My trip to Olympic National Park showed me why a good rain jacket is worth the money.

I got caught in a sudden downpour near the Hoh River and my old budget jacket soaked through in about 20 minutes, while my friend's nicer one kept him completely dry.

3 comments

3 Comments

paige_wells442mo ago

That "soaked through in 20 minutes" hit way too close to home. I learned that lesson the hard way on a hike last fall. I was wearing this cheap plastic poncho that ripped on a branch and turned into a wet trash bag cape. My friends still bring it up to make fun of me. I looked like a drowned rat who tried to start a fashion line. Never again, I finally bought a real jacket.

rileybarnes2mo ago

Cheap ponchos have saved my butt more than once though.

lily5111mo ago

Remember that a poncho is basically a trash bag with a hood. It might keep the rain off your head and shoulders for a bit, but it doesn't breathe at all. You end up soaked in your own sweat instead of rain water, which is just as cold and miserable. A real rain jacket is made to let that sweat vapor out while keeping the rain from getting in. That's the whole point of spending the money.