Spec me a waterproof jacket / coat

Soldato
Joined
3 Aug 2015
Posts
9,376
The weather is getting a bit better however, because I'm in Britbong Land it could rain at any time. I need a waterproof jacket I can stick in a bag for my commute (public transport and walking) in case it chucks it down. Are there any brands or models I should specifically be looking at? I'd ideally like it to have a longer length at the back so my derriere doesn't get soaked.

I liked the look of the Regatta Stormcloud jacket but a few reviews say it's not that waterproof / suitable only for light rain.

Any help appreciated.

Edit - forgot budget - ideally £100 - £200 but if it was truly fantastic I would consider slightly more. No Arc'Teryx then :p
 
Last edited:
I had a Tenson X-lite packable jacket in my work pack which was very honest in calling itself “water resistant“.

Always kept me dry when I needed it in the above ground part of my commute, but I could tell that it wouldn’t keep me dry if I was out in heavy rain for an hour.
 
You want a "hardshell" to be waterproof but they wont go that small if you want to stuff it in a rucksack or something

you could get a good "softshell" that's not fully waterproof , but will stand off most water
 
i bought one of these years ago

I've walked up mountains in this, been amazing, can pack into the hood too

 
Last edited:
To be actually waterproof rather than just showerproof, you want something with an absolute minimum of 10m hydrostatic pressure, although 15 is better. Ignore anything that boasts DWR.
Beyond that, it's purely down to the fit and extra features you prefer.

RAB and OEX are pretty reasonable brands with some 20m w/p garments for those who are slim and with longer limbs.
Other brands like Berghaus, Jack Pike, Fjallraven have offerings in more typical sizes.
 
Look at Skogstad they're not too expensive and are great, no one's ever heard of them over here.. example waterproof:

 
I picked up a Trespass one last week from a discount clothes shop, cost me a fiver and it rolls up into it's own nifty little bag. Just throw it in the bottom of my backpack and it's always there when I need it.
This is exactly what I do, a thin stormproof Tresspass (or maybe it's Regatta, one of the two anyway) jacket that I have rolled up in my work bag incase of an unexpected downpour. Cost about seven quid or something.

Bit like this:

I can't imagine spending £200 on a rain jacket to roll up in my bag for occasional use when stuff like this exists.
 
Last edited:
i swear by mountain equipment jackets

just looked on Cotswold outdoors

clicked waterproof jackets / Mountain equipment

£90 off :

mountain equipment do indeed make some great gear.


I've got the Garwhal jacket which is lovely and light.
 
Last edited:
i swear by mountain equipment jackets

just looked on Cotswold outdoors

clicked waterproof jackets / Mountain equipment

£90 off :

Mountain Equipment are by a long shot the best quality manufacturer of outdoor gear in the UK. Just better materials, better finishing, better quality control.

I've used a lot of different brands like Rab, Montane, Patagonia, etc. In proper mountain environments, ice climbing etc, and have given up with everything else, only buy Mountain Equipment now. Had some really shoddy kit that's just fallen apart from Rab and Montane in particular.

Magic Mountain have good discounts on samples etc, you may get lucky on sizing :

 
To be actually waterproof rather than just showerproof, you want something with an absolute minimum of 10m hydrostatic pressure, although 15 is better. Ignore anything that boasts DWR.
Beyond that, it's purely down to the fit and extra features you prefer.

RAB and OEX are pretty reasonable brands with some 20m w/p garments for those who are slim and with longer limbs.
Other brands like Berghaus, Jack Pike, Fjallraven have offerings in more typical sizes.

Thanks, there aren’t many places that list those specs unfortunately. It’s a bit of a pain. I think this is the area I’ll probably have to compromise on, realistically my walking legs of the journey are only 5-10 minutes at a time so could probably go for something “showerproof” rather than true waterproof.
 
I have a mountain equipment skardu

20D, 2.5 layer gtx. Which seems a good bet in the 100-150 pounds range.

3 layer is the next tier up, but it's heavier and more expensive.

From what I gather 3 layer is for if you expect to be in the lashing rain all day.

i3l6xur.jpg
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom