weather. I want to be able to put on something and go out for a few hours even though it is raining – because I can’t spend my vacation sitting indoors!</p>
<p>It seems like there is a trade off between gear that will keep you dry and it being so impermeable that you get soaked in sweat instead of precipitation.</p>
<p>Many of the less expensive gear recommendations, ( sierra designs & rei, instead of patagonia & tnf) still have pit zips to help with over heating.</p>
<p>Fendrock, I have four jackets that are waterproof. Two of them are from Showers Pass, which is a Portland (OR) company that makes cycling clothing. [|</a> Showers Pass](<a href=“http://www.showerspass.com/]|”>http://www.showerspass.com/) I also have a very lightweight jacket that I only use in the summer that I got from REI some years back, on sale, end of season, with my rebate and my 20% off coupon. I have a Lands End squall parka ([Women’s</a> Squall Parka from Lands’ End](<a href=“Lands' End | Swimwear, Outerwear, Casual Clothing and more”>http://www.landsend.com/products/womens-squall-parka/id_237614)) that I bought on sale eight years ago.</p>