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My rain pants are coated nylon and I too question bothering to take them in August. In May you'll want to stay dry because there's always a windy cold front that follows rain.

I have two high quality anorak style (pullover) tops. They are exactly the same design. One is coated nylon with a moisture disbursing liner and the other is GoreTex. Both are >15 yrs old and work as well as new after ironing or DWR treatments. The GoreTex is far more comfortable.

The shell needs to be clean for GoreTex to work properly. Once the shell is saturated, moisture will begin to condense and you will get damp in that area. For me, it's the arms and shoulders. I wonder how often condensation is mistaken for leakage. None of mine leak anywhere to my knowledge.

There are two things I really like about my jacket. The wrists have adjustable neoprene cuffs so paddling is still dry and the hand-warmer pockets are above the elbows. I thought that was an odd placement until the first time it rained and my hands found the pockets.

Staying dry and warm in May is priceless! It's at least worth a few extra bucks on something that should last many years. I'll admit my shell is a bit overkill in summer but it's what I have although a decent (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) might be nice. If I wasn't so frugal...  

I normally wear a long sleeve cotton shirt and once in a while I'll forget to roll the sleeves up a bit under the jacket. When I forget, the sleeves will wick moisture up from the neoprene cuffs all the way to my elbows. Arrrgh!

I got a pair of these a few years back (Woodland Camo, of course).  Now I'm a gear junky, and I will tell you this is the best bit of gear I've got.  They are warm, dry, they breath, they are comforable and they are tough.  It is the only pair of long pants I bring on trips.  They double up as snow pants, and I've used them sledding, skiing, cross country skiing etc.  If I could find a jacket to match I would buy it in a heartbeat.  You can't go wrong with these, really.

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For a trip in May, I think you need  very good raingear, not just adequate.  The weather can be cold and wet for a week at a time, with typical storms from the NE bringing cold winds.  My raingear is not just rain gear, its a cold weather parka outer layer, used a lot even when its not raining. 

I think the main issue with rain gear is that for a typical Quetico trip in May, you wind up beating up your raingear enough that anything will fail after a few trips.  Carrying a heavy pack while wearing your rain coat is really tough on the membrane liner, whether its gore-tex or any of the other variations - the shoulder straps of a heave pack put a lot of stress on the seams, and that is typically your first point of failure. 

Also "waterproof" isn't really waterproof under all conditions - its rated on the amount of pressure it takes to force water thru the material - only a heavy plastic, non-porous materail is going to be truly waterproof.  If I kneel down on wet moss while staring my stove or cooking, I can feel the moisture start to seep thru the material of the rain pants, even though they will otherwise shed water.  That gets worse at the seams.  The added pressure from the shoulder straps of a heavy pack will force water thru the material, that otherwise might just bead up and roll off.

When carrying the canoe, I will not normally be wearing my parka, unless it is so cold out that I need it for warmth, and if its not raining very heavily, I often will not wear it while carrying a pack, trying to extend itls life.

Because having very good raingear is so important for my trips that normally start the last week of May, I bought a new parka last fall - paid over $200 for it on sale, and it is a heavy duty Mountain Hardwear (Xenon model, I think?) parka, that is relatively heavy.  I'm an ultralight packer - I'll buy a new piece of gear to shed a couple of ounces, and leave a lot of luxuries behind - the one thinkg I don't skimp on is the rain coat.  I might go with a cheaper product for the pants, but not the parka - I've been cold and miserable enough, often enough, that I know I don't like it.

Now if you were talking about a trip in July or August, it isn't as big a deal, but for May, it is. Two year's ago, it snowed the day before Memorial Day, with 4" on the road between Thunder Bay and Atikokan, and it was about 20 degrees at French Lake the morning of Memorial Day - that kind of weather calls for serious consideration.

Sorry, I didn't mean to start a new innie vs. outie debate.   FWIW, most GoreTex (and similar technologies) tend to fail at the seams, especially if they are taped.  Welded seams tend to be a bit better.  Some brands have pretty good warranties and good customer service in case of seam failure.

Regardless, be sure you wash your jacket every once in a while, as dirt in the seams helps attract H20.  I've made a leaky jacket almost as good as new after putting a small patch on the seam, washing and application of ReviveX or Renew.

Fascinating!  A whole new debate on innie vs. outie.  I can hardly wait!

I'm an innie because it enhances the breathability factor.  My life jacket can stay on for portages if need be due to it's design but I will usually remove it and stuff it under the canoe seat unless I'm in a frog-strangling rain.  The only adjustment I need to make is to loosen the sternum stap on my pack if I portage with the lifejacket on.

I've had a Gore-Tex jacket for at least a dozen years and it's still going strong.  Haven't even had to re-treat it yet.  Other than my canoe, it might be the best purchase I've ever made for canoe tripping.  Love the ability to seal it tight around the wrists.  The hood is rarely used...my Filson Packer (waxed cotton) hat keeps my melon warm and dry enough most of the time.

For pants, I just use an an off brand that's not particularly breathable.  My legs don't sweat a lot so breathability isn't a big issue for me when it comes to pants.  I also wet-foot portage landings but I don't get in as deep as JJ.  I'm usually wet from the knees down at the worst.  Keeping the thighs dry does a lot to keep me warm and rainpants on a portage are excellent to keep from getting soaked by the undergrowth on lightly-trod paths.

Kingfisher wrote on Mar 1^st, 2010 at 9:14pm:

I'm also an "outside" wearer.  Since I don't wear my PFD across portages, its easier to remove (and I'm not worried about donning a wet PFD after the portage, since its on the outside).  I also wear it around camp as a wind breaker.  And, since I do a fair amount of paddling during spring trips, the smaller air volume heats up quicker.

dd

jjcanoeguide wrote on Mar 1^st, 2010 at 5:37pm:


Same idea except I prefer to wear the PFD on the outside. Stiil get the benefit of more insulation and you can remove it easier when it's too warm. Also helps to shed water away from torso. My old goretex leaks at the seams given enough time in the rain and the PFD solves that problem. Most PFD's are easily adjusted to fit over a variety of clothes.

Quote:


You make a real good point jj!
I wear a XL rain jacket so I can wear PFD under it on rainy travel days.
Besides the warmth factor, I find the PFD helps with the air circulation factor when using the pit zips to help vent excess sweat.
If I was just sitting and fishing, a Kelly-Hansen type rain jacket/bibs would be my first choice for rain protection.

Add in the exertion factor, and you need something that allows vapor to vent as much as possible. The Campmor item I referenced with its pit zips/pocket venting mesh and caped back, gives that versatility at a very affordable price.
 I had a expensive Gore-Tex jacket for about 5 years, but was lost in an airline luggage fiasco
 My new choice in rain wear was a pleasant surprise and so far I've never felt the need to spend more for premium Gore-Tex, not that there's anything the matter with it.

My take on raingear follows my philosophy on most of my gear – buy the best I can afford and take care of it, so that when the going gets tough, I can rely on the gear.  Although others have previously stated some frailties of Gore-Tex, I do not have the same concerns.  Maybe because my jacket is not an ultra-light variety.  I’ve got a 14 year old North Face 2-ply Gore-Tex shell that still holds up and keeps me dry, even after 2 summers of guiding.  Sure, there are some abraded areas on the exterior fabric, and I’ve had to apply Restore or similar to keep water beading up, but it works.  Certainly worth the investment of $200 initially and $15 every few years for water repellency.

Personally, I prefer travelling on rainy days rather than staying in camp.  We wet foot portage, and often I’m soaked from the thigh down, so rain pants do little for me.  If it’s warm out, I probably won’t don the jacket, just a wide brimmed hat, treated with some water resistant spray.  If I’m going to sweat a ton, it doesn’t make sense to try to keep the rain out.

I like the mountain style shells with reinforced shoulders & elbows, pit zips, and an extra long jacket to cover my backside while paddling.  Sleeves that close tight are good for keeping your arms dry while paddling, and I recommend buying a jacket at least 1 size larger than you think in order to fit your PFD INSIDE it.  You’d be amazed at how toasty warm a rain jacket can be with your PFD serving as insulation.  Finally, I would not buy a navy or royal blue colored shell, as mosquitoes prefer that color to others.  Might as well do everything possible to minimize the attraction, since you’re never ever going to spray this shell with DEET.

Quick picks for me are the Mountain Hardware Exposure II Parka (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
and the North Face Mountain Light   (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) which is a newer version of my old standby.  Not really sure about other brands, but Backpacker magazine should be coming out with their annual gear review in the next month or so, and they are worth checking out.