Rain Jacket for routeburn track end of march.

the kmandu one is on the heavy side, and not hard wearing, because its polyester. someones stuffed up the specs on your jacket Waterproofness 5,000mm / 24hrs isnt rated over time its purely by mm either they've copied the breathability reading and converted it from ml to mm or if it is 5,000 then its just shower proof only and won't stand up to prolonged or heavy rain , it needs to be 10,000mm minimum... to be waterproof. put it on and stand under the shower for a while and see if water gets in... it doesnt state the name of the waterproof technology, so no chance to reference what its specs are... the rab one good for cold weather because of close fit, but otherwise would be a sauna if its warm, because it can't let much air in underneath to circulate... esp if you look at the hood, with its tight fitting gasket around the face, great for freezing weather or cold windy conditions, terrible for anything warmer...

Hi Waynowsky. Thanks for your answer....yeah it's sucks a little bit but I might do a try under the shower with the Kmandu... If I'm going to get a new one I was thinking to this... https://rab.equipment/eu/arc-jacket What you reckon for Routeburn conditions? Can this jacket be this a good option?

If you're only doing the Routeburn is it really worth shelling out hundreds for a new jacket? Your 2 current jackets look fine enough to me. Routeburn conditions: Routeburn Shelter to Falls hut you are in the trees the whole way. A steady, gentle, climb the whole way. It wont be cold. Falls hut to the Lake Mackenzie zigzags is the most exposed part. If you're going to get cold and/or buffeted by the wind/weather it'll be along here. If the weathers bad enough for that then chances are you wont be hanging around, so its only about 3 hours travel in the elements. The zig zags are on the east of the ridge line. Prevailing bad weather always seems to be (in my experience) a north wester blowing up the Hollyford so generally the descent down to Mackenzie is short and sheltered, especially once you're in the trees. Mackenzie to Howden hut does have a couple of exposed bits (again, to the northwest) around The Orchard and north of Earland Falls. Once you're past the falls you're in the trees down to Howden and on around Key Summit to the Divide, with just a little bit of exposure near the track turn off up onto Key Summit proper. Its up to you though.

the last jacket is a very nice jacket, pertex is as good as gore tex. pertex is generally on the lighter weight end of the spectrum. depends how much you're going to use it and how much you can afford it, it's not cheap you want something with vented pockets or under arm pit zips to maximise breathability if you're going to use it a lot. some brands like rab are made for conditions that are generally colder than NZ and often don't put an emphasis on venting. don't buy online unless you can get your money back, you need to make sure it fits properly and you can move freely in it

Thanks Waynowsky! I usually buy online from webtogs.com,they are quite good,items always arrived perfectly new and well packed. I buy for them because I find the price reasonable cheaper compare to the Australian retails mountains shops...at least I always save 80/100 dollars per transaction. I actually suggest to use it because they can delivery even in nz. I might think about it...and follow the weather very close around the end of February. Thanks to Yarmoss for your suggestions about the track...I hope I get lucky enough to get good and sunny weather..even If many people say that real beauty of the routeburn show the best just when its rainy... :D

I would suggest you take two things into account: waterproofness of 10,000 mm (even this won't keep you fully dry) or more. At 20,000 mm you should keep dry, but it may breathe less. And the second thing is venting options like arm pits, either zip or permanent. Have a look at the Marmot PreCip, have seen quite good sales recently.

precip is two layer, doesnt last as long as three layer shells which have a knitted nylon layer inside protecting the waterproof layer. nothing wrong with two layer, depends how much you're likely to wear your jacket as to how long it will last and how long you want it to last... 2 layer are more compact and lighter than 3 layer for a comparable face fabric. its debateable how waterproof all waterproof breathable clothing is. gore tex only test their material for five hours under lab conditions simulating rain..... you can overwhelm waterproof breathable layers simply by sitting on them and the pressure of your body weight can force any outside water through, some argue just the pressure of the pack on your back can too, and even between your upper thighs when you're walking... but the vast majority of what shops sell are waterproof and water permeable and some are air permeable... they make more profit in selling you the technology, and often it doesnt let any moisture out at all in prolonged rain, because it relies on a lower outside air humidity and temperature for that to happen and you get wet from sweat buildup and the DWR coating on teh outside has to stop water from saturating the fabric or it will stop breathing, water smeared on the inside of a two layer will stop breathing too.... the real advantage is that it reduces the cold water and air from the outside getting in and chilling you, they are often glorified wetsuits

'they are often glorified wetsuits'. Thanks for that one-liner wayno. Sums up my experience perfectly. A good breathable raincoat is a wonderful barrier against wind & rain chilling on exposed tops trips - allows you confidence & warmth out in conditions you'd never even contemplate without one. But I've long since ceased to expect them to keep me dry.

i dont tend to buy gore tex rainwear, gore tex charges a premium for their name, spend a fortune on marketing. pertex is just as good and cheaper. a lot of generic brands ones are a lot cheaper, the top brands market themselves on how breathable they are, but most of the time when it rains its academic , and vents trump membrane or laminate breathability every time eVent is highly breathable, i spent $500 on an eVent raincoat that was marketed by Macpac as good technology and at the time more breathable than Gore tex In the heavy rain it might as well have been pvc or a plastic bag.... most outdoor shops focus on selling what they can make maximum profit out of and its these types of technologies that are already heavily marketed by the material or clothing manufacturers, so its a cheap bet for the retailers to sell them, but having said that, the good materials are often better designed cuts and better to move in, thats one of the reasons you woud spend money on them, they are still relatively comfortable to move around in than a cheap brand that hasnt spent anywhere near the resources in designing the garment or just tries to emulate better brands Mountain Equipment, spent three years with outdoor professionals and swiss pattern cutters to perfect their designs, and ,,,,, they arent cheap... but those type of brands are often nice to wear. depends how much tie yoiu're going to spend wearing it. its easy to forget about good design, because you dont think about what you're wearing or using when its designed well because it works seamlessly and doesnt annoy you,,, thats when you have appropriate design... is your current gear pissing you off? no? dont get sucked in my elaborate marketing.... stick with it...