Most of my hiking is in the rockies...I'm lucky to get in a couple of good hikes each year, preferably in the Winds.

I've been using the Driducks jacket and a Patagonia Houdini combination for a few years, but have had an urge to buy an eVent rain jacket. The added weight of the jacket will no-doubt force the Houdini (which I love) out of the pack. Even then, I still add weight to my pack. By my scales, the Driducks/Houdini combination run 9.3 oz. The Thu-Hiker will run an additional 2 oz., but would be more durable.

My question is for those of you who carry an eVent rain jacket, do you find it breathable enough that you no longer see the necessity of a wind shirt?

I have never hiked in an eVent jacket, but I have used them for cycling quite a bit. It is much more breathable than any Gore-Tex material I have tried. It is a little warmer than a wind shirt, but I have never had a problem with breathability of it. Most pure wind shirts I have had have also been looser fitting than the jacket, so maybe that has to do with why the jacket feels warmer? My preference is for the eVent.

My Rab drillium works great as a wind shirt for me, particularly as there's usually a real chance of rain when/where I hike. When I know it's going to be dry, I'd prefer a houdini purely to save weight.

Mark:

I have an Integral Designs eVent rain jacket, a Driducks rain jacket, and a Patangonia Houdini wind jacket.

I'd say the ID and the Driducks are comparable in breathability -- both of them being highly breathable. For my kind of mostly on-trail hikes, I find the durability of the Driducks jacket acceptable. Indeed, the only durability issue is with the Driducks pants -- which get punctured/worn out much, much quicker. The reason I purchased the ID was more due to its better looks than anything else. I've never liked the Driducks looks -- but that's purely subjective.

The Patagonia Houdini is more breathable than ID / Driducks; however, the latter are breathable enough to service as wind jackets. For me, I carry the Houdini for 3-season day hikes (even if it rains hard, I'm just not that far away from the trail head). But for multiple-day hikes where I want full rain protection, the Houdini stays home.

Hope this helps.

Hi,

I have hiked a lot in rain wearing a Montane Event Quickfire and Superfly jackets and find them very breathable, not as breathbale as a wind shirt but close enough.

Cheers,

Stephen

Edited by stephenm on 12/28/2010 12:42:41 MST.

I've been very surprised by my REI Airflyte eVent jacket when used in place of my windshirt because of expected precipitation on the trail (why bring both when you know you're going to get cold rain?). It breathes great and allowed comfort and dryness with a wool baselayer while hiking up some pretty rigorous inclines.

I've been wondering about this same question (I use a Houdini + O2 Rainshield Jacket). The main reason I haven't made the eVent switch yet is that wearing the Houdini + rain jacket at the same time is a pretty warm combination, comfortable down into the 30s for me while hiking. If I just went with the eVent jacket, I'd need to bring another mid-layer for warmth.

So, for now, no eVent jacket for me. And I can put the money I'm saving towards that Katabatic quilt I've been coveting...

Scott:

Warmth is subjective... but for me, the only time I wear an insulation layer in 30F temp is the first 15-30 minutes or so of my hike. Once active and warmed up, the insulation layer is shedded off.

+1 on not needing insulation once on the move. Me and the folks I hike with usually end up down to just 1 baselayer while on the move (maybe a hat if it is much below 25). I am usually done hiking by the time temps drop into the low teens when the sun goes down, so I don't have much experience to share regarding what to wear at temps around 10*F and below while hiking. Just keep your main insulation layer handy for any map/snack/rest breaks longer than a minute or two. I usually throw on a jacket if I take the pack off.

Once I'm hiking it is shorts and t-shirt unless it is horribly cold or windy. Even in the rain I'd rather hike without a rain jacket 90% of the time because I don't worry about getting wet. I'm worried about staying warm.

I've hiked in snow and low 20s in my shorts. Wind is another matter.... then I lose heat faster than my body is producing it and the jacket & possible insulation layers come out.

I've only used my driducks for one trip, 4 days, two of it raining all day. I have a Westcomb Spectre eVent (10.9 oz, small), that I originally bought for snowboarding.

I was very surprised at how much I liked the driducks. I honestly didn't notice a difference in breathability. If anything, I think the driducks breathed better.
However, that could be the fit and the psychological "feel" of the fabric against my skin.

Opposite to Benjamin, I liked it because it fit better (for hiking) and I liked the fabric. It also packs down smaller, and I didn't feel like I had to baby it. eVent at that weight, tightly rolled/packed, does not like abrasion. The laminate will wear/rubb off. Also it is "stiffer" feeling and a little crunchy.

The driducks is $17 and I wouldn't mind patching it up with duct tape for a while.

I'm even thinking I can do away with my Montane Litespeed and just use the driducks jacket. I use golite reed for pants. Don't get me wrong, I love my eVent, especially for snowboarding and wouldn't know what I'd take on a much longer trip where rain was more of an major issue.

However, with more use of the driducks, and hopefully it not failing on me, the 5-6 oz saved and its $17 price tag will likely make it my main choice over the eVent.

I originally bought the driducks out of curiosity, backup for friends/loaners and to save time used on my far more expensive eVent. So far is has exceeded my expectations..

scott ... where did you find dri duckies in van?

i was looking for them ...

I have a Houdini wind jacket, an O2 Rainwear jacket and the ID eVent Rain Jacket. I only ever take one of these jackets with me on a trip. I should point out though, that our weather in southern/central CA is generally very stable and forecasts a few days out are usually pretty good, so...

If I'm expecting no rain or only a very slight chance of it, I bring along the Houdini. If I'm expecting a good chance of rain or worse, then I bring the rain jacket and use it both as a shell and a wind shirt. I used to use the O2 jacket for rainy days but recently switched to the ID eVent jacket because I wanted something more durable, but still very breathable, for our brushy trails.

In practice, for me, all of these jackets are tolerable to hike in only when it's cold or I'm not working very hard. I run really hot and sweat a lot, so I end up heating up like crazy in anything more substantial than shorts and a t-shirt and will soak through my base layers from sweat. None of the waterproof/breathable fabrics breathe enough for me. YMMV.

More often than not, I just hike in my shorts and t-shirt in the rain/wind and pull out the wind jacket or rain shell for breaks or around camp.

I have found eVENT to subjectively seenw a bit more breathable than Dri Ducks... but it isn't a big difference. Not like the difference between DriDucks and say the Marmot Preclip. On many multi-day trips I often use the DriDucks as a wind shirt.

When the wind isn't blowing I am happy wearing just my base layer in >30F conditions. When it's above 50F I don't need a windshirt. Between 30-50F I found DriDucks works well enough if I keep my activity level down to something reasonable.

I love my houdini, but it increasingly has become an around the town, day hike, winter item.

--Mark