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Waterproof Running Jacket (trail / ultra?) advice

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Kieren Oct 2020 5:23pm, 9 Oct 2020 4,015 posts	Quote Pin Kieren Normally when running in the rain, I just get wet and am fine with that when finishing at home / somewhere warm & dry. I don't own a car anymore but want to commute a little add some variety to weekend runs, possibly by train or hire bike. With this in mind, I figure a waterproof jacket would be a good investment & perhaps a running backpack. There must be a few trail/ultra runners here that have this as mandatory kit. I was wondering if you can share your wisdom? I expect my runs will be easy to marathon pace at most. I know waterproofness is measured in hydrostatic head and have a decathlon cycling jacket at 20,000 which has done OK in heavy downpours. I have no idea is 5000, or 10,000 are suitable? Budget is around £120. I have looked at the Adidas Terrex Agravic which is a 2.5 layer so might not last too long? I can't find waterproof or breathability ratings for that. I've looked at Welsh brand, Alpkit which is over budget but is a 3 layer and seems well regarded. There are also wildcards popping up with end of season sales / reductions but I think I need refine what I'm looking for to be able to sort out any shortlist. Any wisdom welcome.
Homer Oct 2020 6:23pm, 9 Oct 2020 13,786 posts	Quote Pin Homer Alpkit are good, they seem to do regular sales so keep any eye on it. I'm a big fan of the Inov8 jackets for actually running in during the pouring rain. They do a range from really thin to full. Not cheap.
BexleyKev Oct 2020 6:40pm, 9 Oct 2020 752 posts	Quote Pin BexleyKev I have OMM, Inov8 and Montane jackets - none of which live up to the promise of a dry run so would be keen to know if and when you find one that does.
Fragile Do Not Bend Oct 2020 9:42pm, 9 Oct 2020 6,942 posts	Quote Pin Fragile Do Not Bend I have an Invo8 jacket that I bought because I needed a good one in a hurry and that was the only good one the shop sold. I’ve worn it for 2 wet races that took me over 5 hours each and it’s held up well so far.
Kieren Oct 2020 2:32pm, 11 Oct 2020 4,016 posts	Quote Pin Kieren So I don't have an answer yet but have learnt a few things, so will dump my notes here rather than in a private note book: There are 3 main types of waterproof: ref: alpkit.com 2, 2.5, 3 layer. The later is the most durable and often lightest. Typically the waterproof layer is a membrane full of micro-holes that keep water out but allow sweat to evaporate through. Gore-Tex is the most well known of these membranes but there are others like e-vent, pertex, H2No, etc ref: norwaygeographical.com The outer later will typically be a durable layer treated with a water-resistant coating like DWR. This is needed, if the outer layer wets-out, then the membrane can't breath and you boil in the bag. -------- Of all the membranes, gore-tex does seem to be most waterproof and offer best breathability but is not as flexible / conformable as alternatives like pertex which reviewers seem to favour. Alpkit's jackets are very breathable in comparison to other membranes but they don't mention what membrane they use. They say there are comparable to big names without the licensing costs. -------------- Based on that I am leaning towards a 3 layer. I am also leaning towards alpkit who seem big on value and rerun rerunclothing.org recently noted that it's rare to see used alpkit kit, so owners seem to hang on to the kit which is a good sign. I have discounted adidas terrex - I don't like the huge branding on the back and it's a 2.5 layer. I want something that is packable but might compromise on that. I also want something that will stand the test of time and crossover use - so I can use for (easy) hikes and will tolerate a backpack. 3 layer makes sense for this an a simple colour / pattern that wont date too much. Innov-8 have a pertex jacket almost 1/2 price on sportsshoes.com that ticks a lot of boxes but one review on the zip design put me off as well as only being available in black. I'd prefer something a bit more visible
Kieren Oct 2020 3:20pm, 11 Oct 2020 4,017 posts	Quote Pin Kieren This video is a guide to Alpkit kit but in my opinion explains key concepts on durability, waterproofing, and breathability. Alpkit tend to be 20,000 HH and 30,000 MVTR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJYd5r6sT7Q ------------------------ Salomon also provide the following guidance as a comparison. ref: salomon.com Quote: The Schmerber scale measures how waterproof a membrane is, and we consider a result of 10,000mm or higher to be waterproof. The breathability of a fabric is measured in MVTR (Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate). We consider membranes with readings starting at 10,000 MVTR to be sufficiently breathable for running. ------------------------ Fabric stretch is perhaps another thing to consider for active use.
chunkywizard Oct 2020 5:39pm, 11 Oct 2020 10,215 posts	Quote Pin chunkywizard Thanks for the info. Let us know what you end up getting.
K5 Gus Oct 2020 6:08pm, 11 Oct 2020 4,067 posts	Quote Pin K5 Gus I think you'll struggle to get 3 layer gore-tex new for £120, so will either need to go 2nd hand ( which for some kit is ok, but wouldn't be so keen for a WP jacket ) or keep an eye on sales. Shops are always putting last year's colour on sale, and remember it's Amazon Prime this coming week, plus keep an eye on SportPursuit, etc If the Inov8 one you saw on Sportsshoes is the Protec Shell, then I've got that one, and the offset zip is a very, very slight annoyance, but after a few mins wearing it you don't notice it. I use that as my "serious" jackets for up a hill in bad weather, got a lightweight Goretex "ShakeDry" technology one for carrying around in a race-vest on runs. Let us know size and can post up anything that I spot
K5 Gus Oct 2020 6:11pm, 11 Oct 2020 4,068 posts	Quote Pin K5 Gus Meant to say the Alpkit Balance, currently reduced to £140, is a very good deal if they have a colour you like
Fragile Do Not Bend Oct 2020 6:12pm, 11 Oct 2020 6,952 posts	Quote Pin Fragile Do Not Bend Interesting info. I’m glad I kept the swing tag from my Inov8 jacket - it’s a Pertex 2.5 layer. The zip is a bit stiff but works fine and very annoyingly it’s black - I’d have preferred a more visible one too but that was my fault for leaving my purchase too late to have a choice.