Opinions on shell jackets?

Ken The best rain jackets I've ever found is Marmot and I highly
Ken recommend them.

Thanks for the tip, that seems to be the choice of the
audience.

Without this positive feedback I would have been hesitant to try one
of those, since they use their own breathable technology (some of
those just don't work, and it's difficult to know beforehand).

--
Jarmo Hurri

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Dave I have "several" rain jackets. You might want to check out
Dave Cabela's. Not the fly fishing catalog, but one that has to do
Dave with hunting.

Have you looked how many rain jackets they have in the hunting section
alone? Hmm, I guess the wife might appreciate their Scent-Lok
technology... But Cabelas is US only, right? I think I'm too scared
to order anything from the US to Canada, since it might (?) get stuck
at the customs.

Dave (but heck . . .I'm sure it doesn't get frosty where you are

Yeah, right...

Dave Don Stern of the Swedish clave says hi.

Hi Don!

--
Jarmo Hurri

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"Jarmo Hurri" wrote ...

Daniel-San First, there is no such thing a 'breathable' -- just
Daniel-San varying degrees of sauna-like Hell. ... This may be due to
Daniel-San the fact that I sweat like a whore in church, so YMMV....

My mileage is just the same, so I would tend to agree. However, if I
basically don't move, then a breathable garment might keep me dry.

Daniel-San Second, durability is important.

Agreed.

Daniel-San Specific brand experience...

Daniel-San I had a cheap Sierra Designs 'Backpacker' raincoat
Daniel-San ... Their rainwear sucks.

Ok...

Daniel-San Had a Frogg Toggs set ... More junk.

Ok...

Daniel-San Had a set of Red Ledge rainwear -- absolute
Daniel-San ****e. ... Quality control at the factory consists of a
Daniel-San drunk monkey. Burned this set in the camp fire.

Great...

Daniel-San Got the Precip set -- jacket and full-zip pants. So far,
Daniel-San happy with these.

Based on what you and others are saying, that seems to be a solid
option. They're not too expensive either.

Daniel-San While in Canada, look around for a Mountain Equipment
Daniel-San Co-Op Store. Outstanding reputation. I've never shopped
Daniel-San there, but some Canucks on a backpacking board I read rave
Daniel-San about it. www.mec.ca

Good idea. Their products do look impressive. Mountain Equipment Co-Op
would also be an easy option since they seem to have a store in
Vancouver, and Marmot seems to have dealers there so I can basically
decide when I see the products.

Thanks for your input, much appreciated.

--
Jarmo Hurri

I have no idea if Campmor will ship to Finland, but they have the Precip
jacket on sale for $79.99 -- a pretty good price. Sizes tend to run a little
large to allow for layering.

http://tinyurl.com/95s69

Dan

Bob I guess it depends on exactly how you plan to use it. I keep a
Bob Helly Hansen shell ... breathability is not that critical.

Hi Bob,

For me breathability is critical, if I for example happen to be
fishing in a mountain region. Also, extended periods of rain, even
without movement, tend to make one quite wet if the gear is not
breathable. (For short periods a non-breathable it's ok though.)

--
Jarmo Hurri

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Ken I've had good luck with the Marmot Precip. Only downside is that
Ken it provides very little warmth. For hiking it's ideal, but for
Ken fishing I usually wind up having to add another layer underneath
Ken unless it's really warm out.

I think that one of the things I learned with my current rain jacket
is that I want exactly what you have: a coat which protects from rain
but does not make me any warmer than necessary. That's because I sweat
a lot, and if it's cold I can always bring with me an extra layer.

I guess you're the 3rd or 4th person to recommend Marmot, so I can see
that they've achieved quite a reputation.

--
Jarmo Hurri

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Brian I ditto Dan & Ken's opinions on the Marmot Precip. I just used
Brian it last Thurs on the river. The only drawback for fishing
Brian purposes is, the lack on big pockets, and the length for deep
Brian wading.

Lack of pockets is ok, I already have too many pockets in my vest. :-)
But the length might be a problem. One of the good properties of my
current jacket is that it has a tightening strap at the level of my
waist (it was actually one of the reasons why I bought it in the first
place). What I do when I need to wade deeper is that I tighten the
waist, then tuck the lower parts of the jacket under the tightened
strap. Voila, a long jacket becomes a short one good for wading. The
pockets become unusable, but only while the jacket remains short.

Hmm, this is something I did not remember initially. I wonder if any
of the Marmots have this property.

--
Jarmo Hurri

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"Jarmo Hurri" wrote ...

Hmm, this is something I did not remember initially. I wonder if any
of the Marmots have this property.

--
Jarmo Hurri

The Precip has an elastic drawcord around the bottom -- easily cinches up.

Dan

The outfitter that Willi and Chas and I used in Alaska was very positive
about recommending the Cabela's Dry Plus line. He said they last a long
time and that they're "quiet," which is important for hunting, but not
for fishing.

BTW, the Patagonia wading jacket I was using in Alaska was evidently
worn out, because it didn't keep me dry after a few days of cold,
driving rain. I was miserable. The spare Marmot shell that Willi brought
along was a lifesaver.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

Jarmo Hurri wrote:
Ken The best rain jackets I've ever found is Marmot and I highly
Ken recommend them.

Thanks for the tip, that seems to be the choice of the
audience.

Without this positive feedback I would have been hesitant to try one
of those, since they use their own breathable technology (some of
those just don't work, and it's difficult to know beforehand).

It occurs to me that of all the things roff is good for,
(and some would maintain that roff is good for nothing ;-),
gear recommendations may be number-one. As a group we have
been ruthless with those who would commercialize this place
so everyone knows that the advice given here is honest and
unbiased.

When I meet roffians for the first time the most common
comment is not, as you would expect, "You're as big an asshole
in person as you are on roff", the comment I've received far
more than any other is "Thank you for recommending SmartWool
socks on roff. I bought a pair on your recommendation and I
can't begin to tell you how much I love those socks."

But I don't know, maybe folks are just being polite.

--
Ken Fortenberry

I just spent a weekend in a Browning "Gator Fleece"- seems pretty good at
stopping wind. This garment does not have pit vents. However, it is a
breathable fabric. It was about 20F with steady wind of 20 mph with frequent
35mph gusts. Body stayed warm while hiking and was still ok when we stopped
for lunch behind some poor windblasted tree alone on the ridge. Damn near
frostbit my face though. The fabric seemed to not build up a lot of
moisture, even after climbing through about 1000 ft or so of elevation gain
& it isn't too heavy for a single layer, and it keeps the wind out. I
haven't tried it in rain conditions yet. Browning recommends a gore-tex (or
other "breathable" waterproof outer) shell only if its really raining. I
think it only comes in camo- but I'm not sure about that. I did get pretty
chilled there for a while and I was having rude thoughts about the shell
when I figured out I had a couple of chest high pockets open- mesh pockets,
zipped them shut and stayed a nice comfortable temp.

I tend to think if the temps were 30f or above- it might be too much if your
going to be hiking- standing in the Clearwater steelheading in February
though might be fine- we'll see.