UKH

Went for a run in the hills in the cold, wind and rain on Sunday and came back soaked in spite of wearing an OMM Halo jacket. I do run hot but this was way beyond even my levels of sweatiness so I’m pretty certain it was the jacket failing. Bit disappointed as I expected better from OMM.

Any advice on a good waterproof jacket would be appreciated. The Ronhill Shakedry sounds ideal but they don’t seem to be available anymore.

And suggestions for waterproof gloves would also be good as my ‘waterproof’ Sealskinz ain’t…

cheers

 
 

In reply to Kes:

Inov8 stormshell? Montane minimus? Might be worth a look at

In reply to Kes:

Montane Spine is excellent

In reply to Kes:

Used the Rab Kinetic Ultra on the Ring of Steall Race last year - pretty happy with it's breathability and it held up ok in the clag and rain on the tops. There's a UKC review here: https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/clothing/waterproofs/rab_kinetic_ultra_phan... 

In reply to Kes:

The OMM Halo is a good lightweight jacket. I have one and use it in the summer and it's great. When it comes to winter I wouldn't use it if the weather is anything other than tropical. It's kept me warm when retiring from a race at the top of the hill, in June but not typical June weather (well, for the Lakes what is typical)

From those suggested so far - Minimus is lightweight and similar to Halo so maybe not best for winter. I understand that the Shakedry is quite good at falling apart/ripping/wearing, and has been discontinued, the replacement may be better. I don't know the Stormshell or the Kinetic ultra. I have heard good things about the Montane Spine and intend to use it to replace my now-8-year-old crapout weather jacket which is starting to lag in performance.

When it comes to jackets to use in winter, don't get all excited about the lightweight or cheap ones. I now have 2 jackets - lightweight for summer/race kit; heavier (often with a named fabric - gortex, eVent, the right pertex - and preferably 3 layer construction) for winter. Heavier and more pricy, but much more functional (and safe) in winter/sumemr crapout weather.

Many like one item which does everything (performance, price, weight, makes you look hawt and fast) but you can't really have all 3. If you can only get one, I'd suggest getting a heavier warmer one, then if you're keen on running also having a lighter one for racing/summer. As you already have a Halo there's no point getting a minimus or similar, so if you're doing winter stuff look at something like the Spine.

In reply to HomerTheFat:

This^

In reply to Kes:

I asked this question last year and ended up getting the Mountain Equipment Firefly jacket, best decision ever - it's a lovely jacket and I've ran a marathon and the Welsh 3000s in it and it was awesome. Also wore it hiking a few times in bad rain and it's performed well.

In reply to Kes:

Take at look at this one. Excellent price and review back in December.

 https://harrierrunfree.co.uk/

In reply to Kes:

I run hot as well and decided to take an (expensive) plunge and get a goretex shakedry jacket.. The Gore R7 to be exact if you want to look it up. I was fed up of claims of breathability and then getting soaked every time I wore it from the inside and out due to the DWR failing and other problems. The shakedry fabric is next level! It really does breath even when working hard and there is no need to reproof it as its basically permanently beading due to the membrane fabric being on the outside. This version of the fabric is also more durable as initial versions were quite fragile and you couldnt wear a vest etc but that is no longer the case. 

If you are going to spend ±£200 on a montane or rab running jacket you may as well cough up a bit more for a jacket that will really do the job IMO. 

It only comes in one colour though... black ! 

In reply to Kes:

The Halo isn't particularly breathable. I find it good as an emergency layer or for kit checks but if I'm going to be spending a long day in the rain I'll use something else.

In reply to Kes:

I use the Solomon bonatti trail (got it cheap on sportshoes) and it has worked a treat,  nice and light and has kept me dry so far

In reply to Garethza:

Yep.  Gore shakedry is incredible.  It really does 'exactly what is says on the tin'.

In reply to Kes:

Love my Montane Minimus - had it a couple of years and have used it plenty, always happy with functionality.  It does feel a bit light and flimsy for 'epic' conditions, but it's great for general use.

In reply to Graham T:

I have the Bonnati Pro, great for summer but not really warm enough for winter or really foul days, also the hood is totally crap.

In reply to pjcollinson:

It's not a bad jacket at all at that price point. In terms of fabric performance it's very similar to a Salomon Bonatti jacket I have, but with a much better hood and nice touches like pit zips and thumb holes in the cuffs. Also has a quieter and stretchier face fabric.

On the negative side it's quite long in the body and a bit baggy on the arms for a running jacket, but at least it doesn't ride up and it keeps your bum dry.

They've also gone a bit OTT with lots of pockets and a gimmicky 'turns into a bumbag' feature that (IMHO) just add weight and bulk.

Customer service is good, I noticed a small section of seam tape seemed to be lifting. I sent them a couple of photos and said I was happy to stick another section of tape over it, but they might want to check their QA processes. They apologised, told me to keep the old one and fix it if I wanted, and also sent me a new jacket. Which I thought was nice of them.

In reply to Kes:

I'd get something made from Gore-Tex Active. I bought a Montane Spine pull on a few years ago for winter running and it's been really good. Noticeably more breathable than my summer Pertex jacket.

In reply to HomerTheFat:

I bought mine quite a few years ago and it's been awful. It's leaked for ages. I use it at heavy windproof rather than a full Waterproof. Quite disappointed really.

Atm I don't need another waterproof, but I had good it would be better then it has been. 

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

I'm surprised that the pro is rubbish,  mine works well with the elastic.  Wonder if they are different.

The only annoyance is that you can't make the face hole smaller using pull cords as there are none

In reply to HomerTheFat:

^^^ This Again

also for gloves I have just got a pair of decathlon waterproof over mitts and so far think they are great but only used them on a couple of wet hill runs so far but they have held up well. Love the wrist leashes on them. Think the were just under £20. 
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/adult-mountain-trekking-over-gloves-mt500-wat...

In reply to Graham T:

Yes lack of pull tabs is annoying and the unwired peak doesn't help either, works OK if you wear a cap under it.

In reply to 99ster:

I read Gore-Tex Shakedry was being / may already have been discontinued 

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/shakedry-fabric-is-set-to-be-retired-by-go...

In reply to elliot.baker:

That's a great shame.  It's hugely popular for cycling....  Might be time to snap up what's left and stash it away - I bet it will become even more expensive once it's no longer available.  It's already gone from the Arcteryx trail running range....and it looks like Rapha are down to XS only.

In reply to Kes: its being duscontinued as sadly they're struggling to get materials, so its been sacrificed so they can keep on making pro etc.

I tried on a cheap Adidas jacket a couple weeks ago, and in terms of cut and design it was the best I've seen for ages.  Also i liked the price .. if you need to wear one of the very lightweight jacket everyday or so through the winter you shouldn't expect a long life

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

Agree. The hood on my Bonatti (elastic band across the forehead) is all over the place in wind. OK with a peaked cap, as you say.

In reply to Kes:

They are all absolute garbage. Never found one that keeps me dry, however they do keep you warm when it gets grim. I have dozens and the one I always take cost me £30 from go outdoors. 

In reply to JWTM:

I'll play the opposite side of the coin. I've been exceptionally disappointed with my Kinetic Ultra. Material is not that waterproof, breathing isn't what I'd expected, and it wets out pretty much from day 1. Was a step back from my OMM eVent jacket.

But, the hood...that is its saving grace. It's great. 

In reply to Kes:

I found a Berghaus Changste jacket in TK Maxx for £47!! I wasn't sure if it was quite what I wanted but decided to give it a go at that price. I have been using it a fair bit the last few weeks, this week in a very wet and wild Argyll, and I am super impressed with it. I would recommend it

In reply to Kes:

Thanks all for the insights and suggestions. Gave me plenty to google instead of working today.
A run this evening has convinced me that it was an issue with the jacket so I guess I’ll be going gear shopping. Now i just have to come up with a convincing argument for why I need to spend so much on jacket…

cheers
 

In reply to Kes:

whilst the point may be moot as it's being discontinued, I think one issue with Shakedry garments and running is that they don't withstand being under a rucksack/bumbag even more so than fabric-topped waterproofs.

In reply to Kes:

I also tend to run hot and have been using the Alpkit Gravitas https://alpkit.com/products/gravitas-mens over the last 12 months or so, with good results. It's a pretty minimalist jacket, but provides decent protection and packs away very small when not in use.

In reply to Nic Barber:

I think this is no longer the case. There is a new more durable version of shakedry made for hiking/running which is not as light as the cycling type fabric but means it can handle a bag and getting scuffed a bit more. See the review here:  youtube.com/watch?v=9F8WgAhbsfo&

In reply to Kes:

Climbers shop had the Montane Spine down to £137 in their sale, unsurprising at that price they were selling fast, they had no Large's left in Ambleside or online, might be worth a look if you are smaller sized

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

Cheers but all gone in my size and almost every other. No surprise at that price!!

In reply to Kes:

Berghaus Hyper 100 might be worth considering. Insanely light.

In reply to LJ2606:

I too have had the Alpkit gravitas for four years now, it’s held up pretty well, even withstanding a blow from a charging stag, it’s like beskar. The hoods good too

In reply to Nic Barber:

Hi Nic, have to agree with you that I’ve been a bit hard on the Halo. Been out today in similar wind and temps but dry and it’s kept me very comfortable. It is asking too much for such a lightweight jacket to deal with everything.

Cheers for the insights, given me plenty to chew over