gear question: rain jackets for tall guys?

I'm looking for a packable, lightweight, and breathable rain jacket. There's lots of options, right? But I really need a size large-tall (6'3", 175#), which seems to be a tough find.

Any suggestions from the tall folks here?

Tell me if you find it. Having shrunk out of all my clothing (I'm about the same size), I was about to put in an order with Beyond, since they were about the only affordable full-custom option out there. Only to find they're not full-custom anymore...

jniehof said:

Tell me if you find it. Having shrunk out of all my clothing (I'm about the same size), I was about to put in an order with Beyond, since they were about the only affordable full-custom option out there. Only to find they're not full-custom anymore...

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I visited an EMS and an REI store. Here's what I've found so far - stores generally don't carry tall sizes (surprise, surprise!). A clerk at REI pointed out that the REI Rainwall Jacket and Pants are available in tall sizes on their website.

I spent about half an hour trying on the various large and extra large jackets at REI. All of the size large hard shells actually fit me reasonably, although some didn't have quite as much coverage over my rear and sleeves as I'd have liked. I really liked the look and feel of the soft shells, but they were just a bit of a tighter fit than the hardshells (plus they were heavier). All the size XL jackets fit, but
bellowed air when I moved. I only tried the jackets in the $100 to $200 range. The higher price ranges were wired to sound an alarm - which I did set off once - ugh.

I was wearing a cotton t-shirt, a heavy capilene long sleeve, and a bulky XL cotton hoodie, which is about equivalent to the bulk I'd wear during active winter hiking or cool three season hiking.

So, I'm pleasantly surprised. The Rainwall wasn't my favorite, but it's cheap and the tall may give me better coverage than the more expensive brands in size large.

We talking summer/warm season rain gear or off season/cold weather stuff? I'm 6'3 225...ish and have an EMS Brand rain jacket, XL (I don't see a model on it - I think it was maybe $80-85 and is one of their "main" models. It's plenty big for me (and I'm sporting a fine gut right now and I have fairly long arms), fits easily over multiple layers and hangs down just below my butt in back, has pit vents, wrist wraps, and an enormous hood. Can't imagine you not fitting in it.

Having said that, it is almost too light. When you pull on it to zip it up it feels like you're just going to pull it up over your head so getting thee zipper started is a bit annoying, especially when you are rushing to beat a storm. And the hood is absurdly huge. You could wear a football helmet under it, which is very annoying (I usually wear a baseball hat in summer so it is less of an issue for me). On very windy days it really doesn't like to stay put. All in all though it is pretty water tight. I got caught in a massive deluge in it last summer that lasted nearly two hours and it held up.

So fit is there for you but it has some compromises. I wouldn't consider it a super cold weather rain jacket though. Not Gore Tex or anything hard core but it was light and reasonably priced. I have used in winter on nice days as a shell but I'd think twice about having it as my main cold weather rain jacket.

I think it might be this one but I'm not 100%. Got a few years ago:
http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13185722&lmdn=Brand&cp=11373233.18812916

DayTrip said:

We talking summer/warm season rain gear or off season/cold weather stuff?

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In my case, I'm looking for a cold weather shell. I have an ultralight (and an umbrella ) for the warm seasons.

But that's a good point. The Rainwall might not stand up to overnights in the winter.

LL Bean has some long (parka and cagoule length, IIRC) rain shells which might be useful for talls. You might want to check them out.

Doug

If you can afford it, or find them on sale, the Arcteryx Theta AR looks prefect. It's cut very long (33 inches) and weighs less than a pound. I'm not sure how well they pack, but I'll check if REI has them the next time I'm nearby.

There's also the Marmot PreCip Jacket that comes in size tall with a 31.5 back length, for an order of magnitude less cost.

+1 for LL Bean, I had one of their GoreTex parkas with zip in fleece, it was cut OK for me (sleeves could have been longer), VERY durable, and relatively inexpensive. It was a bit heavy and bulky though.

jrichard said:

If you can afford it, or find them on sale, the Arcteryx.

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Is the Arcteryx brand a good one? I was very interested in a pair of snow pants/bibs they make until I realized they were $599. That is pretty steep. Their gear does look first class though in features and construction. Curious if anyone out there uses the brand (and has used it long enough to report on durability) and whether it is worth the very high price points. I assume their warranty is amazing as well?

DayTrip said:

Is the Arcteryx brand a good one? I was very interested in a pair of snow pants/bibs they make until I realized they were $599. That is pretty steep. Their gear does look first class though in features and construction. Curious if anyone out there uses the brand (and has used it long enough to report on durability) and whether it is worth the very high price points. I assume their warranty is amazing as well?

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I hope someone with personal experience can answer this, but...

1) People I've talked to say that Arcteryx gear is well made, very durable for the weight, and they'll repair it for the cost of mailing.

2) I bought an EMS Goretex jacket in 1989 for about $200. Adjusted for inflation that's near $400 now, so amortized out that's like renting the gear for $16/year (ignoring cost of money, etc...). I'll put money that an Arcteryx will last at least 10 years.

For bibs though, I'd worry about getting a hole in them.