>>2513824>Its price point and effectivenessmilsurp rain gear is actually really bad for the money lol. trust me i live in olympia one of the highest rainfall parts of earth where a lot of rain gear doesn't even cut it for casual city use. milsurp rain gear uses the cheapest lowest grade membranes gore tex makes. gore tex is a brand not a fabric. so if you're seeing $500 backpacking jackets also made of gore tex... different stuff... probably made of gore tex pro or gore tex shakedry.. less durable way more expensive and way higher performing.
https://www.gore-tex.com/ click technologies at the top of the page to see all the shit they make.
IME those milsurp jackets'll keep you dry and breathe but they're 5-10x as heavy as a normal backpacker shell, 5-10x as bulky when packed, and they rely on membranes that do eventually wet out.
if you mean the all in one gore tex + insulated parkas, i actually like those a lot, just not as hikin' gear.
some way way way way better options:
$20 frog toggs: not dwr reliant and will never wet out no matter what. the most popular rain gear among long distance backpackers. doesn't breathe but vents. disgustingly light weight. rips and tears easily and must be babied + not for off trail.
$80 columbia outdry when it goes on sale constantly: never wets out, it breathes better than frog toggs. looks disgusting and shiny. the only company making jackets out of it can't design hoods worth a shit. the most durable rain gear that doesn't use dwr and thus can't wet out.
$50 marmot precip when its on sale every holiday: basically the same thing as the milsurp jackets just way lighter and better packing. good off trail beater jackets.
i can spend 12 hours hiking in torrential downpours in the first 2 and be dry as a bone at camp.
milsurp parkas and the last one you'd be wet. more durable and abrasion resistant but they're only good for a few hours of real rain.
