Long cut waterproof jackets

Have you also considered the Oringi Milford Bush Walking Jacket? http://www.oringi.co.nz/Products/Tramping-Rainwear/Milford-Bush-Walking-Jacket.aspx I can't speak from directly experience but mostly mention it because they advertise lots in the FMC Bulletin, and I've run into more than a few people wearing them. I'd suggest that if you want to look cool in front of people who respect fashion that's not marketed to be trendy for the masses, this is the coat to be seen wearing. :P I hear it also functions as a raincoat.

Thanks, I heard about this jacket just last week... In fact some people from the CHCH Tramping Club told me a story about a trip where the only person still dry after a five days in Fiordland was wearing the Oringi Milford Bush jacket! Makes me wonder what the others were wearing all the same. I'm not remotely concerned about fashion or looking cool but functionality and performance. Thanks for the link. Anyone who owns an Oringi reading this, please speak up and let us know what it's like. Cheers!

I have a long cut Macpac eVent jacket, while it is a good jacket,the zip is a bit weak. Rarely take it tramping, it is simply too big and bulky.

macpac dont use eVent fabric anymore.

I've got the Hydrophobia. It kept me dry during a week of rain while going through the Snowdon Forest/Mavora Walkway/Greenstone loop a couple of New Years ago. I've taken to wearing it around town these days as its nice being dry almost down to my knees :) Get it during the Boxing Day sales otherwise you'll need a 2nd mortgage on your house.

Do the two Macpac ones you're considering have a double-ended zip? The ESS one specifically says it undoes at both ends, but Macpac is not specific.

I find with modern rain coats that they are great to start with but don't seem to hold a good degree of waterproofness for very long when used in the bush. I currently have an oringi coat, though not the model in question as that would be down round my ankles. I have found it pretty good so far, it is somewhere between 1 and 2 years old now and still good so I will probably stick with the brand in the future. I'm not sure about the Milford Bush but on my one the hood design is not the greatest, I have to wear a cap to stop it dropping over my eyes (no biggy), it does stay on when fully zipped up in strong winds. One thing with the oringi coats is to make sure you dry them well when you get home. If they are left wet for any length of time (and that includes areas like round the cuffs) they take on a characteristic smell of cat pee.

@izogi - yes I remember both the Copland and Resolution had double-ended zips. In fact my friend and I found them hard to 'engage' due to how chunky they were… large plastic teeth. Took a lot of mucking about to line the two sliders up. I kept thinking; right, you wouldn't want to be doing this with cold fingers in a howling gale…. @stunted - sounds a bit like the old parka I had from the 80's, a "Z-Cote"?; excellent for shedding water (a good test was a holiday in Matukituki Valley, Mt Aspiring with 9 days of solid rain that resulted in Lake Wanaka flooding the road so our cars had to be trucked out), but pongy! Gah. Largely due to lack of breathability and probably not caring for it properly. Goretex then was beyond the reach of many, including secondary school students like me. Not much info about the air permeability rating on the Milford Bush. Hence my interest in feedback from those who own one. So far the ESS jacket tops the list, based on the positive feedback here and on other forums. I'm told ESS supply to DOC and the team at Scott Base.

"I find with modern rain coats that they are great to start with but don't seem to hold a good degree of waterproofness for very long when used in the bush." Most (all?) of the waterproof breathables have a DWR (durable water resistant) coating on the outside of the fabric that causes the rain to bead off the face of the fabric, providing an air gap to allow the waterproof breathable membrane to work more efficiently. When the DWR breaks down, the waterproof breathable membrane remains waterproof but the membrane can't "breathe" as the rain wets out the face fabric. So when most people think their expensive jacket is leaking, it's probably actually just sweat and condensation on the inside of the jacket from the DWR not working (and possibly atmospheric conditions would play a part as well). Not all DWR coatings are equal and some are better/last longer than others. The DWR should be regularly restored using the manufacturers instructions (some are as simple as checking the jacket in a warm tumble dryer for a period) and using a product such as Nikwax. My current tramping raincoat is a Line 7 raincoat made from the same stretchy PU as the Oringi coats but was half the price. Water and windproof, and tough - good for bush-bashing, but big, heavy, definitely not breathable and takes a long time to dry out.