Hey all, time for some new rain gear for me and most of my crew.  Just got off a trip where we had an 8-hour soaker and we were travelling that entire time.  Most of the party's raingear failed pretty early in the process.  For example, I had a 20-year-old goretex jacket that I pushed 1 trip too far. The seams got waterlogged and then the sealing tape began to peel off. Others had different types of raingear, some supposedly good and some probably not so good. Basically it was all worthless when we really needed it.

So if you've actually had your raingear out either in some heavy weather or in lighter rain for hours on end, I'm interested to hear your experiences and recommendations before I go out and make any purchases. I value light weight and packability but also prefer something breathable. Cost is important but I'm willing to pay for quality rather than try to save a few bucks and end up with something that really doesn't do the job well.

What say you all?