What the title says. I’m in the rainforest area of Washington. It rains pretty much every day. On the occasional sunny day, I can get by with wearing flannel pajama pants and a wind-shell jacket. But neither of those options work for the 6/7 days it rains. So I’m looking for rain gear, meant for relatively low temperatures. Does such a thing exist? Or do I need to buy winter gear, and layer rain gear on top of it?
…and suggestions I can buy at REI are especially appreciated. Have some gift cards to spend!
I think just regular rain gear would work. I’ve basically stopped wearing a winter coat in the Northeast where I live. Instead I wear my rain shell: an Outdoor Research Helium 2, and layer underneath, usually a down jacket in the winter. That’s a pretty light rain jacket, and it works great in the winter.
What the title says. I’m in the rainforest area of Washington. It rains pretty much every day. On the occasional sunny day, I can get by with wearing flannel pajama pants and a wind-shell jacket. But neither of those options work for the 6/7 days it rains. So I’m looking for rain gear, meant for relatively low temperatures. Does such a thing exist? Or do I need to buy winter gear, and layer rain gear on top of it?
…and suggestions I can buy at REI are especially appreciated. Have some gift cards to spend!
In my experience no, Rain gear is a totally different requirement. Winter gear is often thicker to keep warm, but if it is raining you are screwed. Frankly, I don’t know too much about cold AND rain anymore. I know about rain and chilly, but not cold. The question came up in another thread yesterday about rain coats and this is what I wrote there:
I have had the previous years version of the Pearl Izumi Select WxB Jacket and it has been a great jacket. Had mine since 2011. I have ridden it in through some huge deluges and it is quality piece. For me, the ‘Screamin Yellow’ color is so important. I have been walking around in Costco and people actually say to me that my jackets hurts their eyes. This is a huge feature for me as I use it mostly as commuting jacket and I WANT to be seen. Obviously given the waterproof nature of the jacket it is not great for breath-ability.
Winter gear is not rain gear. Generally, winter gear is going to be too heavy.
I wear Patagonia Alpine Houdini pants and jacket, and layer underneath as necessary for warmth. I find that with the wind protection it offers, basic tights and a light jacket underneath, with the hood pulled up and a light hat, are good to 25F when cycling. I’ve worn this top and bottom in a fair amount of rain, and they work well. I don’t know if REI has a comparable product. This is a 2.5 layer shell/pant with rain barrier coating.
I have a waterproof Nike running shell that is a few years old. The technology in fabrics may be better now, but I’ve found that it’s not breathable enough to be comfortable. It traps all my body heat and moisture in so even though it’s keeping the rain out, I still end up drenched underneath it. It has no insulating properties so I have to layer it over something else in cold temps, but honestly I hardly ever use it.
I’ve had much better luck with a water resistant (vs. waterproof) New Balance pullover. Again it’s a couple years old but it’s similar to THIS. It’s one of the warmest pieces I own and I’ve routinely worn it in crappy weather and temps down into the teens without a problem. In the 30’s and 40’s it’s actually too warm and I don’t even wear a layer under it. The side pockets (at least on the version I have) double as vents so if it gets too warm you can unzip them to cool off. It also has wrist gators that keep any rain or cold air from going up the sleeves. Again it’s not completely waterproof but it seems to keep the rain out long enough for most of my workouts. Unfortunately I don’t think you can get it at REI.
What the title says. I’m in the rainforest area of Washington.
I lived/trained up the road in Vancouver, BC for 10 years. I trained a lot in the rain.
For running, most true “rain gear” ironically is a waste of time*. You are having to deal with greater issues of sweat management and water issues from the inside, not the outside!
What I found worked for me for longer runs in the +5C range in the winter was a good thin, high quality base layer next to the skin, then a also a thin fleece layer over top of that, and then some form of wind vest on top - gloves, a tuque, and tights on the legs.
This set-up allowed for extraordinary evaporation from the inside to the outside. You could manage things well by either taking off or putting back on the tuque of the vest - on the fly and just stuffing them in the back waste band of your tights.
*For 4 of those years in Vancouver I worked for Sugoi and tested all manner of “rain-jackets” for running made out of various wonder fabrics with grand promises of being “Water-Proof/Breathable” - again, NONE of them could keep up with the sweat evacuation, required when running and you would always get wetter in the inside from sweat, than you would from the outside from rain!
Are you looking for gear to work out in or just wear? There is a big difference. For running in the rain, as has been previously be noted, you are going to get wet either from the rain or your sweat so don’t try to fight it. I found that the key to running in the rain is to keep the rain off of the my face and hands and keep the chest warm. I wear a vest with wind blocking panels on the front and mesh on the back, waterproof gloves, a hat with a long bill and a form fitting shirt. If you are going to try and stay dry on a run, you will just end up dripping in sweat and probably get too warm. If you are just looking to stay dry while out and about, have you thought about a nice umbrella?
I find if it is raining it is warm enough that if I am running synthetic tights keep me warm enough on the bottom. Above 40 degrees it is pretty well impossible to have a water resistant or waterproof upper layer that doesn’t have major issues with sweating I may as well be wet. I love smartwool. It gets wet and sweaty and I just hang to dry as it does not stink. I wear a polyester tee and a thin smartwool sweater top. I need to do something with all the shirts I get from races. If gettting close to freezing a goretex or similar shell works okay if it has big vents I can open. I would bet anything that is waterproof or resistant would likely work as well as even goretex does not seem to keep up with high sweat rates.
I should clarify: I mean for cycling. Not running. Running, I just wear swim jammers under the running shorts, 2 pair of wool socks, long sleeves and a hat. It’s also a lot easier to check the radar and dash out in the 50 minute long gap between rain. That isn’t so much an option on the bike.
When the sun comes out, you train outside in flannel pajama pants, paired with a jacket?
The first time I did it, I was only here 2 days a week and living out of a suitcase. So it was: wear flannel pajama pants or stay inside because cycling shorts at 35 degrees don’t quite cut it. And then it was quite a comfortable ride! So I’ve kept using them over the bike shorts. But they don’t work so well when soaked with rain.
In my feeble defense(not like I truly care, but whatever), of the 20-50 mile rides I’ve been doing? I have yet to see more than 5 vehicles, and 2 dog walkers. After 5 miles, the road turns to badly maintained gravel which only leads to a campground which is currently closed for winter. On average, I suspect I see at least 5x more elk than I do people.
Money is tight enough I need to ensure I buy the right thing the first time. I’m only working 2-3 days a week until march. And I don’t have the proper clothing to make the most of this leisure. Thus, looking for advice before I head into Seattle.
For cycling in freezing rain, one of those softshell winter jackets works well for me. Something like a Rapha classic jacket or Castelli gabba. Just the jacket over a long sleeve mesh base layer is good from around 1C down to -5.
For slightly warmer (but still cold) rain like up to +5C, it might sound weird, but my preferred getup is a waterproof rain vest combined with windstopper arm warmers over a thin, tight long sleeve jersey. Keeps the core dry and protects from wind chill, but you still get great heat management with the vest zipper and open pits
Ok, awesome! I thought I was just having fun with a typo. Love the old-school mentality and style.
What size do you wear, btw? May have some extras lying around.
Ok, awesome! I thought I was just having fun with a typo. Love the old-school mentality and style.
What size do you wear, btw? May have some extras lying around.
XL in most cycling brands.
yeah at first I was like, 'I can’t believe I’m wearing flannel pajamas and a winter vest on a bike ride. But it worked, so I said ‘fuck you fashion. I’m wearing flannel pajamas tucked into a wool sock so I can ride in cold weather.’
Depends on amount of rain… there are some excellent hard shells that will stay dry to a point. Rain gear tends to not “breath” which, IMO, feels horrible to wear. Pit zips and ventilation helps. Many top brands, including Arc’teryx, have moved their production to China so they aren’t the quality they used to be. For me, Patagonia, Marmot, and Mountain hardware have been fairly consistent brands in terms of quality and value. I think the REI brand stuff is decent quality; however, I have never tried it.
I have worn a Westcomb technical shell when riding/running, but it was only out of true necessity. It is what I wear skiing, has lots of ventilation and is helmet compatible. It did the job, and my upper body was dry but it certainly acted like a sail and makes a fair amount of noise.
It does have the advantage of being made in Canada, not China.
I rummaged through my extra winter stuff, but everything is somewhere between a M and a Large. As others have stated, get some quality leg warmers ( fleece lined are great) and arm warmers for under your cycling shorts and jersey- can be found for cheap on ebay, REI, etc. A decent wind vest and water resistant wind shell are great layers, and with a good pair of shoe covers and gloves, you should be set!