There seems to be a bunch who prefer poncho/plastic bag outers ?.
I prefer rolled-up sleeves & a rain hat. Just personal preference while looking for the end result.
Don't forget to check out CRT/Wrightsons, Protector safety & the hunting shops occasionally. Can get breathable coats, up to 6XL size, relatively cheaply if you aren't too prioritised on wearing the 'correct' label.
Cheers !.
I recently got a Marmot Jacket from the states, it was on clearance. Think they retail for $250 locally but I only paid around $60NZD for mine. Brought a pile of Smartwool socks at the same time which helped spread the freight costs.
Seems like a good jacket, but have not had a chance to wear it. Only weighs 300g so would probably be a emergency Jacket I take trout fishing and on tramps where rain looks unlikely.
marmot's proprietary membranes delaminate under heavy wear esp wearing a heavy pack and arent as durable as their gore tex jackets, their RRP is too expensive for what they are, lightweight shells. but when you've got a lot of money to spend on marketing you can get away with it, people will pay for the recogniseable brands..
Yeah, I would never pay RRP for one, okay I never pay RRP for any outdoor equipment anymore. Although one could probably argue that 40-50% off is now the true retail price for many brands.
I think the marmot list price is $250 locally, but 20% off sales are common which make a real price of $200 which is still to much for what it is. But it seems well made for a $60 packable jacket. Although the Mammut Ridge Jacket for the same prices might of been the better deal.
I am not overly worried about the de-lamination thing, Marmot sell tens of thousands of Jackets and customers with bad experiences are much more likely to be vocal but most reviews are still positive.
kathmandu increased their rrp a lot recently, 60 to 70% off is the true price of their gear.....
it should last a while before it delaminates , just dont expect the durability of gore tex...
Back to the original topic - I bought a Macpac Resolution eVent jacket when it was on sale for $350 ($200 off). That would be about the right price. It was definitely lighter and more breathable than my old Gore Tex but I still wanted pit zips. They only put them on their mountaineering jackets because apperently trampers don't get sweaty enough to warrant them?! When I was cruising along it was comfortable. I could wear it when it wasn't raining when I was coming down from a ridge and not feel like I was wearing a plastic bag. However as soon as I started ascending the sweat would build up in my sleeves.
an outfit like twin needle in chch put pit zips in jackets
they'd have to look at it first to confirm if they can
it's arogance to say you don't need pit zips in event, in heavy rain the DWR isnt that goot, the fabric wets out eventually and stops breathing and the sweat really builds up
but they insist on leaving them out as well as vented pockets... their alpine jacket the prophet is pretty heavy it needs the pit zips because it doesnt breathe that well
an an aussie forum there are a lot of complaints about the bad dwr and poor breathability of macpac es resolution jackets as a result of wetting out easily compared to other jackets....
i wouldnt be without pit zips or vented pockets on a rain jacket except for a lightweight one i use when its hardly raining
Deb was just wondering how much you have used your macpac jacket in heavy rain so far and how it is holding up?
mine delaminated pretty quickly on the shoulders..
doesnt breathe in heavy rain because the surface gets too wet for it to breathe...
I have only used it on one tramp so far - rain was intense though! The water went up the sleeves as usual when I was clambering around, but in the torso it was better than my old Gore-Tex. No holes yet.
