High Sierra Topix

I'm looking for a new outershell and dont want something too heavy or too expensive. What is your preferred outershell. Rain/windproof is kind of what i'm after.

I bought a Marmot PreCip shell in Sept. Absolutely love it. http://www.rei.com/product/804391" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I use the lightest shell I have found with a hood for wind protection. It too is by Marmot but is not waterproof. For rain protection I use a poncho which has also served as a cover for cooking in inclement weather.

Mike

Carry a North Face DYAD - light, waterproof, and windproof...hood too.
No insulation, all taped seams...packs away to about the size of a baseball.

I hear good things about the marmot precip, price seems right too.

I have a Patagonia Jetstream (bought on sale) which was made of the same materials as their torrentshell, but has a couple more features. It continues to serve me well. not highly breathable, but is light, cuts wind, and is waterproof.

I keep seeing some of these lightweight rain jackets popping up on steapandcheap.com for deep discounts.

For late spring, summer, and early fall I too use a pancho for rain protection.

I use an Outdoor Research Foray Parka, So far so good, it has a cool zipper system that allows for poncho-like ventilation. I also have a Marmot Precip anorak that I was hugely dissappointed with. I got caght in a heavy squall hiking out of Cottonwwod basin that lasted about an hour and I was able to wring a good quart of water out of my shirt after. The Precip was not even close to waterproof, it was not the seams either - straight through the fabric. IMHO it is a windbreaker only.

rlown wrote:I bought a Marmot PreCip shell in Sept. Absolutely love it. http://www.rei.com/product/804391" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

+1 on the PreCip. Wife and I both have one and are very happy.

I bought my leaky Precip on sale at REI, so maybe it was an early version that has been improved. When manufacturers first came out with 1st generation Gore-tex jackets the Gore-tex had a problem with delaminating and leaking badly. At the store I worked at back then we had so many complaints about it we had a saying- "Gore-tex doesn't just breathe - it sucks".

I bought what was known as a "Bud Grant" goretex hunting jacket at Cabelas in '90. After 20 years, it's still my "go to" duck hunting jacket. Figure 60 hrs a year with half in full on rain, and only now starting to leak up near the shoulders. It's been washed once a year. It's a great jacket, other than being heavier than humanly possible to take backpacking.

PreCip appeared to have an improvement on the last model, so maybe, Brian, you were the "test batch". I prefer a rainproof shell, as i'm already layered up underneath with fleece, and I find it really, really difficult to fish in the rain in a poncho.

And yes, breathable doesn't necessarily mean breathable for any shell, regardless of the marketing hype. I always get condensation in whatever i'm wearing when i'm hiking.