Rain Pants?

I grew up in Oregon and ponchos wouldn't do much :), and they aren't very durable. I bought a pair of Arcteryx Beta AR pants and they are phenomenal. Of course that is overkill for most anything, but they did the trick.

Breathability is a huge deal, because most rain jackets don't breathe that well. That is why you will feel damp after a while - condensation from your heat that cannot escape. Most people don't need a $500 rain jacket or $400 pants, but you can get good ones for a bit cheaper. You will just sacrifice build quality and breathability.

I can attest that my Goretex Pro shell and pants are worth their weight in gold, especially when you are out in the middle of the wilderness in a rain storm!

REI makes some solid rain gear that uses eVent membrane for maybe $149 for pants and jacket is about the same. Plus the Anniversary Sale starts on Friday and there will be a 20% coupon. :)
 
Dustin Gent said:
I grew up in Oregon and ponchos wouldn't do much :), and they aren't very durable. I bought a pair of Arcteryx Beta AR pants and they are phenomenal. Of course that is overkill for most anything, but they did the trick.

Breathability is a huge deal, because most rain jackets don't breathe that well. That is why you will feel damp after a while - condensation from your heat that cannot escape. Most people don't need a $500 rain jacket or $400 pants, but you can get good ones for a bit cheaper. You will just sacrifice build quality and breathability.

I can attest that my Goretex Pro shell and pants are worth their weight in gold, especially when you are out in the middle of the wilderness in a rain storm!

REI makes some solid rain gear that uses eVent membrane for maybe $149 for pants and jacket is about the same. Plus the Anniversary Sale starts on Friday and there will be a 20% coupon. :)
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I agree that GTX Pro is the best stuff on the market. It can go anywhere and do pretty much anything. However, unless you are mountaineering it is, well, overkill. REI brand rain gear is much more cost effective as is the Precip line. I personally like GTX Active and Paclite for backcountry 3 season use because of the lighter weight. However, an XL GTX Paclite is a solid 1 Lb and realitivly heavy compared to a basic rain jacket or pants. Not to mention $100s of dollars more expensive (jacket in pic is GTX Paclite).

In a nutshell there are many options. There just seems to be an emotional attachment to a piece of gear that keeps you warm and dry in a bad storm.
 
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Anyone using OR's Helium II jacket or OR's Helium pants? After getting soaked last summer in the Beartooth's and again today, looking for new rain gear. The OR's are light, have good reviews on REI's site, and are reasonably priced.
 
John Goering said:
Anyone using OR's Helium II jacket or OR's Helium pants? After getting soaked last summer in the Beartooth's and again today, looking for new rain gear. The OR's are light, have good reviews on REI's site, and are reasonably priced.
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Good question. You should pull the trigger and write s review. I have wondered the same thing. They are super light but I'm not sure how durable or how long they keep water out.
 
I am another one that uses the Marmot Precip stuff. If I am hiking in rain it is usually going to be under 55 degrees and I don't sweat as much at those temps. When I was hiking in Hawaii and it was 80 degrees I just stuck with shorts. I think I would have been miserable in the rain gear at that temp. I will often skip the rain pants unless it is a real downpour or I am off trail and getting soaked due to the moisture from the plants.
 
pstm13 said:
Good question. You should pull the trigger and write s review. I have wondered the same thing. They are super light but I'm not sure how durable or how long they keep water out.
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I did pull the trigger. So far, tested twice on day hikes but my experience with rain gear in general is most of it works reasonably well-for some undetermined but most definitely finite period of time. I will write a review but would like at least one backpack trip with it before doing so. I will say the advertised weight was right on the money. 5.4 oz for medium pants, 6.4 oz for a large jacket. I usually wear a medium jacket but with more than just minimal layering, that was a bit snug. Yea REI's 20% off coupons.
 
While I'm still trying to figure out a solution for rain pants, I did upgrade my rain jacket from a Marmot Precip to an REI Rhyolite that I got to test out this weekend, and so far it's a big improvement. It kept me dry in a few heavy downpours, worked well as a windbreaker and kept me cool and ventilated while hiking. I'm pretty happy with it so far.

https://www.rei.com/product/893177/rei-rhyolite-rain-jacket-mens

I see they make matching rain pants from the same material....even though they only come in a 32" inseam...I might try them and see if they will be long enough.
 
I picked up the same jacket on sale this spring. Pretty happy with it so far as well.
 
IntrepidXJ said:
While I'm still trying to figure out a solution for rain pants, I did upgrade my rain jacket from a Marmot Precip to an REI Rhyolite that I got to test out this weekend, and so far it's a big improvement. It kept me dry in a few heavy downpours, worked well as a windbreaker and kept me cool and ventilated while hiking. I'm pretty happy with it so far.

https://www.rei.com/product/893177/rei-rhyolite-rain-jacket-mens

I see they make matching rain pants from the same material....even though they only come in a 32" inseam...I might try them and see if they will be long enough.
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Event fabric is really something. Yours says it is made with eVent® DValpine. I'm not sure what the difference might be but I have used a rain jacket made with Event fabric that I got 10 years ago in 2006 and it is soooo breathable that I can feel the cold wind coming through it but it keeps me bone dry inside during a prolonged and very hard rain. Rain pants from the same material ought to be downright awesome.
 
I was going back and forth between GoreTex and EVent and ended up choosing EVent because of the better breathe-ability.

Wyatt Carson said:
Event fabric is really something. Yours says it is made with eVent® DValpine. I'm not sure what the difference might be but I have used a rain jacket made with Event fabric that I got 10 years ago in 2006 and it is soooo breathable that I can feel the cold wind coming through it but it keeps me bone dry inside during a prolonged and very hard rain. Rain pants from the same material ought to be downright awesome.
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IntrepidXJ said:
I was going back and forth between GoreTex and EVent and ended up choosing EVent because of the better breathe-ability.
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The Rhyolite looks like a great jacket. I had a Westcomb eVent shell a couple years ago. Breathed better than goretex, for sure, and the DWR treatment was amazing -- a couple shakes and the jacket was dry. However, it didn't breathe well enough that I could get used to no pit zips, particularly in windbreaker duty (I'm a warm-blooded clydesdale), so it had to go back. Great fabric, but I just wish they would make an eVent jacket with pit zips.

Re: pants, I've got a pair of Patagonia H2No pants that I picked up at the outlet in SLC for about $40 a couple years ago. I'm not even sure what the model is, but they probably weigh 12 oz. But they have held up to some seriously soggy bushwacks and mountain bike rides in Western Oregon. There is hiking in a bit of warm rain wet (not a big deal), and then there is hiking through wet brush wet in chilly temps wet, in which conditions good rain pants are really a requirement.
 
IntrepidXJ said:
I see they make matching rain pants from the same material....even though they only come in a 32" inseam...I might try them and see if they will be long enough.
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They were on sale, so I pulled the trigger on the rain pants and am happy to report that the 32" length is plenty long for me, which is surprising...but I'm not complaining :)
 
In the Rockies in Summer, rain pants and jacket. Wet grass, wet legs all the time. My 9 year old Sierra Designs pants were okay but the crotch busted out. Make sure they fit right and that they are not too loose. I have new ones from SD, Hurricane pants (with the the belt). I have to say they do not look like they will take much rough use but for backpacking I swear by them. Poncho for day hikes or assured dry backpacking.
 
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