Waterproofs for hill climbing

[alfa pint]

Stick this here and see where the mods move it to - sports? Lounge?

I'm a keen hillwalker - 30 odd years of it.

However, my waterproofs have finally bitten the dust - they now have the waterproof properties of damp sponge, so it's time for some new ones.

Old jacket was a lowe alpine one which I bought in 2003. Trousers are karrimor, bought mebbe 2001.

Budget is £500 to replace them. Is goretex still the best stuff, or have things moved on more? I see a lot of climbers using rab stuff - I've got some of their base layers, but not the outers.

[Animal]

Millets have a sale on at the mo, so fill your boots (no pun intended)!

For baselayers I've got a couple of Falke long-sleeved tops and they're fantastic.

[shouldbworking]

alfa pint said:

Budget is £500 to replace them. Is goretex still the best stuff, or have things moved on more? I see a lot of climbers using rab stuff - I've got some of their base layers, but not the outers.

Rab have gone the way of far too many commercial operations - make a good product, get noticed, get bought, reduce costs, produce run of the mill product.

As for waterproofs.. nothing has changed, its still just a choice of whether you want to get wet from the outside in, or wet from the inside out.

[Animal]

This is where I get my stuff from - Ten Point

[V10Mike]

I just bought new waterproofs this year -my old one was Lowe Alpine, too. Big problem I found is that they are now nearly all cut very short for climbing, which means if you don't wear overtrousers (which I hate) you get a wet crotch and bum. I ended up getting a Paramo Alta II, which is a traditional length jacket, but in a non-Goretex material. Opinion seems divided on Paramo gear -people either love it or hate it, I'm very pleased so far, but I have not been out all day in continuous heavy rain yet. I use it with DWR walking trousers and gaiters, don't wear overtrousers.