Rain jacket recommendations

The other point to consider with coats is wind. On a cold day, in 100km+ winds on a ridgeline a 100g warehouse parka is near-useless. I've used these for years as disposable rainwear whilst possumming - they are great as a 'it's not going to rain, but just-in-case' piece of kit - to live at the bottom of your pack with the 1st aid kit and the remains of that banana you forgot was there. But, on a windy day, it will flap like a kite, it will provide very little protection against windchill for your body, and is even more useless to protect / warm the face & head, especially in driving rain/snow/hail. With only a lightweight parka I've turned back from several tops trips in dodgy weather & strong wind, when I would have happily continued if I was carrying something a bit more solid. Imagine being injured and having to shelter-down on an exposed ridge with just one of these for protection.

or you have to put more layering underneath them. getting cold in a pvc parka is seldom a problem, overheating is. getting cold in a thin nylon one is very likely...

Because pvc doesnt breathe everything you wear underneath will get wet with sweat. Back when pvc was the king of parkas Swandri was also queen of warm layer. A woollen jersey under pvc still works fine as will a swandri. They just get a little heavier and might start to smell. Either way still warm as toast. Put a modern fleece under it though and that modern fleece is designed to be saturated with half a cup of sweat but also meant to enhance evaporation which cant happen under pvc and if its cold you freeze. Ive been walking down Climbe in light snow wearing a pvc over a polar fleece and sweat was dripping out of the sleeves of the coat. I couldnt believe how cold I was.

my pvc coat fitten like a caftan,, no end of capacity for the wind to blow through and remove condensation....

Well I hate to say it but I bushbash in my GoLite and did in my Marmot Precips. Maybe this is why they didn't last too long but I think it was the DWR's wearing off that let the side down. For serious predicted rain I also wear the driducks underneath. I've painted a sealant inside the driducks where the pack straps sit to stop moisture being forced through by the wet shoulder straps. I used that paint on plasticy stuff that electrician use when they seal their joins. Got it from Bunnings - Electrical Liquid Tape. It didn't last when I painted it on my worn out Extremity overmitts - it flaked off fairly soon. Driducks is now obselete. It's FroggToggs but I've got a tyveck labcoat to experiment with as well. 100 g all up. Always experimenting...

I'll try for something more durable than the Precip... Does anyone have any experience with Outdoor Research jackets?

OUtdoor research fly under the radar, but are very well made and cheaper than other top brands... they make a range of weights in their jackets, from light to above average weights. made from top quality materials... i've got some lightweight pertex pants and lightweight jacket, pretty strong or their weight. so if you shift up in weight you should be right. bivouac will usually have something on special in the back of the shops.... you want to be looking for something closer to the 500gm weight... than the 300gm weight. their top of the line gear isnt cheap though.

Thanks Wayno - I ask because I've already been looking on the Bivouac website - at things like this http://www.bivouac.co.nz/outdoor-research-men-s-panorama-jacket.html That OutdoorGearLab website rated the Helium 2 highly but then despite saying it's fully waterproof they then say it won't keep you dry for long??? It's hard to keep up with all the types and variants of GoreTex...

helium is an ultra light jacket,, the reasons you get wet arent always to do with the jacket not being waterproof, it is also do to with thin fabrics in the cold the water condenses readily on the inside of the jacket and the two layer jackets dont conduct the moisture out of the jacket as well as the three layer jacket which get a bit of depth keeping the membrane away from your skin and giving the moisture a scaffold to attach to as it moves to the membrane you dont have a solend membrane touching your skin like you do with the two layer jackets where you notice the moisture on the inside a lot more than the three layer jackets... helium has no physical venting zips again which greatly reduces ability to dump excess moisture inside the jacket....

mountain designs sale.. http://www.mountaindesigns.co.nz/store/mens/jackets-and-pullovers?pageSize=48&subcategory=66