-1

My $500 rain jacket failed during a freak hailstorm in Denver last spring

I was hiking up near Red Rocks when the sky just opened up with marble sized hail out of nowhere. The jacket I dropped 500 bucks on started leaking through the zipper seams after only 10 minutes. Has anybody found a rain shell that actually holds up when the weather really goes sideways?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_christopher20h ago

That's rough, sorry that happened to you. I've had similar issues with expensive jackets where the waterproofing just gives up at the worst moment. For my money, I've had good luck with Patagonia's Torrentshell - it's not fancy but the zipper flaps and sealed seams held up during a nasty sleet storm last winter up in the mountains. The key I've found is making sure you wash and re-treat the DWR coating every season, because even the best shells will wet out eventually if you don't maintain them.

logan52520h ago

Three times. That's how many times my "waterproof" jacket failed on me during a single rainy weekend at a music festival. I finally gave up and just stood under someone's tent canopy like a wet cat. I know the DWR thing is important, but honestly half the time I forget until I'm already soaked through and cursing my own laziness. At this point I'm convinced the whole outdoor gear industry is just selling us expensive hopes and dreams with a lifetime warranty.