Before I get started, has anybody noticed how truly dreadful the photographs are for this blog? It’s nothing to be proud of. To my defense though, have you ever attempted to photograph clothing? It’s really hard. I know that doesn’t explain the blurry fork or the high contrast sleeping pad. There’s composition and then there is picture quality. Clothing is difficult to compose (without a model) and my camera’s flash is unreasonably bright – but disabling the flash results in a longer exposure time and thus a higher potential for blurry pictures.
Hello! Today’s talk will be on the rain coat a.k.a. the “shell”. My shell is the bee’s knees my friends. Put out by Cannondale, this number comes in “high visibility yellow” with a pocket in the front and a pocket on the lower back. It is “highly water resistant” but not waterproof. I suspect that I will learn to appreciate the difference between the two while on the trip, but for this jacket I was willing to sacrifice the “proof” for a more versatile and breathable jacket.
Here are some things to look for in a rain jacket:
- Visibility: None of us look cool wearing “high visibility yellow”, but consider that the only time you will be wearing this jacket is in the rain, which is perfect conditions for low visibility. So for safety purposes, pick a color that drivers can see in a storm.
- Portability: Some rain jackets are quite bulky. I noticed this mostly with the waterproof jackets that I tried on, as the material tends to be thicker than those that are just water resistant. You want something that easily packs away so it doesn’t become a nuisance during times of nice weather.
- Waterproof vs Water Resistant: Waterproof = stops water from reaching your skin whereas water resistant = does not. Conversely, that which does not allow water to penetrate tends not to allow water to escape. So even if the rain water ain’t coming in, trapped in heat and sweat could still result in a swampy and very wet situation underneath the jacket. In short, you are looking for the ideal combination between internal breathability and external water deflection.
- Versatility: Some rain coats are more versatile than others. The one that I picked up can be turned into a light vest by removing the two sleeves. I have seen several jackets with this feature and it is quite useful for those light mists during hot days. What I like about the jacket that I purchased is that the top portion is held together with the bottom portion through about 9 embedded magnets. This makes removing the top portion much smoother than, say, dealing with velcro or zippers.
- Wind Resistance: Most rain jackets are also wind resistant. For packing purposes, try to get a jacket that handles both the wind and the rain well.
- Business in the Front / Party in the Back: Some shells do not have a front zipper. I find this limiting when it comes to breathability and also annoying to get on and off. Also, the rain jacket you bought for your hiking trip may be pretty sweet for the trail but may not do the trick while on the bike. When buying any upper body clothing for a bike, look for a long waist and long arm length. This is because you will spend most of your time leaning forward while pedaling. Not following this tip can lead to ass exposure and wet ass crack syndrome, which are precursors to swamp ass.