Reply With QuoteI use a Rohan hilltop jacket. 4 or 5 years old, admitted defeat and got me wet once in that time, during a tropical downpour in the Caribbean. Excellent for dog walking.
Any waterproof will demand you wear long sleeves underneath though.
Folks
I'm after a new waterproof coat to wear for walking and general everyday wear. I'm looking for something very breathable as I'm a sweaty soul and can get as wet from the inside as from the rain. For this reason I want it to offer as little insulation / warmth as possible. I can add warmth with layers of other stuff. Basically I'm after an old fashioned cagoul (sp?) (but zip up not over the head) with modern 'technical' performance.
Your thoughts / experiences / recommendations would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks
I use a Rohan hilltop jacket. 4 or 5 years old, admitted defeat and got me wet once in that time, during a tropical downpour in the Caribbean. Excellent for dog walking.
Any waterproof will demand you wear long sleeves underneath though.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I recently bought a Berghaus Gore-tex shell in Millets. Light, properly waterproof, well made and not too expensive.
You don't mention a budget jezza.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Arcteryx do very lightweight waterproofs which are excellent if pricey.
Budget, ideally less than £100 but I'm open to being persuaded to spend more for quality / performance.
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Budget, ideally less than £100 but I'm open to being persuaded to spend more for quality / performance.
Have a wander around Go Outdoor. Plenty in budget there.
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For your budget you can’t go wrong with berghaus I’ve had a lot, recently though switched to a jack wolfskin that is superb
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Good call there. Go and see what fits nicely, right style, right colour, price, etc.Originally Posted by sammyl1000
You seem fairly clear on your requirements, which is great. I’d keep an open mind on the manufacturer. I stumbled across Montane synthetic micro-down jacket while looking for a Berghaus fleece.
Swazi - made in New Zealand
i shoot/fish often five days per week and this clothing is the best i have ever used (and i've tried the lot over the years)
it will be over your budget but will last for years - you get what you pay for
do not buy from Ray Mears in the UK - buy direct from NZ and you can save nearly £200 even after customs/postage
Swazi are very friendly and will answer all questions
a cheaper option if you do not mind military cammo is the US ECWCS outer Goretex shell - but you must get the very latest 'generation' made by Propper Industries in the USA - Gen 3 and Level 6 layer - beware of copies/fakes
sourcing can be difficult and you will probably have to buy from the USA - if you have a friend in the US military you will have no problem
also check sizing tables very carefully as they are 'sized' to allow numerous base layers
the current Brit army 'waterproofs' are pretty poor and made down to a price under contract in China - which is why all special operators and those allowed buy the US gear
Last edited by nick h; 30th May 2018 at 08:37.
Less than a hundred, good luck trying to find something really waterproof. You could maybe get a goretex active or paclite shell for that money in a sale somewhere.
As far as manufacturers go, montane is worth a look. They have some stuff in that budget using either pertex or a proprietary fabric
Last edited by seikopath; 30th May 2018 at 08:45.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Here you go jez
I've had a paclite jacket from berghaus before and i was very happy with it.
https://www.sportpursuit.com/catalog...iew/id/1103847
Ticks all your boxes
Good luck
Dave
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Ok, happy to revise budget I can be a bit tight when it comes to spending on stuff that doesn't interest me but I would like a decent one.
^ The berghaus is pretty decent
Well made, fairly respected brand, good fabric. Paclite is a light version of gortex. Decent waterproofness without overheating.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
sometimes you will find a Swazi coat on Ebay - i bought an anorak style one brand new as the seller had bought the wrong size - half NZ price!
Galvin Green Gore Tex are up there with the best. I've a Foot Joy (I use for golf) I bought on Sales Corner its pretty blooming good too. I use a Berghaus for work which does the job only £80 from Blacks.
I’ve a Berghaus Paclite jacket and have been very pleased with it. Though mine is the older style where the hood packs into the collar which I prefer for the type of use it gets.
I’ve been really happy with my Patagonia Torrentshell. I bought it last year for a trip to Florida. It did stirling service in the afternoon rain storms. It’s extremely breathable and features openings under the arms which can be unzipped for extra breathing.
http://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/produc...ket/83802.html
Although not the most expensive, I sometimes use some of the Regatta coats for walking the dog and being out and about. Some are very light, although being waterproof will always cause some perspiration if its warm in my experience.
Over the years I've tried most types of waterproofs for use out in the field and it's always a compromise. Generally the more waterproof the more insulation which is fine if you're standing in a field on a wet and cold January day but not so good for summer showers!
Worth a look at their range.
https://www.regatta.com/mens/jackets...proof_jackets/
If you don't mind dealing with zero hours employers you could try sports direct/ field and trek for a Karrimor eVent jacket. I bought one after I derailed the pocket zip on my Rab jacket. I prefer eVent to gore-tex.
I bought a 'NORTH FACE MOUNTAIN LIGHT II SHELL JACKET' jacket a year ago.
excuse the caps, i copied then pasted it from the website.
It still looks new, its durable, and you could fire water from a hose pipe at it, it wouldn't let water in.
When I looked at motorbike kit I noticed a huge disparity between the pricing for Goretex and proprietary "equivalents" eg Dainese D-Dry, Alpinstars Drystar. It was explained to me they were all breathable but the difference was the amount of water pressure the membrane could resist.
If you don't need to subject it to extreme wet weather use then you should find one of the non-gortex breathable versions serves you just as well.
Another + for Go Outdoors, most stores have loads to try from obscure cheapie to top names like Rab, Berghaus etc. I bought a Sprayway jacket which had to have a waterproof pocket for my iPad mini (Maps and gps when out) and it came in at a shade under £100. Have tested it and it's fully waterproof, do remember that with any jacket the water will run off onto your legs/trousers! Cheers, John B4
Have a look at Montane gear. I've one of their 'Lite-Speed' jackets that are sold as windproof (but shower-proof) rather than waterproof. It's small enough to stuff into a pocket and I used it last summer to slip on and off while out and about on holiday and stayed dry enough. For heavier rain, I'd be looking at their Atomic or Minimus jackets.
NB I've linked to a very old video and the latest Lite-Speed will be a bit different.
Within budget you'll do well to get Gore Tex, it is accepted that Gore Tex is the best waterproof/Breathable material. Saying that many own brands do some great fabrics, my Mammut, Schoffel and Kjus Ski Jackets are superb for water proof ability and breathability, but then they are several hundred quid each.
I'd look at less fashionable brands; maybe Trespass, Regatta or Peter Storm to find a good quality breathable fabric in budget.
My mid season work jacket is Berghaus which is very good for a £90 jacket, but for walking its a little short and there is nothing worse than hiking with a soggy bottom. I found the same with my North Face jacket I had before this too.
Thanks for all your input, thoughts and links folks, genuinely, hugely appreciated.
Uncharacteristically I have acted promptly and have made a purchase.
My heart sinks when I have to go anywhere near a retail park and the barns they house but I have just had a very good retail experience at Go-Outdoors. Many thanks to those who recommended a visit. The choice was immense, from £50 to half a beater speedie. However the customer service and advice was excellent and when they realised after the transaction that I was an NT member they insisted on refunding the additional 10% discount (over their discount card which it was, of course, worth me paying the £5 for). They have won a loyal customer.
I decided to spend a bit more and get the excellent breathability of Gore-Tex so I'm the proud owner of a red Berghaus Hillwalker.
Thanks again for you assistance folks.
(and yes, to the person who mentioned trouser, I already have some well worn but still effective Crag Hoppers ones.)
Too late, but I was going to suggest Marmot:
https://www.marmotshop.co.uk/shop/ac...precip-jacket/
Had very good wear out of mine.
Also late but I'll stick my 2p in anyway for Mountain Equipment Impellor Jacket. ME kit isn't cheap but I've got jackets that have seen regular use over 15 years and are still going strong.
Its well worth having a look at the Seeland range, here's one to start with.
https://www.ardmoor.co.uk/seeland-ke...ntent=Shooting
I was in gaynors in the Lake District yesterday and nearly bought the same jacket but in blue at half price for around £90 but was running short on time.
Great jacket and thought i would order it on line but now £139 apart from black which is £88. Aaaarrrggghhhhhhhh
Seeland is the cheap end of the Harkila Range
i had the Harkila Pro Hunter Trousers and coat from Ardmoor - i fish/shoot up to five days per week and the products failed to live up the expectations - Ardmoor gave a full refund
most if not all of these coats etc are for the casual user not a full time professional - the Harkila coat whilst waterproof had an outer shell that got wet/heavy - it needed at least 24hrs to dry out - no use to a daily user which Harkila accepted
if you can live with camo buy the USA military ECWCS 'shells' - nothing in the civilian range comes close
Last edited by nick h; 31st May 2018 at 12:02.
This is a good retailer, they give you 10% of your first order and I even got more because I asked. Had a super deal on Musto boots for er indoors. Check it out.
http://www.bestinthecountry.co.uk/me...e-jackets.html
I have one of these and rate it very highly.
I have been using my Go Outdoors North Ridge Meltwater for a few years and never found it wanting in strong rain. Breathable in summer. £40 bargain.
+1 for Sprayway. I've got one I bought from TKMAX more than five year ago. It's still waterproof and keeps me warm in the very cold especially as it's a thin jacket that folds small.
I recently bought one of these, very light yet seems to tick all of your boxes. They’re not cheap but you can pick one up for around £120-£140, RRP is about £240.
Sport pursuit have just listed a load of berghaus paclite jackets, loads of sizes / choice of colours between 60 and 75 quid
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Keela here, if it's good enough for the Marines then definitely good enough for me.
Another vote for Keela worn them in some horrid weather both personal kit and issued SAR kit and never let me down, not the most breathable but using the pit zips helps
Any goretex jacket is going to be fine. I’d just buy one you like the look of. I managed to get a brand new Berghaus Ridgemaster for £38 the other week in a sale.
Army surplus could be a cheap way into some too for around £15-£30.
It's just a matter of time...
Did they have any in fattysize?
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
£50 over your original budget, and not the norm for a walking jacket, but I use a Race Face Agent jacket for mountain biking. One of the best waterproof I've owned. Light weight, very comfortable and excellent at keeping out the Lake District rain. Quite cool as well as has vents front and back. I've started using it as my go to wet weather jacket no matter what I'm doing. Also have a few North Face ones but these are only used when the climate gets colder.
Fat enough for my plus size ass :) XL
It's just a matter of time...
Where was that from if I may be so bold (the jacket, not the fat ass)
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
I have one of these.
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/berghau...jacket-p434921
It’s been really good and survived some proper skyfall in the Cotswolds when I was totally out in the open for a good couple of hours.
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TK Maxx of all places
It's just a matter of time...
Unlined waxed cotton.
I use my belstaff with just a polo shirt underneath (when I am not on the bike)
Job done
B
Bumping this thread as I'm in the market for a new waterproof coat too and there appear to be a lot of experts here.
Is Arcteryx worth the premium they charge? Is there that much difference between a €400 Arcteryx and a €120 Berghaus?
The jacket will be used a hell of a lot so I want it to be very high quality. I don't mind paying for this but at the same time I don't want to be paying a massive brand premium. I don't care about brand names, just want a quality product that will last.
I pass the Swazi outlet in Levin twice a week on my commute to and from welly. if anyone sees anything they want happy to help. The are pretty good and have now surpassed Swanndry since "china". I still use my old Paramo I brought with me, nikwax twice a year and its like new.
I'm not sure about the current Arcteryx stuff, but my ~10 year old Alpha SV has seen duty on 40+ hour rain and snow drenched hikes as well as climbs of Mt Fuji, Mt Asama, Mt Kinpu and many others. I have never cleaned it nor treated it but it is still waterproof and no damage nor wear is visible.
Mt Asama, a very active volcano, above 8000ft:
On this day it was so cold that my water and "freeze resistant" camera froze! (not my watch, though)
Some light climbing near Okutama:
Summit of Mt Fuji, above 12,000ft. Still smiling after a cold, rainy and snowy overnight climb:
Note the combination of cheap watch and expensive garments. This is the right way around for fairly serious use I think. Best not to spend 100s or 1000s on a watch then skimp a few quid on a jacket, as your life might depend on staying dry and thus warm.
If it's for general use though, I think the "SV" is overkill. It's a very solid weave, so it's less flexible (and noisier) than the lighter garments. But if you really will use the jacket a lot in demanding conditions, I think the price and other compromises are less of an issue. There's a bit more info on whether/why it is worth the price here: https://www.outsideonline.com/228608...ally-worth-750
Last edited by Tokyo Tokei; 20th August 2018 at 11:31.
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