i've been searching through the rain shell reviews here on BPL, trying to find what my options are for a hoodless, light, breathable rain shell, but i'm having trouble finding what i'm looking for. is anyone here aware of a hoodless shell on the market in either eVent or PacLite?

also, if anybody here can answer a question about hoodless shells, that would be great. do they typically have any kind of adjustment for the neck? i have an REI Ultralight (that's the model name, anyway) that has a removeable hood but i must have a skinny neck - the neck opening is quite large for me. i'd really like to switch to a hat/hoodless shell combo. thanks.

GoLite makes a jacket called the rage. It's a hoodless rainshell made from Paclite and costs $200. I haven't used it so I can't tell you too much about it.

Colleen, you might like to look at some cycling jacket options. I know MEC at mec.ca do a removable hood, female specific option called the Zik, I think.

There must be others around though.

Cheers, Rod

I use a combination of a windshirt over a light weight fleece. Keeps you nice and dry and eliminates the wait of a rain jacket.

Check out the cycling manufacturers, definitely some there. Sierra Designs used to make a hoodless jacket out of Entrant DT fabric--which rated pretty well in BPL's breathability tests. It was called something creative like "DT Jacket," one of several DT models. I saw some in REI clearance a while back, but not since then. There are probably some still out there.
-Mark

I'll second the cycling jacket comment. Pearl Izumi makes some hoodless jackets in eVent. I found that the elasticated waist and high neck weren't terribly comfortable but if the fit works for you, you might try the Channel jacket. Performance Bike has '04 closeouts in blue for $100, but only have them left in size Medium now.

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=20675&item=10-5841&slitrk=search&slisearch=true

Man, I wish this jacket fit me better!

Anybody ever tried cutting a hood off of an Integral Designs rain jacket? I don't sew, so I'm not sure what problems might arise...a neck "hem" wouldn't need to be taped, would it? Or would and untaped/unsealed edge somehow allow water to penetrate where it was cut? I like the ID jacket, but hate the hood. Dang, I'm just not lucky with jackets.

thanks, everybody. erich, after getting hypothermia while trying to ue an epic-fabric jakcet as a rain shell, i will never again rely on the combination you recommend. that would probably work great for mist & drizzle, but i'm in s. California and our rain pretty much tends to be flood-creating solid downpours.

i'll take a look at cycling gear, as recommended. thanks again.

https://www.pacecycles.com/product.asp?catID=4&subcat=469

http://www.gillbike.com/garment.php?cat=1&id=1

http://www.gillbike.com/garment.php?cat=1&id=2

http://showerspass.com/cart/product_info.php?cPath=21_25&products_id=29&osCsid=3410323c292f31c4268f0b3c6698437e

Also Pear Izumi did make 4 eVENT jackets but they are not listed on their site anymore. They were call the Channel, Forte, Allergo, and Encore.

I actually live not too far from you then. It has worked very well for me. I do however like the cycling jacket idea. I have looked at them before, and most tend to be very light, but are also pretty expensive (at least the ones I have seen).

I've heard nothing but good things about the Shower's Pass Elite jacket (it's made of eVent). However, I don't know how lightweight it is - it's a cycling jacket and so has lots of zippers and a zippered back pocket. I've become a huge fan of my Montbell stretch wind jacket, but it's not waterproof...

"Sierra Designs used to make a hoodless jacket out of Entrant DT fabric--which rated pretty well in BPL's breathability tests. It was called something creative like "DT Jacket," one of several DT models"


XL size only, but just $40
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/206,44438_Sierra-Designs-DT-Jacket-Water-Resistant-For-Men.html

I haven't bought any of MEC's recent offerings for cycling, but MEC has an unusually cycling-savvy selection of gear. I bought their Bernoulli cycling jacket quite a long time ago and still feel it is one of the best cycling rain jackets I ever bought (though heavy, but the polyester shell fabric sheds water much better than nylon). When you see a company that incorporates lots of venting options in their cycling clothes then you know that they do a lot of cycling themselves.

You may want to check out Burley Designs, a US-based cycling cooperative (Eugene, Oregon... where people really know their rain) that makes some of the best cycling rain gear around. They've been making their rainwear since the early 80's, when their rain jackets were the standard for touring in the rain.

MontBell makes some very nice cycling rain gear, but I'm not sure if they sell them in the States. My one complaint about their cycling rain gear is that they have few venting options. During all my years of cycling touring I have never been comfortable with cycling rain gear that doesn't breathe well, especially when slogging up those mountain roads when it's pouring. Even today I still use my Bernoulli for long tours. It may be heavy, but it really works.

Edited by butuki on 04/14/2006 10:48:37 MDT.