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April Showers: Buy the Right Rain Gear

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Rain gear has come a long way since the yellow plastic anoraks of our youth. Today there’s a huge array of waterproof clothing, each with specific functions and forms: ultralights that pack down tiny for the fast-and-light purist, stretchy pieces with venting options for hard and athletic activity, and strong and sturdy shells that will last you years.

What Rain Gear is right for you?

Well, it depends on what you’re using it for. (You didn’t think this would be simple did you?)

For any type of athletic activity, you’ll want something waterproof and breathable. Waterproof so you stay dry, and breathable so you don’t overheat. A good rule is, the more you’re working, the more breathable your garment should be.

How Does Rain Gear Work?

In a nutshell, waterproof breathable fabric has a high surface energy that prevents liquid water from passing through it, but allows water vapor to escape. Rain doesn’t get to your skin, and your sweat can evaporate, both of which helps you stay comfortable and dry.

The sweat passes through, and the rain stays out.

What does “waterproof” actually mean?

Good question. A fabric is classified as 100% waterproof if it keeps water at a pressure of 25 PSI from passing through it.

To put this into perspective, a hard rain generates about 2 PSI. While this doesn’t seem like much, any activity increases this pressure. If you weigh 170 pounds, just sitting creates about 7 PSI, while kneeling creates about 18. Now imagine bumping into boulders, trees, and wearing a backpack. Strap on a 40-pound pack can push the pressure to 30 PSI as it moves and shifts throughout the day.

Also, dirt and body oils contaminate the garment, lowering its surface energy – and its waterproofness. Cleaning will restore some of its protection, but it will never be as waterproof as the day you bought it. So you’ll often lose a little waterproofness as time wears on. Be sure to take all this into account when buying raingear.

What about Breathability?

Breathability ratings are far more subjective. First off, there’s no standard test like that for waterproofness. And more importantly, not everyone sweats the same. But breathability is still important. A plastic bag is waterproof, but since it doesn’t breathe it will collect moisture on the inside which could make you cold and uncomfortable.

What did we learn?