Waterproof & Rain Gear

Rain gear built around the half most people forget

The waterproof & rain gear selection here is dominated by overtrousers: breathable hiking versions, warm lined pairs, cycling cuts and fully sealed designs for sustained rain. Jackets get the attention, yet wet legs are what ends a day out: water running off a jacket hem lands on the thighs and soaks inwards. Overtrousers close that gap, and they live in the pack rather than on the body for most of a walk.

What makes overtrousers waterproof?

Two things working together. The face fabric carries either a coating or a laminated membrane that blocks liquid water, and the seams are taped on the inside so the needle holes made during sewing do not leak. Untaped seams are the usual reason a garment described as waterproof wets through at the knee and the seat first, and the same construction defines the fully sealed pairs in the waterproof trousers range. The outer surface also carries a repellent treatment that makes rain bead and roll off, and that finish wears away long before the membrane does.

Why does breathability matter under rain?

Because legs generate a lot of vapour and a sealed layer traps it. A breathable membrane lets that vapour pass outwards while keeping rain out, which is the difference between arriving damp and arriving wet through from the inside. Breathability slows once the outer face is saturated, which is why the repellent finish is worth maintaining. Ventilation zips along the thigh do the same job mechanically, in conditions where no membrane keeps up.

Do overtrousers go on over boots?

That is exactly what the leg zips are for. Full-length or three-quarter side zips let a pair go on standing up, over footwear, without balancing on one foot in a gale, which is the single feature that decides whether they get used at all. Short ankle zips are lighter but usually mean taking boots off. Check the hem as well: a press stud or drawcord closes the leg around the boot so wind cannot lift it.

What should be checked before buying rain gear?

• Seam taping: fully taped seams throughout, not just across the shoulders or the seat.
• Zip length: how far up the leg the side zip runs decides whether the trousers go on over boots.
• Waist adjustment: elastic plus a drawcord or side tabs, since overtrousers are pulled on over other clothing.
• Cut through the thigh: enough room to clear the trousers underneath without flapping around the knee.

Where lighter cover is enough, a waterproof poncho handles a shower over both wearer and pack in one movement.

How is a waterproof re-proofed?

When the outer face stops beading and starts looking soaked, the repellent finish has gone rather than the membrane. Wash the garment first, using a technical cleaner instead of detergent, since detergent residue attracts water. Then apply a wash-in or spray-on reproofer and follow the label for heat, since many treatments only cure with warmth. Whatever stays in the pack needs protecting too, and a liner from the waterproof bags range keeps a spare layer dry when the shell has already given up. Sealed seams and taped zips turn up on load-carrying kit as well, across much of the tactical gear selection.