Waterproof jacket or raincoat needed

Dael_Pix

Dael_Pix

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I'm looking for a waterproof jacket or raincoat. Could do with being lightweight and will be for general usage and for walking. Will pay up to £50-£60.

Been on gooutdoors.co.uk and they look to have some decent ones, but unsure.
 
Have a look on the Tog 24 site and particularly the factory shop.
I notice you are in West Yorks, the factory shop is just outside Heckmondwike so if you are anywhere near its worth giving them a call and going over.
 
Just my opinion, but I would be (am) willing to spend a bit more for comfort.

I use a Barbour Ventile jacket. It keeps the wind out well and you don't get cold when it gets wet. As to waterproofing? It has none, no wax or anything else! The weave seems to tighten up when it gets wet - all I can say is that if you stand under your shower you will be nice and dry + they dry VERY quickly.

I am not certain that they are made anymore but search them out on the used market. I can't say how long they will last as I have only had mine for 20+ years.

Expensive - but much cheaper in the long run.
 
There are two schools of thought to this, one is spend as much as possible as scrimping isn’t worth it on something that can last years, the other is you can get a fully waterproof coat with good features for a much more sensible price.

I have two waterproofs (and a Barbour)! one is a cagoule which was £6 in Decathlon and I use quite a lot for city breaks, the other is something like £180 and has been trekking around the world with me. Both keep me dry, unbelievably for the price the cagoule has taped seams but the material doesn’t really breath so you can get quite sweaty but it packs down small and is handy to have on hand and it fits like a large sack which also has its uses. The expensive one (Kathmandu brand) has kept me dry in some insane conditions, trekked for miles and miles (inc Kilimanjaro and Vietnam), fits nicely, looks smart, is breathable and still looks almost new after 5 years.

If I had £60 to spend on a coat I’d hope I lived near Decathlon shop as their Quetcha brand of equipment is absolutely the best I have found in terms of value, with great features (taped seams are a must) for minimal cash. In fact I'm off to Patagonia this week and have just been to a Decathlon to stock up on some bits and pieces.

If I didn't then Go outdoors would do and I'd look at the Regatta brand which will do pretty much everything the more expensive brands will do - I'd avoid the fancier brands as you won't get as much for your money.

Edit: the other thing to say is that it is important to try things on as cut and sizing vary massively, as does people shape so buying online can be risky unless you have a fair amount of experience in these things.
 
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Can only speak from experience and Berghaus haven't let me down, ensure it says waterproof and breathable if that's what you want
So many say water resistant, showerproof etc, breathable is important too otherwise it will be like wearing a bin liner.

Good idea to get generous fitting sizewise so you can wear a layer or two underneath on the coldest days
Not so sure I would buy too cheaply, some are crazy expensive, but my usual approach is mid range for best of both worlds
 
Breathable is considered better but in really heavy rain you'll probably still get wet inside, the water on the outside of the jacket blocks the ability of it breathing. Over the years I've tried just about everything, if your active and sweat your most lightly going to get wet regardless.
Strangly the dirt cheap pvc jackets are often better that hugely expensive nylon in my experience. That said I use gortex these days.
 
troutfisher said:
Have a look on the Tog 24 site and particularly the factory shop.
I notice you are in West Yorks, the factory shop is just outside Heckmondwike so if you are anywhere near its worth giving them a call and going over.
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I had a look at the Tog24 website (not having heard of them before). Got to say that it reminds me of Sports Direct with loads of kit on sale at enormous "reductions". That always makes me think it is too good to true and there must be a catch. I'd be examining the quality very closely.
 
Alpkit make some good gear tad more than your budget or Paramo used form EBay but both very good. I have used Paramo for 10 years in some pretty harsh conditions in the UK it tends to be a Marmite product with climbers and hill walkers you either love it or hate it;)
 
I use golf waterproofs. They're lightweight, breathable and can cope with some serious weather. Nike, Adidas, Mizuno etc. all make good stuff but there is a British company, ProQuip, that makes some excellent waterproof gear at a good price. They supplied the USA Ryder Cup team at Celtic Manor when their kit failed miserably. Have a look on the Clubhouse Golf website for an idea of pricing.
 
I have a Regatta cagoule and it's getting me wet now, Think I've had it 20 years ish. So now looking for something to replace it. Ideally I would use it for general use as well as for walking. I do need another for fishing because it's too small, but that will only be a cheap one and I can get that in the local market. I have a wax jacket but it's heavy and again only used for fishing.

I was looking at Peter Storm Techlite II and Columbia Pouring Adventure. They seem to be within my price range. I don't want to spend too much on one.

I already have some waterproof trousers.
 
Dael_Pix said:
I have a Regatta cagoule and it's getting me wet now,

I was looking at Peter Storm Techlite II and Columbia Pouring Adventure.
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They're all most probably nylon or other plastic, and we might consider what happens when such items get to end-of-life. Predictably, there are rafts of plastic waste at sea now. Synthetic fibre products also release minute particles of un-biodegradable material during manufacture and use. Think of it on a world scale. Something to think about.

johnf3f said:
I use a Barbour Ventile jacket. It keeps the wind out well and you don't get cold when it gets wet. As to waterproofing? It has none, no wax or anything else! The weave seems to tighten up when it gets wet - all I can say is that if you stand under your shower you will be nice and dry + they dry VERY quickly.
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Yes, Ventile works by the cotton fibres swelling. You need two layers for complete waterproofing. The fabric is silent, which can be an advantage. Ventile garments are available.
 
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droj said:
Yes, Ventile works by the cotton fibres swelling. You need two layers for complete waterproofing. The fabric is silent, which can be an advantage. Ventile garments are available.
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Glad to hear they are still available, though I dread to think what they cost now!
No idea on the two layers, my coat appears to have only one layer. However It has kept the parts of me that it covers perfectly dry in the worst that the UK or France has to offer - the Rhone valley has some serious rainstorms! One that I got caught in ended up putting our campsite under 11 feet of water - the Ventile coat worked perfectly - pity I didn't have the leggings! Note I wasn't in the campsite when it flooded - fortunately I was on higher ground.
 
Try Mountain Warehouse, if you have a shop near you it's well worth a visit.
I've bought coats and waterproof leggings from there over the years and always found them good value for money and
totally waterproof
 
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I have a long Rab jacket, showeproof, very warm, very thin and lightweight. For truely heavy rain I have cheap over jacket and trousers in pouches in my backpack that were about £10 each from one of the outdoor shops. They fold up small, are nylon and rubber, keep the wind and rain out but are fairly low tech so you can get sweaty in them, but you won't beat them on price and performance in heavy rain. I walked down snowdon in my rab jacket and these when the weather suddenly turned for the worse.
 
davek said:
Try Keela. Excellent kit. Good price. Used by professionals.
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:plus1:

Had a Keela jacket for 10 years and with a NikWax TX10 wash every year still keeps me dry!

(My other jackets are Paramo, best I have ever used in 40+ years!)
 
As with anything, the quality (or lack of it) is often remembered long after the price has been forgotten. So perhaps have a think about putting a bit of Christmas money towards the budget and get something good that fits your requirements and will last? After all, there's not much fun in getting a jacket that doesn't fit well, rustles like a packet of crisps every time you move, and/or is cold and draughty but somehow still manages to 'sweat up' when you climb up a hill. :grumpy:

There's a nice selection of jackets on the Country Innovation website; from their top-of-the range, double-layer Ventile 'Rover' (Yes, I have seen the price, but how many of those would you need to buy to last an active outdoor lifetime?!) to the light-weight Falcon, etc. https://www.countryinnovation.com/clothing/jackets? There's some cheaper options on Page 2, but choice may be limited by stock/size availability.

I bought one of CI's 'Falcon' jackets around 8 years ago and love it, it's quite lightweight but still windproof, and the fabric doesn't rustle loudly like quite a few modern waterproof coats seem to do! The arms are a good length too, and there's room around the armpits, which is handy when putting a camera or binoculars up to the eyes. The hood is handy when you get caught in a downpour too. I've worn mine lots as my every-day 'work and play' outdoors coat from spring to autumn and it has lived on the back seat of my car for most of its life (unless it's got really wet and needed to be dried overnight indoors). I've found it's just the job for showery weather (which is what we seem to get most of rain-wise in Cheshire), and I can wear a fleece under it in early spring and autumn if the weather is cold, which extends its use.

It looks a bit faded now (from 8 years of wear and life on the back-seat wardrobe!) and there are one or two nicks and nibbles where it's got snagged on thorn bushes and barbed wire, so it's pretty much been relegated for use as 'old clothes' now, and I bought another Falcon jacket last year to wear for 'best'. There's still life in the old one yet, so it's place on the back seat is safe for a while longer! The only downside I've found with this jacket is that the soft, low-rustle fabric tends to snag on barbed wire, rose thorns, etc. (but most lighter-weight jackets tend not to like those!) so it's best to take care to avoid thorns and fencing wire. Hope this is useful to you (and others) and you find something to fit your requirements and budget. (y)
 
Thank you for all your comments.
I'm going to a shop tomorrow and see what I can find.

I won't be spending over £70 for one. I don't see the point of it.
 
Get an army surplus un-issued Gore-Tex jacket. Probably under £50 and nothing beats Gore-Tex for waterproofing while it works. A spreay is needed once in a while
 
If you want the budget end of the market then Trespass have a good range of waterproofs.

If you don't pay a lot for your kit, then you should be prepared to replace it regularly.
 
Brian G said:
If you want the budget end of the market then Trespass have a good range of waterproofs.

If you don't pay a lot for your kit, then you should be prepared to replace it regularly.
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Actually that's where I'm going today :)
 
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Brian G said:
If you don't pay a lot for your kit, then you should be prepared to replace it regularly.
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Yes, as the saying goes; you have to be a rich person to buy cheap tools! It's all about balancing the budget really, if it's for keeping the showers off when going shopping then something cheap will probably do the job. If you are out in all weathers for hours at a time, and some distance from a warmth and shelter, then I think it's sensible to invest in something that's up to the job, and unfortunately that usually costs significantly more. Having the right clothes can make the difference between having a goodish day and a really miserable one.
 
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Bought one at £47.99 (50% or more off in Sale)
 
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