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The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy

Friday, July 17, 2020

A Reader Question for the Community: Spring/summer rain jacket?


A Reader Question for the Community:
Anyone have a good option for a spring/summer rain jacket? I don’t want to look or need to look like I am going on an expedition. I just need something to help in a summer rain storm. Nice and light and water resistant. My old Land’s End jacket from the 80’s has finally gone to its grave. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

15 comments:

  1. It would help to know more. Do you want something long enough to extend below the belt or is a waist length jacket acceptable? Do you require a hood? Do you have a price which you would not exceed? In anything short of a frog strangler, I opt for an Orvis knock off of a Baracuta jacket and a probably a Tilley T3. If it is raining hard and I am going to be out in it for awhile, i would want a hooded rain parka of slightly longer length.

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  2. Patagonia Torrentshell rain jacket - simple, light, gets the job done without any fanfare...

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    1. Exactly what I was going to recommend! Perfect for most seasons, too. I believe Patagonia has changed the jacket a bit. Fortunately, I still have a couple of the older versions.

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  3. I think that the Patagonia Torrentshell is the spiritual heir to the lightweight LL Bean and Lands End raincoats my mom would order every few years for me and my brother as boys in the ‘90s. The quality is decent for the price, the warranty is solid, and if the full-zip model is too technical, they make some two-tone pullover versions that are even less so.

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  4. REI, Marmot, Patagonia, North Face, etc. all make great light rain shell jackets available in classic colors (like navy blue). I have both an REI and Marmot rain shell. None look expeditionary.

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  5. LL Bean Field Coat

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  6. While not stylish in the traditional sense, I wear a Helly Hansen sailing jacket. it’s lightweight, breathable, and protects me from water - whether its spray from the ocean or rain from above.

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    1. Helly Hansen for me too. But a muted black/gray stripe longish rain jacket for daily dog hikes.

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  7. I agree about the Patagonia Torrentshell. I have one that's about worn out on the coat tree by the door.

    The only reason that I haven't replaced mine yet is that I don't really like any of the colors it's currently available in. (I mean, "industrial green"? I guess that all Californians are depressed these days.) Navy is fine, of course, but I'd like to have one jacket in a color other than navy.

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  8. I would suggest a ventile (waterproof cotton) Harrington, currently only £275 in Private White VC's sale - https://www.privatewhitevc.com/. Private White VC is. one of the UK's leading clothing factories. Take a look at the comprehensive description that includes -

    "Ventile® was designed and developed up the road from our Manchester factory at the direct request from Winston Churchill during World War II. The final brief given to Manchester’s Shirley Institute in 1943 by the Ministry of Defence was to create a cloth that would help prolong the survival rates of RAF Pilots. Ventile® was also famously used in the first ever summit of Mount Everest in 1953."

    If you are happy with showerproof rather than waterproof, my other recommendation is the famous Grenfell brand - https://grenfell.com/. It made the original Harrington and golf jackets that were worn by the likes of Henry Cotton. The company supplies stores like Cordings and I had to go up a size when I bought a golf jacket. Grenfell has a huge range of jackets and coats and, given the excellent quality and London factory, they are good value.

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  9. I used to own an outdoor shop and have an arsenal of rain gear from Patagonia, TNF, Marmot, and Mountain Hardwear (out-of-town guests, y'know). I wear a Lands' End Lightweight Squall Jacket most days when there's a chance of rain and there's little chance of being caught out in it.

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  10. A Ventile is a superb choice!

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  11. I purchased two of the Orvis Pack and Go Jackets and love them. I wouldn't recommend them for extended time in heavy downpours but for traveling they are fantastic. They don't look like rain jackets and can be worn simply as an added layer for warmth or wind protection. They can be folded into a small pouch that is included.
    I also got the Orvis City Pack and Go Jacket which is more of a blazer style but does have a hidden hood that is easy to pull out.
    For heavy downpours I wear Helly Hansen pants and jackets/coats. HH sizing is strange though and I had to significantly size up- 3 sizes!

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  12. if you need waterproof, consider Mountain Hardwear's Exposure/2, an entry level gore tex shell. Inexpensive, unobtrusive, men's size XL weighs just 11 ounces. I just tested it for an outdoor gear website. Runs true to size.

    If you don't need waterproof, Patagonia's Houdini is enough for intermittent light rain or a drizzle, extremely light (mens XXL weighs under 4 ounces!), relatively inexpensive. My first one lasted over 10 years, surprisingly durable. They run slim, so worth exploring one size larger than you ordinarily purchase.

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  13. Orvis has a sale ending today with a rather terrific deal on a Barbour Ursula. It looks lightweight.

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