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Sep 2020
11:11am, 30 Sep 2020
12,138 posts
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larkim
My better half is in the market for a waterproof jacket which might be used for some running, but also most likely for long wet walks.
She's thoroughly confused - basically from about £20 to £400 you can get things which describe themselves as being "100% waterproof", but from experience every price bracket seems to contain products which have a declining pattern of waterproofedness (is that a word?).
Clearly at the really cheap end of the market, rubberised ones are waterproof but uncomfortable, but once we're into the £30-£40 they appear to be advertising good breathability, "guaranteed" waterproofing etc and a range of weights.
Is there such thing as a "buy for life" wateproof that will keep all but a monsoon out and doesn't require a second mortage?
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Sep 2020
11:20am, 30 Sep 2020
11,752 posts
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rf_fozzy
I remember el Bee saying something to me about breathability and waterproofs in the UK.
I've got an OMM smock (in fact my 2nd) and I've used that as a lightweight running and walking jacket and the only reason I bought a 2nd was that the lining in the sleeves around the wrists where I've sweated on it and stretched it (I think perhaps it was cycling in it with my thumbs through the thumb loops that did it) has started to come away - I still wear it, but do end up with little white bits around my wrists. But I digress...
I think the OMM smock is around £160, and it's more than adequate for most of the stuff that the UK weather can throw, but not totally sure I'd want to wear it for walking in *really* nasty winter weather - fine for running (due to the excess body heat), but for walking I'd want something just a little thicker.
I always think it kind of depends on what *exactly* you want to do in it. If you're going to be doing stuff in the high hills in midwinter whatever the weather, then you probably want to spend more than if you're only out in good weather and through the warmer months.
This is probably totally unhelpful...
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Sep 2020
11:21am, 30 Sep 2020
28,383 posts
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Wriggling Snake
I bought a Jack Wolfskin, a bit of a punt, £300 in a sale, 10 years ago, it is still going strong, that trip was 2009. By comparison, Jack Wolfskin, much more lightweight £100 or thereabouts, just about had it's day...3 years old.
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Sep 2020
11:22am, 30 Sep 2020
28,384 posts
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Wriggling Snake
oh yes, Hiking only for me, I have other stuff fr bike/running.
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Sep 2020
11:29am, 30 Sep 2020
12,140 posts
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larkim
I should add that my wife's concept of long life products are ones that she can still be expecting to wear in about 15 years time and still perform, yet be priced such that they appear to be a bargain in todays money.
She's a difficult customer when it comes to this sort of thing!!
Thanks for the pointers so far.
I think the main use-case will be every day wearing (when it rains) but also something that if we were heading out for a days walking in the Welsh hills in Sept / Oct that it would keep you bone dry on the inside.
Running and keeping dry is an optional extra as she rarely runs for that long in the rain (no more than 1.5 hours).
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Sep 2020
11:36am, 30 Sep 2020
19,832 posts
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DeeGee
I've yet to find the sweet-spot between running and walking use. Running in a jacket that's well waterproof seems to sacrifice breathability.
I have an OMM for running, and a Rab for everyday wear. The Rab's got pit-zips and everything. I had a go at running home from work in it once. Never again! Might as well have not bothered.
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Sep 2020
4:37pm, 30 Sep 2020
13,778 posts
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Homer
Lightweight and long-lasting won't happen. If you want something that is going to last then you need to be wary of the light stuff, but then the lightweight tends to be expensive anyway.
The slightly more old-fasioned-ish waterproof jackets that have a mesh liner to prevent the interior wearing, which is often where they give up.
Any jacket you buy will need re-proofed every now and again but that's easy with grangers wash and repel
I'd go for a mid-brand like Berghaus where you will get a good product but without the silly money.
For less cash, Decathon is the way to go...nip along and have a look. There is a reason that Quencha jackets are popular all through the Alps.
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Sep 2020
4:38pm, 30 Sep 2020
13,779 posts
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Homer
Stuff marketed at DofE-ers is usually built to last teenage mis-use but be good enough. You get lots of Craghoppers stuff in that category, which is good value for lasting
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Sep 2020
4:42pm, 30 Sep 2020
13,780 posts
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Homer
And stay away from anything that says something like 2.5 layer. These are brill but will simply not last
(as a scout leader I get this question a LOT and the Decathlon stuff usually wins. they will never win the breathability tests but they are waterproof and will last if re-proofed every now and again - and use the tumble dryer)
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Sep 2020
4:48pm, 30 Sep 2020
12,157 posts
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larkim
Fab, thanks Homer. I suspect that it's the re-proofing that we don't do enough of.
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Waterproof jackets are a con
Sep 2024