Help with rain gear

[riversidejeep]

What I am after is some HONEST opinions about your rain gear, and I say honest because I think a lot of people sugar coat opinions because they spent a lot of $$$ on something or its a popular brand. In the early years when Gortex came out I rushed out and bought a coat and was very disappointed, It leaked in the matter of minutes. I went and bought some commercial fishing Helly Hansen gear and its waterproof but heavy, noisy , and I sweat to death. Now every company that makes rain gear says it WATERPROOF when in fact its not, most are maybe FOG proof. What should I look at? 20,000mm? 30,000mm ? 40,000mm rating's? It seems the ones I have tried all soak through on the shoulders where my daypack straps ride. Truth is I have no experience with anything 30,000mm and up. What say you.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Some sleeping bags and most rain gear have better waterproofness ratings than many well regarded tents.

Some folks don’t take the best care of their rain gear; this applies to myself to a degree. They don’t clean it. They don’t re-treat it.

Some of the perceived lack of waterproofness is due to lack of breathability. When stationary you still perspire. This becomes more pronounced when active.

I’d wager you’ve rubbed off any and all waterproofness where your straps are in contact with your rain jacket. You’ll likely need. Significantly higher hydrostatic head rating on your jacket to counter the effects if rubbing off the waterproofing.

Good Waterproof Ratings For Various Conditions​

Here is a waterproof rating chart provided by Evo.

Waterproof Rating (mm)	Water Resistance Provided	Conditions
0-5,000 mm	No resistance to some resistance to moisture.	Light rain, dry snow, no pressure.
6,000-10,000 mm	Rainproof and waterproof under light pressure.	Light rain, average snow, light pressure.
11,000-15,000 mm	Rainproof and waterproof except under high pressure.	Moderate rain, average snow, light pressure.
16,000-20,000 mm	Rainproof and waterproof under high pressure.	Heavy rain, wet snow, some pressure.
20,000 mm+	Rainproof and waterproof under very high pressure.	Heavy rain, wet snow, high pressure.