Breathable rain jacket

Posted by: craw

Posted by: rnayel

waterproof (resistant) vests:

https://www.cascadewear.com/Vest-NOPI-Gore-Tex

https://www.hellyhansen.com/en_ca/crew-vest-30270?color=291445

https://www.stormlinegear.com/product/stormtex-985g-waterproof-farming-vest/

https://www.pactimo.com/products/torrent-stretch-waterproof-cycling-vest-mens

That Helly Hansen one looks like a winner! The great thing about riding vests is that if they're a little short in the body it really doesn't matter :)

The rain jacket I have is Helly Hansen, according to their breathability scale my rain jacket is better than the vest! Obviously it would be cooler being a vest, I'm if it would be better though?

Andrew's waterproof-vest-over-hoodie and Vik's softshell would be way to warm for me.

My riding kit doesn't vary much throughout the year, always shorts, always the same socks and shoes and summer gloves, I just vary short or long sleeves for my base layer and jersey and add a light windbreaker.

I rarely ride in very cold (below zero) temps or heavy downpours, in those cases I improvise with extra layers and/or a waterproof jacket. It's simply not worth it for me to invest in expensive gear for those circumstances as I wouldn't use it enough and in case of waterproof clothing, I'd sweat so much I'd still get soaked. The expensive goretex shells I have are nice but I'd probably never buy them at retail price, we got them for free or heavily discounted when my partner worked for the brand. As a human furnace my experience is that I simply overwhelm goretex membranes, making them more or less as effective as the 30 euros Decathlon rain jacket I used in my twenties.

One thing I'll add is as I improved my fitness, especially my core and legs strength, I started sweating less on climbs. Something to think about.

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: Ouch

I have a wool allergy (even merino), so that's not an option. Even at 0°C, within 10-15 minutes of climbing in a thin Tshirt I'm sweating. The current jacket I have is very light weight, breathability is supposed be good (with pit zips). I don't NEED any warmth, just something to keep me dryer. Maybe with my furnace body, there's nothing out there? Guess I could experiment with a vest.

I run hot as well. The weatherproof vest was experience changing for me. I just hack up my last jacket so they’re never as waterproof as a new one would be. But good enough - it has no sleeves.

Even in a deluge I’ll wear it over my hoody and ride. Can’t remember the last time I mountain biked in jacket. Though I do have a nice 7Mesh jacket for life (a future vest as I refer to it).

I’d actually like a soft shell neoshell vest. Taped and stretchy. Not as weatherproof as my GoreActuve vest but again, no arms.

That is so rad. I'd rock that. I climb with the zipper vest open anyhow, even in snow. Meat popsicle.

The best runner I know races in a wife beater with the bib number scrawled on it in Sharpie.

Posted by: [email protected]

Andrew's waterproof-vest-over-hoodie and Vik's softshell would be way to warm for me.

My riding kit doesn't vary much throughout the year, always shorts, always the same socks and shoes and summer gloves, I just vary short or long sleeves for my base layer and jersey and add a light windbreaker.

I rarely ride in very cold (below zero) temps or heavy downpours, in those cases I improvise with extra layers and/or a waterproof jacket. It's simply not worth it for me to invest in expensive gear for those circumstances as I wouldn't use it enough and in case of waterproof clothing, I'd sweat so much I'd still get soaked. The expensive goretex shells I have are nice but I'd probably never buy them at retail price, we got them for free or heavily discounted when my partner worked for the brand. As a human furnace my experience is that I simply overwhelm goretex membranes, making them more or less as effective as the 30 euros Decathlon rain jacket I used in my twenties.

One thing I'll add is as I improved my fitness, especially my core and legs strength, I started sweating less on climbs. Something to think about.

Primarily just my head sweats, which I inherited from my dad....... Thanks Dad!!!! Very little sweating from my torso when in a Tshirt or thin long sleeve for cooler temps. The rain jacket just doesn't breath, thus the condensation.

I'd definitely be a sweaty mess riding in a hoodie!

I've got every thing from rubberized rain gear good for forestry work to soft shells good for ski touring < 0C to multiple acrterxy gortex which keep you dry for awhile and  " breathable rain jacket " is a holy grail

Posted by: Hepcat

Been wearing a vest riding probably since seeing Wade in one in 2000. Fanboi.

As a schoolboy wore one everyday through winter before that. Just get claustrophobic when sweaty.

A purpose made durable MTB vest would be rad.

Not waterproof but this old Core Rat jacket has worked well. I run hot and while have a more packable Chromag Tachyon that carry when it might rain. This still gets a lot of use. Sure after a while it does get a wet still dos the job. 

By the way this one is the last one of the Core Rat jackets ever available. 

Like most I've given up on trying to be dry, it's just not happening because exactly, I sweat anyways and no waterproof jacket will compensate for that. 

Once I accepted that wet is a given, I just don't want to be wet AND cold, dressing gets easier. 

In these current conditions around zero-5 degrees, a merino hoodie is perfect, possibly with a very light windbreaker over top, literally just cut some wind chill when descending but very light. 

If  it gets much warmer the Merino hoodie swaps for a merino jersey. Warmer still then merino see shirt. Warmer than that and the wind breaker is not needed. 

But basically with some layer combo of merino tee shirt, jersey, or hoodie, plus light windbreaker, I can accomodate for anything.

I run hot but I've always found hardshells super useful. Imo people tend to wear too much underneath. I do a lot of winter riding, and some ski touring, and for riding and skinning I'm often just wearing a very light polyester base layer underneath a hardshell. For me, it doesn't trap moisture in layers, creates a microclimate that keeps me warm enough, and cracking the front zip even a small bit has an immediate impact. I have to start cold to be happy 5 minutes later for the rest of the ride.

I struggle more with softshells. They can be great in light weather, but in real rain you're wet, and carrying around a lot of saturated, non-breathing weight that's cooling you even more as air passes through it.

[I work at 7mesh so please consider my opinion biased, but try it for yourself if it might help, cheers]

I agree most people wear too much, I don't wear long johns unless it colder than -10C ^^ I ski toured a lot in soft shell top & bottom, it can be -25C with just a base layer inside and I'm ok but I gotta thro on that puffy soon as I stop, I don't use softshell in the rain cuz its for venting not water proofing, I have had various  types of softshell even some neo shell and its all just water resistant

instead of starting cold its morecomfortable to wear the puffy over the soft shell but plan to stop & shed as soon as I warm up in 10 min

+1. Agree with all that, and when I start cold I was referencing biking. For touring I'll throw a puffy over top of my hardshell when we stop too, then like you throw it back in the bag once I'm moving again.

People are varied though...I can't even grasp how much some people wear while skinning steep climbs.

when it's raining or super damp outside, breathability is a myth.