Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Marmot precip

If you want the best in rain/wind protection, I'd put my money on Patagonia's Rain Shadow Jacket. $149. Lifetime guarantee. Excellent pit zips. Hood contours to the face as you adjust it. No loss of side vision, etc. 13 ozs. Tough. Like mine better than the Ether Jacket I have. More trim, better hood design and lighter. Far cheaper to buy.
Matching pants avaliable. I just wear heavy wool pants for rain with gaitors on my lower legs and skip using the pants. I do use Ether Pants for snowshoeing, but anything like that is way too noisy for hunting. E

E, patagonia makes agreements with fabric vendors to describe the fabrics it uses to give a more "proprietary" impression.

Synchilla = Polartec.

I wonder whether the fabric they're using in the Rainshadow isn't Goretex Paclite, same used in my Marmot Minimalist jacket...?

After having owned so many different types of rain gear over the years including all the stuff I still have and never use, I am down to 2 types of raingear. Helly Hansen Impertech and Marmot Pre-cip. Those two cover me for everything. When weight is no issue I wear Helly, if its getting stuffed in my pack its Precip. The only big difference between us up here and you guys down there is that we dont hunt in the snow much. Our seasons end right as winter approaches (mid to late Sep) so the need for shells to repel snow instead of water are not really an issue.And if it does snow during those seasons its not much that cant be dealt with with good raingear and synthetic clothing. Its either raining or its not and being dry is something I like a lot!

I'm with ya,

If the rain sets in to hard it'll be time for my go-lite poncho/tarp. I keep the poncho in my pack for many reasons. I can also set it up to help keep me dry while glassin in crap weather. I can glass many basins looking for the right buck and then make a plan. Also part of my E/kit.

Another good reason for treking poles!!

I love this thing!
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/tentdetail.cfm?PRODUCTS__ProductID=GO3070

The fabrics used in the Rain Shadow is not Paclite Gore-Tex. That's what my Ether Jacket has. Not the same. The Ether Jacket is a much heavier design, running about 19 ozs., with multiple layers, etc.
The Rain shadow uses a basic fabric with a DRW coating to make it waterproof.
I've never fooled with the Synchilla because it doesn't breath. But I have used lots of their Regulator Fleece. That is not in any way the same as Polartec. E

Also give a look to the REI Ultra Light series of rainwear. I've been VERY happy with mine...

Gents,
I have enjoyed the event rain jacket from ID. It breathes like no other. I don't like their pants, because they don't have side zips, which allow you to put them over boots. I'm trying out the Arcteryx Alpha LT pants this year, which do have that feature. As far as noise goes, when I have raingear on, the rivers are raging, the heaven are growling, and the rain is pouring; a little swishing doesn't seem to be important.
Don

Once again, I recomend trying E-vent jackets, for those of you that are not satisfied with your water-proof garments being breathable enough.I have tried many different waterproof/breathable fabrics, and so far I'd have to say E-vent is the best, as far as breathablity goes, and still remains just as waterproof as any other water-proof jacket. I have not tried the new Goretex Proshell fabrics to compare, but I have tried every other type of Goretex, and several other manufacturers proprietary waterproof/breathable fabrics. I have noticed it is somewhat harder to find a jacket made of E-vent in the US/Can, but ID offers a few different designs, and it seems E-vent is very popular with alot of European Designers, such as Rab and Montane. I dont know why E-vent is not as common over here, might have something to do with the fact Goretex seems to have a strangle hold on the market here, I have a feeling the reason why most Goretex jackets are so expensive is because your paying for the name. Although the newer Goretex fabrics seem to work great, I'm not saying they dont.

nowherebound, looks like we were thinking the same thing at about the same time! I bought a Proshell Gortex jacket this year for testing. It's thicker than the event from ID, maybe noisier.
Don

I have Precip and Rainshadow. Haven't hunted in the Rainshadow yet but have in the Precip, didnt have any problem staying dry and regulating sweat during a couple sheep hunts. I like it a bunch.

I did test the Rainshadow in SE this Spring while steelhead fishing in as hard a rain as i've seen and was very impressed just haven't stomped around in it yet. Doubt I would be disappointed though.

docdb- Did you notice any increased breathability with the Proshell, compared with the Goretex XCR? From what I've read the Proshell is supposed to be more breathable, lighter and quiter than previous Goretex fabrics. I was planning on getting a Proshell jacket if the E-vent didnt work out, but I think I'm sticking with the ID E-vent Thru-Hiker I got, I'm really happy with it. Besides, I got to many other things on my shopping list.

That Thru-Hiker is lighter and quieter than the Arcteryx I just got.....the jury is out. If you have the ID, I think you are covered.
Don