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Advice on women’s waterproof jacket

Advice on women’s waterproof jacket


Postby Katywrightrrfc » Sat Jul 25, 2020 12:04 pm

Hello !

Looking to upgrade my waterproof jacket to something a bit more durable and breathable. Looking to spend between 100-160 on it so would love to hear some suggestions. Looking for something that would be breathable enough for summer walks but also suitable for layering in the winter months.

Had a look into the Montane Minimus jacket but not completely sold on it yet so would like to hear any opinions on this too!

Cheers ! :D
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Re: Advice on women’s waterproof jacket

Postby iain_atkinson_1986 » Sat Jul 25, 2020 4:16 pm

I would say there are three boxes to tick:

1. Make sure it uses Goretex. I've had a couple of jackets that haven't been Goretex that have ended up being rubbish, including a Rab Pertex jacket that just doesn't hold up to anything more than drizzle.

2. The hood should follow the direction of your face when you turn your head. This is usually more likely if you get a jacket without a foldaway hood.

3. You want pockets quite high up, especially if you use a rucksack that has a hip belt. Otherwise getting stuff out of your pockets on the move can be a faff.

I'm not au fait on the women's jacket market but your budget should get you a decent waterproof. Definitely worth trying them on to check points 2 and 3.
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Re: Advice on women’s waterproof jacket

Postby Spade » Sat Jul 25, 2020 9:01 pm

Some good goretex deals in the Craghopper site and in the Rohan sale . Rohan use barricade which is superb and on a par with goretex. Try it with layers and without, being mindful its a shell. Good luck
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Re: Advice on women’s waterproof jacket

Postby rabthecairnterrier » Tue Jul 28, 2020 12:01 am

Spade wrote:Some good goretex deals in the Craghopper site and in the Rohan sale . Rohan use barricade which is superb and on a par with goretex. Try it with layers and without, being mindful its a shell. Good luck

I once had a Rohan "Mountain Pass" jacket in Barricade that performed superbly. I loved it, even though it was a bit on the heavy side (over 700g). Unfortunately its replacement, a Rohan "Pinnacle" failed spectacularly after just a few months due to poor quality seam taping, as did a pair of Barricade overtousers. They may have upped their game in relation to quality control since then though. I hope so. The Pinnacle was replaced by a Mountain Equipment Goretex Pro jacket which is still going strong after 5 years, and the overtrousers by a pair of Berghaus Paclites which lasted nearly as long, only being replaced when they fell victim to a barbed wire fence.
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Re: Advice on women’s waterproof jacket

Postby SMRussell » Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:31 am

Katywrightrrfc wrote:Had a look into the Montane Minimus jacket but not completely sold on it yet so would like to hear any opinions on this too!


I have the older version of the Minimus. I use it as a light weight waterproof for hill running. I was impressed initially as it held up well on claggy dreich days where the atmosphere is wet, and with short downpours. However it doesn't hold up in prolonged wet conditions or in serious downpours. For any proper winter hiking I think it would be pretty pants. If you're willing to spend £160 you can do a lot better than the Minimus. The new version might be better, but it is still only Pertex, not Gore-tex. Pertex just isn't as reliable for prolonged rain or snow.

I am incredibly impressed with my Montane Alpine Pro - it is like wearing a personal shelter. It is made using Gore-tex Pro which is the "rugged and durable" form of Gore-Tex. The pockets are map sized and sit above the pack belt. The fit is relaxed so great for layering (my Alpkit Apogee insulated jacket layers really well under it). It is on the heavy side and doesn't pack small so might be a bit too much for what you're looking for. The RRP is £360 but I got mine for £175 from SportPursuit.

If I was looking for a new summer waterproof that had the potential to be used in winter I would be tempted by the Montane Pac Plus or the Fleet. You could check out Montane's discount shop "Mountain Kit" https://mountain-kit.co.uk/ where you can get some serious discounts. Happy shopping.
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Re: Advice on women’s waterproof jacket

Postby Marty_JG » Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:11 pm

I am wondering why nobody has mentioned Páramo...
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Re: Advice on women’s waterproof jacket

Postby Kinshusrst Kid » Tue Jul 28, 2020 11:31 pm

Marty_JG wrote:I am wondering why nobody has mentioned Páramo...


Perhaps Paramo waterproofs are more expensive than the price range stated by the OP.
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Re: Advice on women’s waterproof jacket

Postby Marty_JG » Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:13 pm

Well the Montane Alpine Pro is £360 rrp....

Para do have some half-price kit if you happen to be the right size, and the OP might think the windproof + water-resistant fleece combo might be better for their layering system.

Nikwax® Windproof cuts windchill and protects your insulation but still provides excellent moisture vapour transfer,
Nikwax Windproof Fabric allowing perspiration to escape. The fabric is light but very durable and UV resistant, so providing excellent protection in all environments. It also deflects rain thanks to a Nikwax waterproofing treatment. It can be worn alone, or combined with Nikwax Fleece to create a fully directional waterproof system, equivalent to an Analogy waterproof.
For more detail about Nikwax Windproof.
https://www.paramo-clothing.com/performancetechnology/fabrics/
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Re: Advice on women’s waterproof jacket

Postby SMRussell » Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:51 pm

Marty_JG wrote:Well the Montane Alpine Pro is £360 rrp....


And, as I said, you can pick it up for much less if you shop around and I don't think she's necessarily looking for a beast of a jacket like that :wink:

You're right though, Marty. Paramo has a good reputation and I have been tempted in the past. I have seen the odd piece of gear available in sales - Go Outdoors sometimes have them well marked down. Finding Paramo at the right price and right size has never worked out for me though.
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Re: Advice on women’s waterproof jacket

Postby Fnmcntyratgmail » Sat Aug 01, 2020 4:28 pm

I know it’s a bit beyond the budget but nothing beats paramo for me. I have two heavyweight jackets both over 20 years old. The only repair ever needed was when I ripped the hood by shutting it in the car door. Can’t blame Paramo for that! Just invested in a fleece/wind proof combo that is waterproof, for summer use. Follow them on Facebook and you can pick up their offers. Total cost (with offer) was £167. Not long off the hill. The fleece alone was definitely wind proof. It didn’t rain (yes really!) so can’t comment on that yet. So far I’m impressed though.
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