THE one essential factor required in the testing of rainwear is, you guessed it, rain. So, I was quietly praying for some decent precipitation when I embarked on a weekend overnighter along the Great North Walk with six waterproof jackets and two pairs of over-trousers in my pack. However, it seems my trekking mate’s weather-control willpower is more powerful than mine, because we received approximately diddly-squat millimetres the whole two days, leaving my notebook somewhat devoid of review notes.
Fortunately, my second attempt was better directed, for the Blue Mountains in winter doesn’t disappoint. A fine drizzle around Wentworth Falls coalesced into actual rain droplets which, combined with the mini waterfalls cascading onto the Underpass path, provided me with enough real-world conditions to satisfy my testing regime, and I was able to spend enough time in each item to judge its pros and cons.
N.B. ‘Waterproofness’ is measured as Hydrostatic Head in millimetres, and breathability as Moisture Vapour Transfer Rate (MVTR) in grams of moisture passing through one square metre of membrane in 24 hours. A higher figure is better in both cases.
Outdoor Research MicroGravity AscentShell Jacket
Full disclosure – I’ve tested the MicroGravity jacket before, but fortunately years of gear reviews and other brain abuse has rendered my memory so poor that I don’t remember anything I wrote about it, therefore this can be considered
