Miguel just posted about this in a FS thread, and I had to bring it up here to see what other people thought -

It's apparently a 150g cagoule, made by a small Japanese company. 150g. That's 300g lighter than a Campmor Cascade II cagoule and 500g lighter than a Hilleberg Bivanorak. And the cost is less than $50.

Here's a link: http://www.isuka.co.jp/product/detail.asp?id=89&mode=2&bf=1

As a huge fan of cagoules, I'm really intrigued. Other than the fact that it might be cut a bit short for a 180cm guy and the fact that it's only available in Japan, I can't see any downsides. I have to wonder about that weight spec though.

- Christian

Christian, I posted about this the other day, too (I gather that's where you associated this with me? (^J^)/" ). I also really love cagoules and am perplexed that almost no one makes them any more. For the mountains they work much better than ponchos, catching less wind, and they are great garments to use for waiting out storms, because you can pull them over your knees and create a dry space to sit in (one reason I don't like the MontBell cagoule is that you can't pull it over your knees when you crouch down). The extra length makes them eliminate the need for rain pants, plus, if they are blousy, like ponchos, they can also accommodate a pack underneath. You can even use them for when you need to change your clothes in a tarp or for going to the toilet! If someone would make a cagoule out of eVent I would snatch it up without a moment's hesitation (pending bad design, of course!).

I tried the Isuka cagoule on about two weeks ago. I am 180 cm, too, and it fit fine, going right to the knees... probably would have been better to just below the knees. The material is really feather light, almost too light for a rain garment. I'm not sure the thin urethane coating could stand up to much heavy rain, but from what Isuka's website says, it's not meant for the that. Too bad they don't make the cagoule out of silnylon. The drawcords and hood are very basic, without much thought about ergonomics. I guess the hood is good enough for if you wear a baseball cap, but not much beyond that. The big, loose sleeves are good for ventilation, but make putting a pack over the cagoule somewhat awkward; the fabric keeps getting bunched up under the shoulder straps, plus they are a little short for my arms. I might just buy the cagoule to try it and see how it fares, and then use the pattern to design and sew my own cagoule.

The cagoule I really like is one from TarasBoulba (an affiliate of Asics). It's quite a bit heavier than the Isuka cagoule, but the cut is wonderful and it simply works (the area over the knees is cut higher than the back, allowing you see better when you are climbing steep trails.

Edited by butuki on 07/11/2007 18:22:53 MDT.

If you like that, you might also want to look at the 5 oz Integral Designs Silcoat Cape. It's not a Cagoule, of course, but it provides similar coverage.

I've been using one recently and I'm starting to like it better than a rain jacket/pack liner combo. It's lighter and provides better weather protection than most ponchos, while still maintaining good ventilation.

Cheers,

-Mike

Edited by MikeMartin on 07/11/2007 18:48:19 MDT.

That Asics cagoule does look nice! I agree that an eVent cagoule like the Asics one or even a long one like the Bivanorak would be an immediate purchase for me.

Even a very light silnylon cagoule would be great. I may buy the REI one and some silnylon seconds from thruhiker this winter and borrow my mom's sewing machine. I could practice with some cotton sheets first, I suppose.

After getting very wet on Scafell Pike last week I've decided that hip-length jackets just don't work in the rain and that the Aussie approach of a mid-thigh/just above the knee length jacket is more practical- no-cold-rain-on-groin issues and you don't need rain pants if you've got gaiters. It's what I used to wear in Tasmania and the Australian alps and for ski touring and it worked well. So I'm also hoping for a longer length eVent jacket made with one of the lighter face fabrics. MB used to make a longish Versalite coat but they dropped it last year, so I am looking for something like the Asics. (Just to be picky, the Asics is a coat not a cag - you can see that it has buttons/flap all the way down.)

Hey, Isuka have a new website - cool!

Thanks for your post. I tried to use your link to the TarasBulba site and got only an error message. Can you give me another address on which to find the cagoule you mentioned?