Long cut waterproof jackets

Yes the merino gear gets shredded by scrub very quickly. I turned a brand new long sleeve merino top in to a shredded mess during two half days in the scrub zone exploring routes between Frews and Serpentine Huts on Mt Inframeta. PhillipW, good post re outer layers! Years ago after a rapid failure with Goretex I reverted to farm supply "Oringi" style coats. In my case it was "Techna Flex". They last so much longer at keeping you dry, except from sweat, than those expensive jackets that can't handle exposure to sweat, dirt, oil etc for more than a few days before starting to leak and stop breathing!

Re expensive merino - I've picked up a couple of 'new with tags' long sleeve Macpac merino tops from Trademe recently - most expensive one was $35. Worth keeping an eye out, plenty of people buy a pile of tramping gear, go for one walk, decide it's a bit difficult, then sell everything a couple of years later.

the problem with not having a fully waterproof layer in the rani is, if you stop moving for any length of time say due to injury, then cold water and wind is still penetrating your garment, and i believe you're going to be more prone to hypothermia. i've tried using different non fully waterproof outer layers in heavy rain and i just ended up colder as a result.

Great discussion! I've learnt so much and had questions answered by what you folks have been saying. I think I'm going the Oringi route on the next coat change.

Bush lawyer and merino don't play nicely, especially the 150 weight. How I stop holes from running is to apply liberal amounts of clear nail varnish around it. If the hole is large I'll then stitch it up. The varnish stops further runs and stitches hold better. Goes back to the days of pantyhose and runs... The varnish will last at least a dozen washes if not longer, depends on the brand. The last lot I got for $2 at Countdown and it never seems to wash out… The most holes I repaired in one hit was for a friend who got blown off the track MTBing down Mt Fyffe, into a waiting thicket of Matagouri...

at the end of the day i think everyone needs some sort of waterproof layer for emergencies, rainshell or bivy bag or even if its a plastic survival bag, if you get disabled the bottom line is you need a waterproof barrier to seal out the colder rain and seal in some heat

@waynowski Totally agree about the remaining need for a waterproof shelter of some sort. Especially once you have stopped moving. As I said above - I think most trampers are going to stick to the conventional idea that their rain jacket will be this layer and I've no especial quibble with that. It's just that a lot of people have discovered that spending upwards of $400 or more on expensive breathable materials to achieve it- is not necessarily good value for money. However there are alternatives. There are at least three proven choices: For decades many people used Swandris in this country with a lot of success. Felted wool is pretty amazing stuff with an ancient history and works well in terms of coping with damage, oils and dirt. As long as you can keep moving and you aren't exposed to very high winds it works. Then there is the classic Buffalo Pertex micro-pile approach. Been around a long time although I've never used it a lot of people do like it a lot: http://www.journeymantraveller.com/2011/02/on-buffalo.html And finally there is the Paramo/Nikwax Analogy material. I'm not able to articulate exactly the difference between this and the Buffalo materials, but this approach talks a lot more about the ability of the material to 'pump' liquid phase water by capillary action generated by the Nikwax DWR and size graded micro-fibres used in it's construction. Here's another decent overview: http://sectionhiker.com/on-paramo-by-andrew-mazibrada/ Personally we purchased two of these about ten years ago: http://www.cioch-direct.co.uk/waterproofs/glamaig.html Our versions are slightly longer and fully lined. The Paramo's absolutely depend on being properly washed and DWR'ed every year or so - but the process seems painless and reliable. So far we've been pleased with them; they do work as advertised. Even on two extreme occasions when by circumstance I fully wetted them out - I still felt safe and comfortable. http://westfieldfreshair.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/cioch-glamaig-jacket-review.html I agree that the 'non-waterproof' approach is way less conventional in NZ and will likely remain a niche interest. Still for folks like me who enjoy experimenting with alternatives - I've found it a great way to learn more about the whole topic.

Although I did shred one new Merino long sleeved top when wearing it as an outer layer in the scrub zone I am a fan of such clothing. Now I tend to buy them at sales & use them for casual wear until they are past their prime then use them for back country use but not as an outer layer in the scrub zone. I still wear swandris/lammies when exploring bush country during cooler weather, sometimes in conjunction with a japara or pvc butterfly cape. They are bulky to carry so I tend to wear the garment most of the time and regulate temperature by the quantity of clothing worn underneath.

Years ago Macpac use to make a hybrid of Merino and Synthetic which they call Interwool. They were great tops and 10 years on still wear my three shirts, they had the durability of synthetic but most of the other benefits of Merino. Although on two of my shirts most of the merino has been worn away just leaving the Synthetic outer. Recently I have noticed Icebreaker has started to use a bit more synthetic material in some of their tops. Although I believe that is mainly synthetic panels in areas of high sweat, plus some lycra to help keep the shape when wet.

I've had an Oringi coat for a few years now, and it is the best coat I have ever bought . I spend a lot of time in the bush / alpine , been in driving rain, strong cold wind, snow blah blah used as a ground sheet. Highly recommend to any one