Comparison review: Comparing ultra-lightweight rainwear from the perspective of a girl who loves mountains

Ultra-lightweight rainwear you can't miss this season 2018 , we've introduced a bunch of rainwear you can't miss this year. There are a lot of new releases, the features have evolved, the lighter and the design is cool, so I'm honestly not sure which one to choose. The basic story about ultra-light rainwear is to look at " What is the best ultra-light rainwear in the first place? What kind of people are it suitable for? ", and we have selected three pieces that we would like to wear this season.

Finally, we are taking on the light-weight clothing world

Until now, we have used standard rain gear, with safety first to prevent coldness and prevent exposure to wind and rain. However, I often go low mountains, and I do day trips on sunny days, so my heart is throbbing, thinking it might be a good idea to take a step into the lightweight clothing area soon... So I finally decided to try out the choice of lightweight clothing.

The standard is less than 200g, and since I'm not so hot, I chose this loose yardstick, which is breathable, comfortable, and looks nice. I'm sure there will be more requests, saying, "More authentic! Look at more details! Think more about the price!", but I hope you will take it as if you could say, "There's a way of looking at it like this, hmm."

table of contents

• About the items we compared and tested this time
• Test results and spec comparison table
• Impressions of each model
• summary

About the ultra-lightweight rainwear compared this time

In this comparison, based on the criteria mentioned earlier, we took into consideration a variety of points, including the brand, type of material, thickness of fabric, pockets, and whether or not there are ventilation, and the following three candidates for comparison reviews were given.

• THE NORTH FACE Optimist Jacket
• Mountain Hardwear Leroy Jacket
• NORRONA bitihorn ultralight dri3 Jacket

Although all of these cover the use of jackets as lightweight examples of summer mountains, the new North Face product is a light all-round product, the Norrona is a speed hike, and the mountain hardware is trail running, and the emphasis is different.

I think it would be fair to compare all the activities, but this time, due to various reasons, we only have to go to summer mountain hikes and the local area. Sorry about that.

Test environment

• In early June 2018, he was worn at Mt. Iwaki (altitude 1,625m, climbing from the 8th trailhead at approximately 1,250m), Aomori Prefecture's 100 most famous mountains. There is no snow accumulation. The weather is cloudy and fog. The temperature near the summit is about 13°C. Tested with a quick-drying T-shirt on top of a merino wool base layer inside the rainwear.
• In early July of the same year, I wore it while jogging on the beach in the evening. The temperature is about 30°C. Tested while wearing a quick-drying T-shirt inside the rainwear (assuming it is humid).
• Since the weather was not raining very often, we tested it by recreating the light and heavy rain in a typical shower.

Evaluation criteria

1. Waterproofing... Since rainwear is a gear that protects you from the rain, waterproofing is the most basic evaluation point.
2. Windproofing: How windproof (heat retention) is it in strong wind conditions such as on ridges?。
3. Breathability: Not only is its specs, but how dry it will keep your body dry in situations where it is prone to getting stuffy.
4. Comfort: Not only is it comfortable to wear, such as the feel and fit, but it also has a lack of tension when swinging your arms.
5. Weight: literally the weight of the jacket. The lighter the better the lighter the better.
6. Functionality: Overall usability, including pockets, hood, sleeves, hem, etc., and storage.
7. Design... it's a complete subjective opinion. Anyway, it feels good to be able to wear it stylishly.

Test results and spec comparison table

comprehensive evaluation	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆
item	THE NORTH FACE Optimist Jacket	NORRONA bitihorn ultralight dri3 Jacket (photos and links are available at MENS)	Mountain Hardwear Leroy Jacket (Unisex Model)
Reference price	27,000 yen	42,120 yen	21,600 yen
Waterproof	★★★☆☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆
Windproof	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★☆☆
Breathability	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★☆
Comfort	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★☆
weight	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★
Functionality	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★☆
Design	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆
Specs
item	THE NORTH FACE Optimist Jacket	NORRONA bitihorn ultralight dri3 Jacket	Mountain Hardwear Leroy Jacket (Unisex Model)
weight	195	120	171
material	HYVENT Flyweight	dri3	Dry Q Core
Waterproof (mm reference)	20,000mm	20,000mm	private
Breathability (g/m2/24h reference)	40,000g/m2/24h (B-1 method)	20,000g/m2/24h	private
Layer	3 layers	3 layers	2.5 layers
Cuff (sleeve)	Two-stage adjustment with buttons and elastic rubber	Stretch rubber	Velcro
pocket	Security pocket inside the ventilation on the right chest	One on the left chest (also also ventilation)	One on the left chest
Ventilation	Two from the chest to the armpit	One on the left chest	none
Storage	Comes with storage bag	None in particular	Storage in chest pocket (packable)

Impressions of each model

THE NORTH FACE Optimist Jacket

By far the most comfortable jacket! Perfect for the light outdoors

Optimist Jacket

THE NORTH FACE

27,000 yen

195g

HYVENT Flyweight (3 layers)

This is ◎

• Large ventilation makes it comfortable and not stuffy
• There is a pocket inside the ventilation on the right
• Sleeves are not velcro but buttons
• Good design, color, shape, etc.

This is △

• Low water repellency
• The collar is low so water can easily enter
• When I put on the hood and close the drawcord behind my head, my face is loose

Ventilation contributes greatly

Without hesitation, it was the North Face rainwear. For some reason. That's because it has a large ventilation.

When I wore it on Mt. Iwaki, the temperature was low at around 10°C and was reasonably high, but as I walked it started to get hotter and finally I started to feel sweat and stuffiness. Immediately, the two ventilations are fully opened. ...How cool it is.

I also quickly remove the buttons on the sleeves and let in some outside air, and the air circulates and my body cools down.

The presence or absence of ventilation this time was a major point for me, who is a hot topic.
When I jogged on the beach, the humidity was incredibly high, the temperature was hot and hot, and of course the ventilation was still open. Even in the evening, if you wear rainwear at a temperature of 30°C, it's really hot.

It doesn't go the same way as Mt. Iwaki. People who are troubled with sweat and stuffy stay in rainwear, but when I unzip the front zipper and hit the rainwear several times in the wind, they're pretty much gone.

I'm concerned about the waterproofness and water retention, but it's a speciality from the North Face.

What caught my eye was how quickly the rain soaks in. It will soak into the fabric when there is a light rain. This is especially true when heavy rain comes.

In this case, the rainwear will store moisture, so if exposed to the wind or rain for a long time, it is likely that your body will get cold. The winner here has to be given to Mr. Norona and Mr. Mountain Hardware. I'm also concerned about the low collar and the loose hood.

However, it is also good that the parts that do not bring out the "we've been particular about ultra light" to the forefront, such as the beautiful color, the cuteness of the color, and the finer details of the secret mesh pocket created in the ventilation on the right, and it is also good that it is not unreasonable to think about the price.

Next page: Go to NORRONA bitihorn ultralight dri3 Jacket