[at-l] Totally Unscientific Rain and Wind Clothing Tests

[John O <johno@mail.monmouth.com>]

Hi Folks,
With this windy and heavy rain fall we're getting in NJ I decided to test
out my rain gear for my 99 thu-hike.  I spent 4 hours walking around my
neighborhood during the windy heavy rain temperature were between 48 and 52
degrees.
Tilley Hat weight 6 ounces treated with Nikwax.  I wore this hat for the
full 4 hour walk.  Most of my head stayed dry except for front head band
area.  This maybe due to improper application of Nikwax in that area?  Some
water did enter through vent holes on side of hat but this was minimal.
This was the first time I'ld tried a garmet treated with Nikwax and
needless to say I was quite pleased indeed.
Patagonia Zephyr Jacket weight 10 ounces.  For about 2 hours I wore this
jacket and surprisingly I was quite dry during this walk.  I had a cotton
tee shirt underneath the jacket and some areas of the shoulder blades were
wet.  The fleece liner wasn't saturated at all.  I had the zipper pulled
all the way up and besides some dripping down my neck area and shoulder
blade area I was dry.  This is the first heavy rain I had the opportunity
to test this jacket in and I'm more than satisfied with the results.  
Patagonia Fireball Jacket weight 20 ounces. Once again for about 2 hours I
wore this jacket during my walk.  This was my first testing of this jacket
in heavy rainy conditions.  I was almost completely dry.  Some water did
drip down my neck but that was very minimal, the rear collar area of my tee
shirt was damp.  Water just doesn't penetrate the outer layer of this
jacket at all.  When I finished the walk I shook the jacket and all the
water came off.  The inside was totally dry even around collar area where
some rain water had come in.  Last week I had worn this jacket while
sitting in a chair in my backyard temperature was 17 degrees and wind chill
was below zero for an hour or so.  I was warm as a bug in a rug.  I have
also driven on a highway at 65 to 70 mph for 45 minutes with my arm hanging
out the window in 30 degree weather and my arm was not cold.  This jacket
is totally waterproof and windproof IMO.  
These 3 items are definitely coming on my thru-hike they will serve me
quite well I believe.
I promise I won't be taking the cotton tee shirt.
Have a good one.
John O       
^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^
John F. O'Mahoney
E=mail: johno@mail.monmouth.com
John O's Ultralight Backpacking Page:
http://www.monmouth.com/~johno/index.html
^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^
                AT Thru-Hike 99
either this way > or this way < or both ways > <
^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^
To contact me during my AT Thru-Hike 
starting March 1, 1999 you can send e-mail to athiker99@pocketmail.com
^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^
* From the Appalachian Trail Mailing List |  http://www.backcountry.net  *

==============================================================================