Light weight raingear...?

My ST was heavily burdened on a two up 3000 mis ride last year. 3/4th thru we sent our camping gear home to lighten up. Am now trying to re-claim camping thru paring down the weight of our gear.

Got a 3 lb 3 man tent on the way. NeoAirs will replace heavier Thermarests. Down replaces synthetic bags. May even do without morning coffee :eek1 ...until I can break camp and get some place.

I'm trying to think like ultra light backpackers and loose the ounces and let the pounds take care of themselves. Our ancient Motoport one pieces are effective...but there has got to be lighter stuff out there than this 10 yr old stuff. Needs to be lightweight and up to a 3 week ride, rain or no rain. Suggestions?

Frogg Toggs. Get the motorcycle set. Of course wear them over armor. In the summer it's nice to have mesh top and pants then pull out the Frogg Toggs when it rains. They breath too but no wind or water.

I'm kinda mixed about Frogg Toggs. I had a top in an all day frog strangler wick thru on me... However two up I would normally not press on in that much rain....and they are light and inexpensive (unlike NeoAirs :huh). Worthy of consideration, thanks...

I wear a fieldsheer one piece rain suit. Coming from backpacker experience this is not the lightest garment but it sure works keeping me dry during a recent four day rain soaked trip. It folds into its own pocket for storage. Fieldsheet thought it would be nice to sew straps and a plastic buckle into the pocket so it could be worn as a fanny pack. Cutting those off with a razor dropped the weight by 20-30%. Now if you really want to save weight cut the handles off your toothbrushes!

I like Frogg Toggs rain gear, its breathable, light weight and doesn't take up much space.

And, they will work great for years. I had a set I purchassed 5 years ago the worked great for 3 years, but were looking ragged. I purchassed a set 2 years ago, and they leaked. Apparently there was a QC issue, but it has since been fixed. The latest set I got is as good as the first set I had.

Jim

The set I had didn't leak for the first few hours of an all day rain ride...but once they started it was pretty bad. Maybe I should a new set and give them another try... but I'm a little afraid of getting in the middle of a 2 week trip and them failing. I guess I could get a set and just take a local trip next time it rains as a test...

frog togs, like worn as an outer layer?

Ive got a set of them ( xmas gift)
and I have not been clear on what I would use them for bikewise.

OVER the normal riding gear to keep it all dry. I use the hood under my helmet to keep the rain from running down my back.

They are also great for keeping out the wind for a bit of warmth when caught riding with just mesh gear and it get's colder.

Jim

Ok, so it has to be pretty oversized then > Ill dig mine out of the closet and check it out.

thanks!

Another vote here for Frgg Toggs! Light weight and breathable!
The suit has worked for 7 years!
I wash every 2 years with NikWax!

tourmaster makes great stuff. they have gear for everyone's budget. they stand behind their warranty as well. i have heard of frog toggs shreading.

Most Frog Togs already come oversized. If you purchase a large, and you typically wear a large in gear, it should fit over it. It is designed that way.

I am XX, and my XX togs are almost too loose over my gear.

Jim

I've never seen that. They are made of Tyvek, and you can't even tear them without seriously cutting them first. Certainly no wind blast from riding with cause them to tear.

Jim

I tried a pair of Frogg Toggs for several months. Every time it rained my crotch got wet. Seems they don't work well if you're sitting in water. The jacket seemed to work well but it does tend to flap around quite a bit in 40-50mph wind. I purchased size XL (wear XL jackets BTW) and it fit quite well over my armored jacket. I bought the set with the chest high pants and velcro closure (instead of plastic snaps on other models) over the front jacket zipper. I've gone back to my good old standby Teknic 2 piece PVC suit.

As an alternative to Frogg Toggs, backpackers and cyclists like O2 Rainwear by RainShield.

Frogg Toggs Road Toad rain suits have served me very well.

My use included many rides in all day rain and a storm that had a tornado on one side. Once I got caught in a freak downpour before i could get my Frogg Toggs on. After putting on the Frogg Toggs my riding gear underneath managed to dry itself over the next hour even though it was raining. I have also used them as an extra outside layer when I found I was riding in weather much colder than expected.

I had some issues with the material balling up. it still kept water out but looked horrible. Frogg Toggs sent me out a replacement with no hassle at all once I sent them pictures.

I learned that to stay watertight you need to take care putting them on: Make sure you pull the pants way up and the jacket down or you can get a wet crotch. It is also important that the pant legs are down over the top of your boots or they can do a great job directing water into the boots. the sleeves need to go over your waterproof gloves 9this is true of any raingear). I have heard of people putting on the hood under their helmet. I never did that but took care to make sure the neck was snug so water wouldn't run down my neck.

My negatives have been that the snaps are very small and hard to use with gloves on. The material doesn't like to be pulled on too hard (like when puling the sleeves over gloves) or the outside finish can wear off (but it stays watertight.)

It packs very small and can be squished down even smaller so there is little reason not to have it with you in your topcase,

..Tom

ps:

Some other observations:

-the fact you have the raingear with you reduces the likelyhod of encountering rain by a huge amount.

-Often the simple act of putting on your raingear seems to stop the rain.

-If it looks like rain and you are with a group, if at least one person stops and puts on the rain gear it often reduces the rain to an occasional light shower.

-If you leave your raingear at home then you will probably encounter torrential downpours.

+1

Motoport / Cycleport goretex rain gear. I've had mine for 15 years now. The Velcro is getting a bit ratty but it always keeps me dry. http://www.motoport.com/_product_35444/Aero-Tex_Rain_Jacket

I have a one piece Motoport that has served me well for 15 years and that I will continue to use one up. My wife has a West Marine 2 piece. They are both effective at turning rain...but I have been going thru all our gear trying to loose 20 lbs. Tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cooking gear all reviewed and (expensively) replaced.

I was thinking something in Silnylon...but maybe I should give Frogg Toggs another chance. I had gotten my last set dirty hunting and had washed them so maybe that contributed to the failure...