Rain gear recommendations

[lewiada]

Hi all,

I'm planning a trip to IR the first week of September. My family and I backpack frequently, but always do short local trips when we can (mostly) plan for good weather. The idea of spending a week on IR and not being able to predict the weather is having me think about rain gear. I've read through other threads, and it seems that most would recommend rain pants and gators. I took a quick peek on REI and the pants that got the best reviews are very expensive ($169). Cheaper ones got pretty mixed reviews. I'm a family of 4 and now I'm looking at nearly $800 just for pants and then add the gators. Can anybody recommend decent rain gear at a more affordable price? Or is this simply a matter of getting what you pay for?

tx!
adam

[MikeT]

If you search this forum you will find a few threads on that subject. On the cheap and lightweight, I'd recommend Frogg Toggs. The pants are long enough and have elastic to do a descent job protecting your sox. The drawback vs. gaitors is you have to where the pants and they do not completely cover your boots. If you can get by without walking on soaked trails, they will work and are useful for everyday. They also make a good pillow at night or a cushion for sitting on

[Vandy]

I used FroggToggs on my late June trip to the island. They kept me dry (1.5 days of rain). They are pretty flimsy so you don't want to be doing any bushwhacking in them, but if you stick to the trails they are perfectly fine...and inexpensive.

[DonNewcomb]

Because there are so many bushes along the trails that hold a lot of water, you can get very wet even when it's not actually raining. If you don't want to hike with boots full of water, good gaiters and rain pants are my suggestion.

[johnhens]

Take a look at Marmot Precip. It works well and is a good value. That said, I normally don't wear rain gear when hiking particularly when it is above 50 as the amount of sweat and heat generated from hiking will wet your clothes regardless of the GoreTex , Entrant, h2no ect type parka one wears. If the wind is blowing, I may wear a parka.

[fonixmunkee]

Take a look at Marmot Precip.

I have a friend that hikes IR with me all the time and he swears by the Marmot Precip stuff. So +1 on this.

[DayDreamin]

Give a look at Cabellas..I found a real nice rain/parka with an optional fleece liner for under $100. I love it for spring/fall camping. As for the pants, I usually buy them in the $60-80 range. After a few years, they begin to wear out, and I replace them.

[fredly]

Marmot Precip works great. Search Amazon and you can get them on sale. I took mine to the island last year and it worked so well it didn't rain at all for the week I was there I used it a month later on the Jordan River Pathway and stayed dry and comfortable during the rain the first day.