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I wore my space rain jacket today at a soccer game and it feels like the whole jacket is allowing moisture in. I am not soaked but I feel the wetness everywhere with it on. I've only had it on in one really rainy situation elk hunting but I don't remember it feeling like this. Is this normal?
No it is not normal to get wet in rain gear particularly just watching vs being active.
My experience even pricey raingear next to skin can definitely feel a bit clammy. If there is a true membrane out there that can actually prevent that I am sure I cannot afford it.
I gave up on expensive rain gear....if I am happy getting a little wet I use a certain kind. If I want to be 100% dry it`s a PVC.
It's probably from jumping up and down, swearing at the refs, Mark!
Lol. I don't know enough about soccer to even swear at the refs. When I was growing up you couldn't find a soccer ball withing 50 miles of where I live.
When I was a kid, you had to go to Europe to find a soccer ball. lol
I have felt “clammy” in my Space Rain gear also. It is now relegated to “emergency only “ gear for hunts I expect to be mostly dry weather.
I pack an Arcteryx Beta jacket and Mountain Hardware rain pants for hunts where I expect more wet weather. A little heavier/more bulky but I have found you can’t have it all when it comes to good rain gear.
I'm in the yinzer and Franklin camp. I wore my KUIU Chugach on a turkey hunt with consistent moderate rain (I was primarily scouting at the time) and I was pretty damp after a couple hours. My under-clothes were not wringing wet, but pretty damp, especially on the horizontal surfaces like my shoulders. I can wear much cheaper stuff and have the same result really. The jacket has only been worn a handful of times, so it's not a case where it is past it's useful life. In a really active situation in the mountains, I've been pretty damp too (not even heavy rain), pit zips wide open and all.
When wearing rain gear if you will wear a merino layer next to the skin this helps with this problem.
There is definitely a difference in wearing these on a hunt vs wearing over a light shirt. If you wear them over a light Tshirt or button up cotton shirt, they will feel cold, clammy, and slightly "moist" But worn over more layers, this feeling of moisture goes away. I suspect it is not truly rain getting in, but moisture your body creates along with the "coldness" the rain on the outside transmits to your body.
I’d be swearing if I had to GO to a soccer match!
txhunter58 X2. That clammy feeling goes away if I have a couple of layers on vs one light shirt.
It feels like it was only in the shoulder area and through the arms. Also....I could take it off and feel the moisture in these areas.
I agree on what some above have said..
What u wear under the rain gear makes all the different.
One more note, I wish some rain gear had some kinda rubber on the shoulders where ur backpacks shoulder straps cross. Wearing a backpack in rain in a breathable rain jacket I believe the shoulder straps Force water in. I have worn my Cabela's SpaceSaver rain jacket with no backpack and stayed fairly dry, put a backpack on and wear in the same type of rain my shoulders get wet.
It was 60. I was completely comfortable and standing not sweating. It was just odd that it was only wet in he sleeves and round shoulder to trap area on the back of the jacket.
In my case, I was wearing a FirstLite Llano underneath. I don't think I was wearing another layer, but may have had my turkey vest on. Undoubtedly, most or all of the moisture was coming from inside the jacket. However, that's supposed to be the allure of the more expensive rain gear; i.e. allowing the moisture inside to escape and not build up.
Some garments work to a degree but keep all water out and allowing moisture to leave is a tall order.