REI or LL Bean Rain Jacket Recommendations?

[Sapphire73]

Do you have a rain jacket from REI or LL Bean that you have tried in heavy rain? In another thread, several people said they got rainjackets from REI or LL Bean but didn't mention the specific item. Or if a specific item was mentioned, they had just ordered it and hadn't "field tested" it yet.

 

We stopped by an REI store last weekend, and I purchased an REI Elements ultra-light jacket that is supposed to be waterproof, windproof to 60 mph, and breathable but got home to find that several customer reviews on the REI website said they got wet in downpours....

 

Is gore-tex the only way to stay dry?

 

I had hoped that I had the outerwear situation covered since I also bought a windpro fleece jacket, but may need to exchange the rain jacket. We will be in Alaska for 2 weeks in July - part cruise and part do-it-yourself land tour.

 

Thanks.:confused:

[bottom-dragger]

 

Is gore-tex the only way to stay dry?

 

 

no, for gor-tex to work, the outside humity must be lower than the humidity inside your jacket. you can't push water uphill. so in a driving rain...

 

i have a northface hooded rain jacket with a back vent and pit zips. i don't wear it crashing brush but all other times it works well. as for rainpants, i get whatever is on sale as they're not going to last anyway.

 

opinions, not answers

[anchorage1977]

Disclaimer: It can rain anytime, anywhere in Alaska.

 

That said, July is not a particularly wet month most years. If your land tour is taking you to the interior (Talkeetna, Denali, Fairbanks) it will be too warm most days to want a rain jacket.

 

Personally I use GoreTex, usually from REI, but I think you'll be ok with what you have. Buy something you like for the next few years of use because with luck, you won't need it very often on your Alaska vacation.

 

Good luck with your purchase!

[LindaAndBillTravel]

DH and I both have REI Taku jackets w/ the REI Elements material. They are great....stood in the rain on a ferry in Norway for an hour with no problems.

[krogerlady]

Ditto on the Northface. We have some pretty heavy rain here in North Alabama, and I got a really good chance to check out my jacket a couple weeks ago. Had to get out in it 4 times in one day. Zipped, and hood up, it got wet, I did not. It is not lined, so i did learn that the coolness of the rain would transfer to the body without an inner layer, even a long sleeve, and one other thing. Don't shake the raindrops off after you take it off....needless to say, you will get a shower!! A lot stays on top, non gets thru. BTW, I got it in Ebay. Its been great for finding things I did not run all over town looking for.

Jayne

[Sapphire73]

DH and I both have REI Taku jackets w/ the REI Elements material. They are great....stood in the rain on a ferry in Norway for an hour with no problems.

 

I liked the Taku jacket I tried on at REI but went with the less inexpensive choice. Thanks for the confirmation that the Taku jacket really is a good investment! I haven' worn (or removed the tags off) the other so I will look into getting the other one. Thanks again.

[Sapphire73]

Ditto on the Northface. We have some pretty heavy rain here in North Alabama, and I got a really good chance to check out my jacket a couple weeks ago. Had to get out in it 4 times in one day. Zipped, and hood up, it got wet, I did not. It is not lined, so i did learn that the coolness of the rain would transfer to the body without an inner layer, even a long sleeve, and one other thing. Don't shake the raindrops off after you take it off....needless to say, you will get a shower!! A lot stays on top, non gets thru. BTW, I got it in Ebay. Its been great for finding things I did not run all over town looking for.

Jayne

 

I tried on some of the North Face jackets at REI and they didn't seem to fit me as well, but I will keep this in mind. Thank you also for the reminder about the importance of layering!

[Sapphire73]

no, for gor-tex to work, the outside humity must be lower than the humidity inside your jacket. you can't push water uphill. so in a driving rain...

 

i have a northface hooded rain jacket with a back vent and pit zips. i don't wear it crashing brush but all other times it works well. as for rainpants, i get whatever is on sale as they're not going to last anyway.

 

opinions, not answers

 

Thanks for your input re. gore-tex, your Northface jacket, and not worrying too much about which rainpants to buy.

[Sapphire73]

Disclaimer: It can rain anytime, anywhere in Alaska.

 

That said, July is not a particularly wet month most years. If your land tour is taking you to the interior (Talkeetna, Denali, Fairbanks) it will be too warm most days to want a rain jacket.

 

Personally I use GoreTex, usually from REI, but I think you'll be ok with what you have. Buy something you like for the next few years of use because with luck, you won't need it very often on your Alaska vacation.

 

Good luck with your purchase!

 

Good point to focus on getting something I will enjoy using for many purposes. I think that is why I chose the ultra light jacket, picturing being able to pack it in the little stuff sack (provided) and throw it into a duffle bag for our various travels.

 

One of my sons drove to Alaska (from Philly) last summer and camped for several weeks (he is a teacher so he had time to travel), and told us how rainy and chilly the weather was last summer - at least when he was there. So I do want to be prepared and I know that I get chilled much more quickly than my husband.

 

Thanks.

[monkeyinthemiddle]

I just had the opportunity to try out my new Marmot precip jacket that I purchased on line and on sale from REI this last week for our up coming alaska visit. Talk about perfect timing. I stayed nice and dry during a 5K fun walk/run portion of the Pasadena Marathon this morning. Lots of rain, lots of folks looking like drowned rats. I wore a fleece jacket underneath. When it got a bit warm, I unzipped the under arm vents. All I was missing was a pair of water proof gloves. That will be my next purchase!

[judynorth]

I have an LLBean Gore-tex jacket and love it. It is a little longer so it covers me a little better than a short jacket would. It has a very thin lining so it is usable in all kinds of weather - summer or winter. I use it all the time here in Virginia. It is also large enough to go over several layers. Remember that when you choose a rain jacket. In AK it will be the top layer over several other layers and you want to have room. Last year we were in Skagway in a cold, windy, fairly heavy rain for several hours and stayed dry. It might not work in a monsoon or a hurricane (I haven't tried it yet) but it worked great for anything that we encountered in AK.

[Cruising Carol]

For May, June and July trips to Alaska, I did fine with a water-resistant nylon windbreaker. Last year for a late September trip, I bought a Lands End Goretex lightly lined waterproof jacket. It was tested in Ketchikan where we had steady, heavy rain with wind. I stayed dry and comfortable. Found out my SAS walking shoes were also waterproof. The key is light layers and the jacket needs to be roomy enough for other layers under it if the weather is chilly.

[neecee23]

I bought a Marmot jacket from REI last year for my cruise. It worked out great, I wore it over a fleece vest and long sleeved shirt and it kept me dry. It is lightweight and perfect for rainy days here in California.

[WalleyeLJ]

I've gotten products from REI and LL Bean, but when it came to an ultra light rain jacket for my last Alaska layer, I got an EMS Thunderhead SYNC Rain Jacket. Having grown up in New England, I've had great experiences with their products. The jacket is super light weight, yet very comfortable to wear. The inside material of the jacket felt a lot better than the REI equivilent, and just seemed a little more durable than the Marmot PreCip I was going to get. That and a Windpro Fleece are my two outer layers for heaing to Alaska this May. Good luck whichever you choose!

 

L.J.

[clintjake]

Coming from Australia & we dont have a great selection of waterproof jackets like North Face etc. Only in Vancouver for 5/6 hours before we sail on Carnival spirit in June 09. Would I be able to shop near Canada Place Terminal for such clothing ?

[BluesCruise]

I want to spend as little money as possible for my waterproof jacket for Alaska. I don't expect to use the jacket much, if at all, after I return from this trip. At home in Maryland, if it's raining, I'm indoors or use an umbrella.

 

I went to Bass Pro Shop yesterday and tried on some jackets for size. The women's XL jackets were too small, but a medium man's jacket would work. The Columbia brand Gore-Tex jackets were as cheap as $35, so that's an option.

 

I think I'll try ebay and online outlets. But if I spend more than I want, I suppose I can sell it on Craigslist when I return.

[mountainhouse]

We've got a pair of Marmot Precips. They're great. Worked nicely touring Stonehenge in driving rain last summer! There are lots of options out there. My favorite places for outer wear deals are Campmor and Sierra Trading. GL.

[HillbillyInBC]

Coming from Australia & we dont have a great selection of waterproof jackets like North Face etc. Only in Vancouver for 5/6 hours before we sail on Carnival spirit in June 09. Would I be able to shop near Canada Place Terminal for such clothing ?

 

There's a Coast Mountain Sports store at Pacific Centre, on Howe Street at Pender three blocks south of Canada Place.

[clintjake]

Thanks HillbillyinBC

[nothriver]

I've got a growing teenager that gets a new rain jacket each season. Right now, he has a North Face. Last year, he had a Marmot Precip (sp). The two years before that, he had REI Elements. We haven't had any problems with any of them. The Marmot was a great deal in they kids sizes but doubled in price when DS moved to mens sizing. I currently wear one of his hand me down REI jackets as well as a Columbia. The REI seems more durable but I haven't been out in my Columbia in a heavy downpour yet. I'm actually thinking of trying it in the shower before I go to Alaska, just to make sure. :)

 

I wear womens small or medium and I never hesitate to try boys XL, some of them fit great at half the price of an adult size jacket. Often they are identical, sometimes they are lacking some of the features but are the same material and quality of construction.

 

No jacket is completely waterproof. I used to farm and when there was work to be done, you had to stay out and do it no matter the weather. The trick is to wear breathable quick drying moisture wicking items under your rain jacket. If you get a little damp, you'll dry. Nothing worse than wearing wet heavy denim all day, for example.

 

I picked up some rain pants on clearance at Scheels a few weeks ago, if anyone has a Scheels, take a look there.

[Putterdude]

There's a Coast Mountain Sports store at Pacific Centre, on Howe Street at Pender three blocks south of Canada Place.

 

You may find the Coast Mountain Sports has transisitioned into their summer merchandise progam by June so I will throw out a couple of other names for you such as Mountain Equipment Co-op (which does require a $5 membership) and Tiagaworks. Both of these stores are up on West Broadway, about a $12/15 cab fare from downtown.

 

http://www.mec.ca/Main/content_text.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302881717&bmUID=1237870044495

 

https://www.taigaworks.ca/

[denali2000]

A Dunlop rain jacket and pants from Target will do. You can wear some warmer clothes underneath if need be. I bought mine 8 years back, and they still work fine in rain.

 

Coming from Australia & we dont have a great selection of waterproof jackets like North Face etc. Only in Vancouver for 5/6 hours before we sail on Carnival spirit in June 09. Would I be able to shop near Canada Place Terminal for such clothing ?