Very packable, breathable waterproof jackets.. Do they exist?

Morning all,

I’ve got jackets which are waterproof and reasonably breathable, but when not in use, take up most of the inside of my pack.

I’ve also seen tiny little jackets which pack up to the size of a tangerine, but these all seem to have roughly the breathability of clingfilm.

Does anyone know of a very packable jacket which doesn’t double up as a sauna? I’m just after something I can carry in my pack as an emergency item to pull on if I get really unexpected levels of rain, not something for use as a jacket on rainy rides, but something which won’t get me wetter than the rain would’ve done!

Berghaus Paclite shell packs down to about the size of a can of Coke.

A Rab Pulse or Montane Minimus is what you seek.

They are not cheap, they won’t last as long, even kept wrapped up in your bag.

Montane minimus is great :thumbup:

I’ve been a montane minimus user for just over a year. Great waterproofness and packs down small.

I’ve hot an outdoor research jacket made of pertex microlight or something along those lines.bits very good, smaller and lighter and more breathable than my gotten active jacket.

http://www.hillanddaleoutdoors.co.uk/productDetail.php?productId=4020&brand=1244&gclid=CjwKEAiAws20BRCs-P-ssLbSlg4SJABbVcDpSG8CnFM7OMS5N4iHfH485NrcjAJ8biA19THLqmDTXBoCd3nw_wcB

Vaude Skyfly is very compact, breathable and cheaper than a lot of the competition.

New Goretex Windstopper is great stuff, keeps me dry in all but a few hours of heavy rain. Very effective riding jacket. Not cheap but light and most jackets using it seem to have good venting as well as the fabric being fairly breathable. I have a 7-Mesh Resistance jacket that uses it and it’s brilliant, ~150g, rolls up smaller than a coke can. You’ll sweat in any of them when riding reasonably hard though.

I’ve got a Montane Minimus but not that impressed with it, generally a fan of Montane gear though. The pertex fabric delaminated in places and before that it wet out quite soon compared to other jackets. The 7-Mesh can be found at a similar price and it a much better top imo.

inov 8 stormshells pack down to nothing and weight about 150g. For running, but maybe worth a look

http://www.inov-8.com/New/Global/Product-View-Apparel-Race-Elite-150-Stormshell.html

I have a 7-Mesh Resistance jacket that uses it and it’s brilliant, ~150g, rolls up smaller than a coke can.

What’s the sizing like on that? I’m usually a medium, but on the 7-Mesh size chart I seem to be a small, which seems unlikely, though I gather they’re ex-Arc’teryx in part so probably used to a block based on climbers with big shoulders…

Taped Windstopper is good stuff based on previous experience. Polartec NeoShell’s a cracking fabric, but not really available in ultra-lightweight mode.

Castelli Sottile is an amazing jacket, not sweaty, stretchy so it’s snug fitting (so no flapping) and surprisingly waterproof. I wore mine for the first time on the London 100 that was reduced to 86 due to biblical rain and I’ve never ridden in such heavy rain yet I stayed acceptably dry.

Far too fragile for mountain biking though and need to be kept clean and away from UV in storage or they go yellow.

What’s the sizing like on that?

Slim/active like Montane, doesn’t flap about. I have a M and I’m 6′ / 12st. Good sleeve length, I could wear the L but the M is a good on-bike fit. I can wear a thin primaloft gilet under it but only just.

Thanks James. I suspect I’m probably a medium then.

Minimus user here. Second one now…may have broken my first one with the ground.

http://singletrackworld.com/reviews/group-test-lightweight-waterproof-jackets/

Rab Flashpoint is your answer.

I would avoid Paclite. The Haglofs I tested has really struggled with the wet but mild winter we are having. Even when just out walking, the back and arms are soaking wet with moisture on the inside after only half an hour of wear. It’s the same with my Gore Paclite shorts. 😥

The Rab, however, continues to impress. It is a three layer fabric, weighs approx 180 grans and has a full helmet compatible hood. I now use it exactly as you intend.

Hope this helps?

Cheers

Sanny

Keela Saxon is brilliant performance for the price.

Singletrack review[/url]

MBUK review[/url]

Yup! I really liked the Keela as well. Not quite as breathable but less than half of the price of the Rab.

Hope this helps?

I’ve got an Endura MTR Emergency Shell which is very nice, 135g and like the others packs down to a Coke can size. Waterproofing is good and it’s even lined, if thinly.

+1 MTR Shell. I also have the Madison Flux Superlight, which is a bit more ‘all day ride’ that the Endura, but still goes pretty small.

I’ve come to the conclusion that for mtbing, not even the best and most modern fabrics and garments can cut it. There’s just too much sweat and not enough vapour transfer. Some work reasonably well for a few months, but throw in repeated dowsings in mud, crashes and stuffing in and our of backpacks, the dwr lasts at best a year before they wet out, and breathability takes a noise dive.

I have pertex based layering system for normal british seasons, but I’m at a loss for the biblical conditions of this winter. I’ve just thrown on my membrane jacket and sweater like everybody else.

Thanks all. Lots of useful stuff to look at! 🙂

@Scienceofficer, I suspect you’re right! Most of the time, I won’t bother with waterproofing in the rain, as I know I’m waterproof underneath (although I do like my Endura shorts with waterproof seat for stopping my bib pads from getting sodden!), so this is just for those occasions when it’s nasty enough for me to start getting properly cold, which takes some doing, as I am fairly “well insulated”! At that point, I’d rather the wet from the inside but keeping warm over the wet from the outside and freezing cold approach.

If it is definitely going to be raining I use a Sportful Survival jacket. It is Gore Active Shell, which properly and permanently waterproof, unlike a Windstopper/soft shell. Obviously it will be less breathable than these, but Active shell is Gore’s most breathable one and this jacket also has under arm zipped vents, and the front zip can be left undone, using the spaced velcro patches of the storm flap to keep it closed while allowing some airflow.

It also has a handy drop down tail to keep your bum dry and is definitely packable if using a hydration pack (at a push it will go in a jersey pocket). It also seems to be very well made.

I’ve left it on for some long rides and found it very good, even on the singlespeed where you do generate a lot of heat on the climbs!

i have a gore path which is very waterproof but without stormflaps/waterproof zips and without a hood water will find its way in in a downpour.

If it’s proper slinging it down then I use my arcteryx beta lt. still really impressed with how breathable goretex pro is.

It is Gore Active Shell, which properly and permanently waterproof, unlike a Windstopper/soft shell.

Gore Windstopper – not generic windproof fabric – is effectively waterproof, though it’s not usually taped so it’ll leak through the seams in time. The 7Mesh jacket linked above is taped, so for all intents and purposes, is pretty much waterproof, though with a lower hydrostatic head than, say, Gore-Tex Active.

That’s not the full story as with use, the membrane may eventually develop reverse osmosis through contamination and let water in, but taped Gore Windstopper (rare) and Polartec NeoShell are about as good as it gets for a combination of water resistance and breathability, though you’ll still out-sweat it if you run hot.

The Rab Flashpoint referenced above is a really nice jacket, but personally I prefer something more closely fitted on the bike, though that’s all relative to you own preferences and body shape.

Windstopper is only water resistant due to the DWR coating though, which wears and washes off. A waterproof shell is basically plastic with millions of tiny holes punched in it to let moisture vapour out but not let water droplets in.

Don’t get me wrong, I wear a softshell as much as I can, they are fantastic for most conditions, even torrential rain if you are riding hard enough to keep warm. If you are riding at a more relaxed pace in the rain and want to stay warm and dry then a waterproof shell is the tool for the job.

Really liked the look of that Inov-8, hoping to use it as much for summer hiking as for biking.

Does anyone have any experience using these jackets with a rucsac, does it just destroy them?

I have a Gore Bike wear Gore Tex jobbie – Boil in the bag doesn’t cover it, just way too hot. So not that.

Gore Windstopper uses a very similar (identical?) membrane to Goretex waterproof – the only thing that stops it being truly waterproof is the lack of seam taping. The DWR there is to keep it breathing in the rain, as once the outer fabric is soaked the membrane no longer breathes.

Windstopper is only water resistant due to the DWR coating though, which wears and washes off. A waterproof shell is basically plastic with millions of tiny holes punched in it to let moisture vapour out but not let water droplets in.

No it’s not. Gore Windstopper is a membrane fabric made from EPTFE – Teflon basically… – laminated to a face and liner fabric. There are fabrics which use a very close weave combined with multiple DWR treatments to give a high levels of water-resistance like the new stuff Rapha has just launched, but Windstopper isn’t one of them.

The membrane isn’t quite the same as waterproof Gore-Tex fabrics, it’s specced to be more breathable, but the basis technology is pretty similar.

Gore Windstopper uses a ePTFE membrane (just like ‘normal’ Gore Tex) but without a PU backer, this effectively makes it nearly identical to eVent.

The membrane in Windstopper is 100% waterproof, it would pass hydrostatic head tests like other waterproof membranes.

By not having the PU backer it makes it more breathable and cheaper to produce. Just like eVent the membrane will get clogged up with body oils so more frequent cleaning is necessary.

Keela Saxon packs down small enough to go into a jersey pocket at a push.

Gore AlpX paclite goretex. Stupidly expensive but by far the best I have ever had.

C

Does anyone have any experience using these jackets with a rucsac, does it just destroy them?

This is my thought, however having used a (to me) thin and flimsy feeling Montane Meteor DT for 6 years, it seems that more modern membranes are tougher. The fabric was torn and worn before I saw de-lamination or wear inside. That said, it was worn morning and night and hung up as much as stuffed in a pack…

I have the Madison Flux Superlight, which so far is great, but I do wonder how it will be after 20 odd cycles through the washing machine…..

This time of year, the natural stuff I mainly ride is a total mudfest, so the idea of brushing off the dirt when dry isn’t really viable…

i have one of the haglofs jackets sanny tested. got it at a bargain price, but i doubt i’d ride in it as it’s a bit too lightweight and whatnot- it’s great for travelling to work in the wet north west though (half hour walk to station, half hour train ride, 10 mins walk to work)…

I have an O MM smock

It’s ace