Long cut waterproof jackets

@militaris "When tramping in the rain I fully intend to get wet. So I dress to stay comfortable when wet. The rain jacket is more just to trap the heat in and to cut the wind." Agreed. Has someone who tends to sweat quite a bit, I consider that my raincoat/shells function is to ensure that I stay "warm wet" instead of "cold wet" when tramping by blocking wind and precipitation (and sharp pointy stuff) from reaching me. The wicking thermal layer and thin fleece help take sweat away from the skin and reduce the amount of condensation on the inside of the jacket from coming back. Once stopped for the day, then I put on at least one dry next-to-skin layer and a dry insulation layer to stay warm.

So many times Ive tried fleeces under any coat and considered them a fail. Reason is quite simple. One fleece I have says it will hold 1% water That garment weighed 200g so 2 teaspoons of water will saturate it. As soon as I put a coat on Im soaked even if its just to stop a strong wind. People do laugh at my swandri shirt but it works. It may be a little heavier and certainly gets heavy when you trip over in a river crossing but still warm and toasty

Merino works best for me when wet. The 150 weight can be soaked where I sweat the most and damp from the humidity under a jacket but body heat is always in the process of drying it. I never feel cold which matters to me. Same applies to polyprop but it just doesn't regulate my body temp anywhere as well. My old swanni was great too, just took a lot longer to dry.

I love a long sleeve 150 merino under an event jacket any sweat wicks through the merino so I feel comfortable and the event blocks the wind and rain. But to be honest this discussion always intriques me. Because I just feel its normal to be pretty wet in the outdoors. Wet boots, socks, feet, head, neck, back, chest, nether regions, the works haha. One of the joys of tramping is to get to the hut, or pitch the tent, kick off the wet kit. Have a scrub up and slap on some clean thermals, socks and crocs, and chuck on the billy. Bliss

I've been absolutely soaked in freezing temps with strong winds and stayed warm thanks to a merino baselayer - 150 works well for me too. I don't find polypro works anywhere near as well (plus there's the smell thing).

spray yourself with DWR chemicals and the water will run right off. I'm joking. DWR chemicals are highly toxic and you shouldnt let yourself come into direct contact with the liquid form.

The general agreement is that the main purpose of the outer jacket is to stop the wind. Therefore I claim that paying big money for expensive 'breathables' is pretty much a waste of good tramping budget. The two strategies I tend to believe in are: 1. A non-breathable, low air permeability, highly waterproof outer layer (Oringi-style) that is there to repel wind and external rain and used with base layer(s) of merino that remain warm enough even when soaked. OR the complete opposite: 2. The Swandri/Buffalo/Paramo approach that is not intended to be waterproof but work through a combination of absorbing and wicking water and/or pumping it outwards, plus slowing down the wind - to keep the skin protected from excess heat loss. Neither approach tries to keep you dry at all times (which is a pointless goal anyhow), but both will keep you sufficiently warm. The main difference is that the Oringi type jacket will have to be highly vented or removed whenever it's not actually raining to control the build up of sweat. For convenience it might be smart to combine it with a very lightweight wind jacket that is more comfortable when it's just windy. I'd conclude this is the most practical and cost effective approach for most kiwi trampers. The second 'Paramo style' approach is less conventional in this country, but the best way to think about it is to treat the outer 'rain' jacket as a layer you can wear most of the time. While the garment might be heavier than is currently fashionable, it's still more functional, and arguably lighter, than something which spends 90% of it's life in your pack.

I have to agree with the merino layering arrangement. Polyprop just doesn’t cut it anymore for me. The ideal mix is merino base layer, light merino sweater and waterproof breathe-able jacket. My skin temp just seems to stay within the ideal Goldilocks range and you don’t feel like you’re wearing a plastic bag. Even giving the Merino farmers their due margin I’ve always resented the absurd pricing of Icebreaker & other brands so I have bought most of my merino as factory seconds from Weft Industries in Chch. The defects are always minor and who cares anyway. If you strike it lucky then you can pick up a possum/merino jumper for $60. Oddly enough I find the biggest hassle in spring and autumn and mixed weather is me old hands. I went for a tootle up Foggy peak 2 weeks ago and wore a pair of possum merino gloves ($12) Flamin’ brilliant!

Im as big a cheapskate as anyone and only have my swandri because of a clearance sale All the other merino gear I have is Warehouse brand and yes it was bought from the clearance rack. I do have a long sleeve merino t shirt Dont know its weight as it wasnt quoted but the only time it gets worn is when I know its going to be snowline plus conditions all day. I cant wear it if its warmer especially under the swanny. Most conditions its a Warehouse polyester shirt and swandry on top that works fine for me. Even then on a day like yesterday on the Pukerua Bay loop (Wellington was top of 9 with gale force winds) I was still down to a t shirt for some of the trip. One garment I will never get in merino again is long johns. I bought a pair for a cold weather trip but a lot of wind fall on the track had turned them into shorts by lunch time. Polyprop is unfased by those conditions

Couldn't agree more about the merino longjohns. They just rip to shreds. Poly props for long johns. The problem with warehouse and other budget brand merino is the micron size is not good enough and they are no where near as good as the big tramping brands. They stretch and and no where near as warm or lightweight. As much as I dislike Kathmandu. I have found Kathmandu merino base layers to be quality when you can get them on sale. Macpac has always been my preferred brand but they are turning to crap. Icebreaker etc are a rip off. Farmlands have interesting stuff at good prices but I have not tried them yet.