Hi,

I am thinking of buying the Rab Downpour Eco: https://rab.equipment/uk/downpour-eco-jacket

Oo Paper it looks really good

• 20k waterproof
• 20k breath-ability
• 2.5 layer pertex shield

It has no inside or outside chest pocket though. and it looks very light/tissue thin

Do ye reckon this would be ok to hold off rain?

e.g. 3/4 hour hikes

Standing on a sideline of a pitch in pouring rain

For me it sits in an uncomfortable middle ground, I sold mine.

If I think I'm just going to catch the odd shower or light rain, I'll stick with a highly breathable softshell. If the weather's going to be properly filthy, windy and/or persistent heavy rain, then I'll wear a more serious 3L GoreTex Pro jacket.

Thanks for the input. Did yours offer much waterproof-ness at all or did you get a chance to properly test it?

It's a fairly cheap waterproof, it'll keep moderate rain off you for a while, provided it's not too heavy and not too windy. It doesn't breathe well. The name kinda sums it up, chuck it on if you get caught in a downpour, then take it off. 

Thanks, I am on a budget so cant go too mad

Would this offering from Decathlon be a better choice?

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-hiking-lightweight-waterproof-jacket-mh...

Hello 

i own one and would be happy to sell it (unsure of a reasonable second hand price but feel free to make an offer) - it’s fine, nice and light and it is waterproof but on days where rain may blow sideways I’d not trust it being honest. 

hi, which one do you own?  the Rab downpour eco is it?

Yes rab downpour eco (bought in 2022) medium - colour is ‘graphene/firecracker’ 

I don't believe anything other than a 3-layer waterproof is really waterproof... Or, if it is, then only for a few months.

Second-hand jackets in new or like new condition might be the best way to get a decent jacket. Alpkit also very good value. I have a non-Gortex Rab 3-layer and it's good; was less than £200... but some years ago.

Thanks, but I would be L/XL

Noted, from what I read though, the below jacket from Decathlon seems decent. The brand snobs may not be too happy though

3 layer, inside pockets.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-waterproof-hiking-jacket-nh500-imper/_/...

I bought a 17 quid Peter Storm cagoule recently trying to move away from spending 100s on another top end waterproof.... its  actually pretty good so far but its not the comfiest to wear.

2 long walks in rain, 1 solo camp out on the hills and so far it's kept me dry.

I imagine when winter comes though I may change my tune.

I've got some old Rab Pertex Shield waterproof trousers that are brilliant. Must be 10 years old and have always been very waterproof, even used them in Scottish winter walking. Far better than the sprayway gortex ones I've also got. 

The one you've linked to looks like a bin bag. Great for walking the dog, but not for mountaineering. I've nothing against using Decathlon, but the jacket you've linked to does not have the fit or the materials needed for anything beyond standing on the sideline for a game of boredomball.

Noted. 
So of the 2 - the decathlon seems better that the Rab? 
 

Disagree. It looks like a nice jacket for hiking. Fairly lightweight, perfectly waterproof enough and as breathable as anything else. Probably not idea for mountaineering where you'd be rubbing up against rocks but for most uses it would be fine

And just to add, I won’t be doing extreme mountaineering.  It will be used for something relatively easy like a 3-6 hour day hike.  But could be 6 hours of rain 

I've used the decathlon jacket you've linked to, it's ok the material is reasonable for the price with decent waterproofing and ok breathability, hood is not helmet compatible

I've got Rab downpour trousers, probably same material as the jacket, not terribly impressed with breathability tbh

On balance of I had to walk in rain for 5 hours and these were my only choices I'd go with the decathlon option

If you are any where near a TKMaxx, some outlets have got Montane Pac Plus XT jackets for £99. Tamworth had last weekend.

thanks for reply. I don't need a helmet compatible hood, so all good there.

the rab downpour eco just seems paper thin, im not too sure on its durability even for basic stuff

Waterproof coating 5000mm... A serious waterproof will be 20,000mm. It's not a 3-layer jacket. It's going to wet out and then you're going to get wet.

Which, in the summer, is fine. Not so much in the winter, when it's actually cold and you're exposed on fell tops. Especially if something goes wrong and you're having to stop...

My experience is that this a bit more random than you are suggesting. The inner layer on 3 layer jackets adds nothing to the water resistance of the jacket, so saying "it's not 3 layer" isn't necessarily the same as saying "it's not as good as a 3 layer jacket".

That's very categorical. Have you got one? Is that what happened? My experience with lightweight "2 layer" waterproofs, including cheaper ones, has been that they don't leak and don't necessarily wet out. More that they are not very breathable so as soon as I start to sweat, they become unpleasantly clammy then actually wet on the inside, but that's my sweat, not rain from outside.

Without a third layer, the waterproofing seems to always go after 6 months, even if it's excellent to begin with. I presume that having a third layer protects the membrane. I agree there are additional factors, which include things like build quality, dirt, type of use, etc. My comment here (that you quoted) was aimed at the OP stating the Decathlon jacket was 3 layer, as it isn't. But, I would recommend a 3-layer jacket rather than 2-layer to people who want a sturdy, serious hiking and mountaineering waterproof, because I've always found 2 layer jackets deteriorate in waterproofness very quickly.

If Decathlon is only advertising 5000mm HSH, then I think stating that it will wet out is an entirely reasonable assumption.

I was looking at the other linked decathlon jacket that has 25000mm HH

Fair enough! I've only just realised there were two separate links in different comments.

Same here only the other way round. 

In conclusion the first decathlon jacket looks quite good to me albeit not at all lightweight as it describes (I'd go as far to say heavyweight)

The second jacket doesn't look that great, more of a Pac a Mac type jacket that you might carry just in case on a sunny day.

Just to clarify, I'm also referring to your first decathlon link!

You really don’t need a waterproof that can resist a 20 metre column of water to stay comfortable in the rain.

Apologies, I made a complete mess of this, the only Decathlon jacket I meant to refer to is below.  I posted an incorrect link at one stage in this thread which confused everyone, including myself, hands up.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-hiking-lightweight-waterproof-jacket-mh...

I dunno... Personally, I've owned and used 3 x 3-layer jackets: the first was second hand and 10 years old or more, but worked well for a long time before eventually leaking after a good amount of abuse. The second was great and entirely water tight... until the zip and seams went. It was a cheap brand and they refused to fix anything as it was 5 years old. The third is doing great.

I've owned a similar number of 2 layer waterproofs; my partner also owned 2 layer water proofs. All let in a good deal of water in heavy rain. I run in one, but it's basically a windproof.

I'm not saying you always need something heavy duty, but let's not pretend there is no difference between a cheap pacmac type waterproof and a well-made 3 layer mountaineering jacket...

Obviously, we don't dissolve on contact with water, but many so-called waterproofs are useless at keeping water out.

Ok I'm which case my original comments stand, I've used that jacket in prolonged rain on the hill and I'd prefer to be in that rather than something made from the Rab downpour material... As usual with decathlon size can be weird and the hood isn't the greatest design but it's reasonable value for money for reasonable performance

Thank you, good to know.

Have you ever tried a 2 layer (or 2.5 layer in some cases) Goretex Paclite jacket? 15 years ago I thought they were just too sweaty, but the paclite of more recent years seems to be far more breathable and still keeps the water out. It's surprisingly cheap as well in comparison to the 3L goretexes.

There’s a lot of middle ground between your two examples above.  
 

Personally I rarely wear a waterproof and go down the Vapourise style of jacket or alpha direct and a windproof.  I find the majority of the time I’m far more comfortable in this combination with 3 layer being somewhat boil in the bag.  Keeping water out at all costs, also results keeping sweat in at all costs. 

Yes... a windproof is nice most of the time, i.e when it's not raining. But... you wear a vapourise in a downpour? It's like a sponge....! At least, the older model. Not what I'd want to wear on a bitter wet winter day.

Windproofs are great in the rain as well, better than the waterproof style you mention. But just shows we all have our different preferences when it rains, and that 3 layer laminated is far from the only answer and has its own compromises in the rain.

I'd suggest that it's far too short for that sort of use. You'd need overtrousers which is hardly what one wants to get into whilst walking the dog. A common tendency of manufacturer's to produce this sort of unusable stuff.

You might if you're wearing a rucksac which is rubbing off the DWR really quickly and applying pressure to the shoulders and other parts.

If you want a branded fabric fjern offer event for the 100-150 quid mark on sportspursuit. They seem good a guy in work has one. They aren't the latest and greatest but they have everything you need. 2 hand pockets and external drawcords probably similar to the downpour eco only a bit cheaper and made of event.