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Light, bright, breathable rain jacket

BCKRider

Kbiker
Maybe I am asking for the impossible - but you never know until you ask.

I have a several year old Fieldsheer two piece rain suit. While the pants are still great, the jacket developed zipper problems. Since the jacket also has a front Velcro closure, I didn't have the zipper replaced. This jacket also has to function as gear for fishing as well as riding in the rain. On a fishing trip in a downpour, I found the shoulders and arms of my jacket were soaked - NOT caused by the bad zipper.

My Rev'it suit came with a rain liner, but I hate to use it for summer showers when the weather can either turn hot and sunny in minutes or else become a downpour. So I like the idea of a light, easily packable rain jacket for both riding and fishing. And I like a bright color to make me more visible in low visibility riding conditions. (I don't ride at night, so reflection is not a consideration.) Breathability would be a plus, but lowest on my priorities. Price is not a major factor.

Your suggestions?
 
I called around to local safety supply stores. Found a breathable neon green/yellow work rain jacket and pants, a couple of sizes larger than my norm, for slipping over the riding gear. I think the jacket was $59 or $69 (Open Road 150D Rip Stop by Alliance Mercantile Inc. - Montreal). Bib pants might have been a bit more (same company, Viking Journeyman 3000). Besides being a rain suit, it doubles as a wind breaker over my mesh riding gear in cooler temperatures. It rolls down smaller than my Motoport rainer liners, but I doubt as small as a Frogg-Toggs suit.
 
Frog togs are probably fine, even crossing over from motorcycling to fishing...
But I wouldn't stake my life or safety on such a product. Gore-Tex is a professional grade product.
People DO stake their lives on its dependability every day, in many ways across a broad spectrum of usages.
You may be paying a bit extra for brand recognition,
But at the end of the day...

You get what you pay for.
 
Frog togs are probably fine, even crossing over from motorcycling to fishing...
But I wouldn't stake my life or safety on such a product. Gore-Tex is a professional grade product.
People DO stake their lives on its dependability every day, in many ways across a broad spectrum of usages.
You may be paying a bit extra for brand recognition,
But at the end of the day...

You get what you pay for.

I believe the OP's looking for an over jacket, not riding protection.
Note that they are sized to fit over your MC gear, may be a bit baggy for fishing, but I've used mine for campground duty with no issues. I wear a Darien suit 90% of the time, but have a mesh jacket for extreme heat. The Frogg Toggs work well over the mesh jacket, and are always on the bike.
 
I believe the OP's looking for an over jacket, not riding protection.
Note that they are sized to fit over your MC gear, may be a bit baggy for fishing, but I've used mine for campground duty with no issues. I wear a Darien suit 90% of the time, but have a mesh jacket for extreme heat. The Frogg Toggs work well over the mesh jacket, and are always on the bike.

I want to thank all of you for your thoughtful replies. Believe I will go with a Frogg Toggs jacket. But there are many models. Any suggestions for visibility and small storage space? Hard to be a smart consumer these days. Just yesterday my wife sent me out to buy groceries with a list which contained three packages of toilet paper for $5.98 each. Turned out there were THREE VARIETIES all on sale for the same price. Not the sort of choice any man should have to make. Didn't get hell from my wife this time on my best guess. Got lucky.
 
I use military issue Goretex parka. It goes on quickly over my mesh jacket. I slip on a hi viz vest and off I go. It has a long zipper on the bottom side of the arm and a huge back vent so air goes thru while staying dry. Ebay has them for about $65. I suggest the desert camo as they are lighter construction. I don't feel clammy but I stay dry.
 
"I have a several year old Fieldsheer two piece rain suit. While the pants are still great, the jacket developed zipper problems. "

I too have an old Fieldsheer suit....with the exact opposite problem. Jacket still fine. The pants got burned badly when some dummy :brow laid them across the seat& let them touch the exhaust...

So I'm looking for a set of Frog-Togg pants.
 
I've used F-Togs for over 6 years, through some extremely heavy rains, and have always come away from the rides dry. You don't necessarily have to spend a ton of money to get a quality product, and the Togs step up to the plate. Cabella's carries the F-Tog with high visibility lines across the back. along with both zipper and Velcro closures. As many have already stated on this thread, the product provides a great bang for the buck....and the best reason for considering them is that they don't make you sweat underneath while wearing, but also provide a good measure of warmth if needed for an overcoat for those days when it ends up being colder out there on the road than what you expected it to be.....
 
I bought a high viz Olympia a few years ago and it without the liners it is very comfy and definitely watertight and good through about three seasons and four with a liner. Of course we are in the Midwest so light perhaps means different scales of reference in terms of temps.

I travel with it in the summer though and with the vents open it really breathes well, and easy to close them if it starts to rain. With the ft though you could at least wear mesh if you chose to until the rain comes.
 
Maybe I am asking for the impossible - but you never know until you ask.

I have a several year old Fieldsheer two piece rain suit. While the pants are still great, the jacket developed zipper problems. Since the jacket also has a front Velcro closure, I didn't have the zipper replaced. This jacket also has to function as gear for fishing as well as riding in the rain. On a fishing trip in a downpour, I found the shoulders and arms of my jacket were soaked - NOT caused by the bad zipper.

My Rev'it suit came with a rain liner, but I hate to use it for summer showers when the weather can either turn hot and sunny in minutes or else become a downpour. So I like the idea of a light, easily packable rain jacket for both riding and fishing. And I like a bright color to make me more visible in low visibility riding conditions. (I don't ride at night, so reflection is not a consideration.) Breathability would be a plus, but lowest on my priorities. Price is not a major factor.

Your suggestions?

Have you looked at Mountain Equipment Co-op? They carry many products with brand name and their own lines at lower cost. They have really great guarantee and return policies if products don't work the way you would like. I use them an lot for layering clothing for both bicycling and motorcycling. And they are always close to a bicycle or transit routes. :ca
 
I want to thank all of you for your thoughtful replies. Believe I will go with a Frogg Toggs jacket. But there are many models. Any suggestions for visibility and small storage space? Hard to be a smart consumer these days. Just yesterday my wife sent me out to buy groceries with a list which contained three packages of toilet paper for $5.98 each. Turned out there were THREE VARIETIES all on sale for the same price. Not the sort of choice any man should have to make. Didn't get hell from my wife this time on my best guess. Got lucky.

A guy that doesn't know what brand of toilet paper his wife prefers - probably needs indoctrination?:laugh
Rain jacket: there are literally hundreds of them out there-price point matters, then brand/model at that price. Try Backpacker reviews & REI reviews. I like my Marmot in black. It isn't as nice as the one it replaced that had a mesh liner but works fine. Cost varies with source. For high end at lower price search Sierra Trading Post. Ebay/Amazon too. Forget about the color & buy a cheapo, bright safety vest to wear over whatever you have on. In a pinch Wally World for non-breathable "dry for awhile" jacket. The best "regular ones" have underarm vents too which will get rained in on a bike. Basic difference in walking in the rain vs. flying down the road.
 
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