Rain jacket

[Rydeen]

I wanted to ask the community for advice on a watertight, lightweight rain jacket...that will provide acceptable mobility in the game.
The ones I have and have tried do not convince me. Either they weigh too much and make you slow in the arms (but keep you dry) or you get pretty wet as they are lightweight and have little protection against water on a round day.
I guess it's the million buck question for everyone on rainy days, but maybe someone has found a suitable brand or model.
Thanks in advance.

 

[elmexdela]

poncho

 

[ru4por]

I have a Marmot. Light weight, a waist and bottom cinch strings, velcro wrists, adjustable hood [good for using with different hats], armpit zips for summer, waterproof pocket, packs down to a small size. I bought a bigger size, to help get over winter layers. I have had great luck with this brand, for both hiking and disc golfing. They are a bit pricey....NO BAD WEATHER, JUST BAD GEAR.

This is not the jacket I have, but it is similair.

https://www.rei.com/product/221892/marmot-precip-eco-pro-jacket-mens?color=FOLIAGE

 

[reezyF]

The lightheartgear rain jackets are popular among the ultralight hiking community and only 120$-ish. I used one for a month-long thru-hike with lots o' rain and was very happy with it.

+super lightweight
+not too tight
+affordable
-seems are not sealed
-non-goretex so may soak thru after a while

Rain Jackets Discounted

These Jackets do not have waterproof zippers, most are seam taped, but not all. All Moroccan Blue jackets are fully seam taped. See the review of the jacket on Section Hiker.com A full function lightweight rain jacket. Fabrics: 20D ripstop polyester, silicone coated on outside, PU coated on...

lightheartgear.com

 

[jupiterboy]

I've had one of these for a while:

Marmot Precip (Can't link it for some reason)

It is very minimal—no chest/slash pockets. Super light weight. Non of the waterproof breathable coatings last much beyond five years. My jacket is about that old and the waterproof lining is starting to crack and flake. That's why you don't pay big bucks for them.

You need to be able to adjust the hood and snug it down, and you need to be able to get the sleeve openings pretty tight.

I've been through a bunch of jackets backpacking, and it's great to have some minimal options that are also less expensive. You can Nikwax wash these and add water repellency, but cheap and cheerful is the way to go IMO.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Love my rain jacket.
It's made by Bogey doesn't play in the rain. Works great!

I'll play in snow, sub-freezing temps, strong wind, sweltering heat, and even push the limits of daylight.

But much more than a drizzle, and my discs stay in the bag.

During road trips, I've played a few courses in the rain, when I figured there's not much of a chance to ever play it again. In those cases, I do my best to stay dry, and just change everything I'm wearing after the round.

But if you really want to stay dry in the rain, invest in a high quality rain jacket made for hiking, with vented armpits for breathability, a hood that has a reasonably stiff brim to help channel water away from your face, and durable material that has a decent chance of holding up against twigs and some thorns. I've see thorns rip right through Frogg Toggs.

You get what you pay for.

 

[jupiterboy]

I felt kinda goofy buying a small umbrella recently, but then I was in a tournament that was steady rain all day long. Definitely needed my jacket and the umbrella, and about 20 more towels than I had.

 

[BillFleming]

One thing I suggest (and practice myself) is to do field work and some course work using whatever gear you would use for inclement weather before you have to play in that weather. I have Friction Gloves and I did some fieldwork with them and even played a round. I found that I tended to grip the discs much harder than without them and found I couldn't use my smartphone with the gloves on. I've also played with a windbreaker on to see how it would affect my game.....then when I had to play in some bad weather, I already knew what to expect.

 

[uncle pennybags]

I have an Outdoor Research Helium jacket that's not too bad. It's light and packs into it's own pocket. The main bad is that it's single layer so in hot & humid rainy conditions it tends to stick to my skin some.

 

[Nick Pacific]

I have a Marmot. Light weight, a waist and bottom cinch strings, velcro wrists, adjustable hood [good for using with different hats], armpit zips for summer, waterproof pocket, packs down to a small size. I bought a bigger size, to help get over winter layers. I have had great luck with this brand, for both hiking and disc golfing. They are a bit pricey....NO BAD WEATHER, JUST BAD GEAR.

This is not the jacket I have, but it is similair.

https://www.rei.com/product/221892/marmot-precip-eco-pro-jacket-mens?color=FOLIAGE

Yep, echo what you said. I have 2 raincoats, both Columbia, one is really thin and lightweight and is my summer gear and the other is slightly thicker and used for colder weather.

Cannot stress it enough to get one that is a size too big so you have room to swing your arms in and move about, or wear a hoodie on underneath it when it's cold out. Probably most important feature you want to look for.

Practice in it a lot, wear it around a bunch even off course when you first get it to break it in and get used to wearing it.

 

[Nick Pacific]

I've had one of these for a while:

It is very minimal—no chest/slash pockets. Super light weight. Non of the waterproof breathable coatings last much beyond five years. My jacket is about that old and the waterproof lining is starting to crack and flake. That's why you don't pay big bucks for them

For me I am not concerned about waterproofing at all. I think people (and calling out OP because he mentioned this) need to get the idea that everything needs to be ultra waterproof or else I'll melt into a puddle like a witch idea and thoughts out of your head. When it's raining, you're going to get wet, that's not the problem. The problem is staying warm first and foremost, and a lightweight raincoat will do that. Secondly the entire idea of a raincoat isn't to keep you dry - it's a layer to keep you warm and the reason why they're made with the materials they are made with is because they will dry faster than cotton.

So I'd say just get used to the idea of getting wet and not worrying about it, and it takes some experience doing this but once you cross that bridge it's a good level up to have. The most important thing is to stay warm, because even on a warm 75 degree day if a cold front moves in and starts dumping rain the temps may drop 20 degrees in the span of minutes, and moisture can wick heat away from you (that's literally why you sweat). So keep that in mind. A wet hoodie or anything of that matter is useless and a heavy hindrance once it gets soaked. A good raincoat is not.

As an experienced backpacker like yourself I know you know all of this, but it's worth reiterating for those who are new to this and disc golfing is what's bringing them outside and they weren't much of an outdoors person prior. That's most people, and most new disc golfers have little to no experience dealing with the outside elements.

 

[jupiterboy]

For me I am not concerned about waterproofing at all. I think people (and calling out OP because he mentioned this) need to get the idea that everything needs to be ultra waterproof or else I'll melt into a puddle like a witch idea and thoughts out of your head. When it's raining, you're going to get wet, that's not the problem. The problem is staying warm first and foremost, and a lightweight raincoat will do that. Secondly the entire idea of a raincoat isn't to keep you dry - it's a layer to keep you warm and the reason why they're made with the materials they are made with is because they will dry faster than cotton.

So I'd say just get used to the idea of getting wet and not worrying about it, and it takes some experience doing this but once you cross that bridge it's a good level up to have. The most important thing is to stay warm, because even on a warm 75 degree day if a cold front moves in and starts dumping rain the temps may drop 20 degrees in the span of minutes, and moisture can wick heat away from you (that's literally why you sweat). So keep that in mind. A wet hoodie or anything of that matter is useless and a heavy hindrance once it gets soaked. A good raincoat is not.

As an experienced backpacker like yourself I know you know all of this, but it's worth reiterating for those who are new to this and disc golfing is what's bringing them outside and they weren't much of an outdoors person prior. That's most people, and most new disc golfers have little to no experience dealing with the outside elements.

Yeah. The earliest Gortex jackets were expensive, and just like the cheap vapor barrier options, whatever you had underneath would get soaked from perspiration. There's also that equilibrium point where the air is humid enough that anything "breathable" stops breathing.

Wool over a light wicking layer is still gold, IMO. But to your point, a thin shell will cut the wind, which is the thing that will wear you down faster than any wet. Now you can get a minimal breathable shell that doesn't have a bunch of pockets and zippers, but good venting and an adjustable hood for $70 US or so, maybe $40 on sale.

It's very dramatic, but backpackers have forever said "cotton kills", which sounds funny until you are three days from your car, lost in a downpour above treeline, and slipping into a hypothermic spiral.

 

[mostlynorwegian]

If you haven't treated whatever you decide on. Having your outer layer be wind-proof will be your actual savior.
Once that wind gets in you. Good-bye.

 

[ru4por]

If you haven't treated whatever you decide on. Having your outer layer be wind-proof will be your actual savior.
Once that wind gets in you. Good-bye.

A couple points in this thread bear repeating, IMO.

Rain gear is kind of seasonal, to me. If it is 80+ degrees, rain gear fails to make much sense to me. I will make efforts to keep my stuff dry, but rain gear, regardless of kind or quality, becomes pointless. I believe you are then choosing to be wet with sweat or wet with rain. Without the fear of cold, I choose rain.

Wind is indeed a consideration, especially when combined with cold. A lot of quality rain gear offer very good wind protection. While shopping for a jacket, the ability to act as a wind stop, should be looked at.