Thursday, July 28, 2011

Ultralight Silnylon Rain Jacket-Prototype

I took this video, but really the photos and text are needed to describe this prototype rain jacket.
It weighs 4. 5 ounces, is a medium, and come with this pouch which weighs 3/8 ounce. The pouch is over sized so a person can carry spare gloves in it too.


I've been using silnylon rain jackets, and sewing them for other hikers for 10 years now. Some have been made with internal pockets. The one shown here has a full frontal pocket, where data books, hand warming and other gear can be stashed. If you have your pack on, the belt will probably hit just above the pocket, giving you full access to the pocket in the rain.


Black in opaque, and good for cold weather because it draws the sunshine. You can wear it in the laundromat without anything under it, unlike a gray or blue silnylon. I have worn mine as a vapor barrier at night, it really adds warmth. I prefer using a light wicking layer between my skin and the jacket. Others say the wear the jacket by itself.

The cuffs are elastic, with finger loops to hold your sleeves down if you use hiking poles.
I sometimes hang my jacket by these finger loops to provide privacy under a tarp set up.


The hood is generous. Some folks have mentioned at first they thought it too large. I explained that this way, when you wear a hat and pull the hood up, you have a natural beak and rain won't be running into your eyes. I bought a heavy rain coat once with a scanty hood and that is one problem I noticed. Hence, I always sew an ample hood with any jacket I make. The hood has a draw cord.

The hem of the jacket also has a draw cord. This keeps heat in when needed. I used a silnylon jacket on all my trails, wearing only a tank top under it. Some mornings it was just for warmth,  days in driving rain it made all the difference between being cold or comfortable.


This pouch can hold many things, and you can hang it from your belt by the strap. You can vent this non breathable jacket by rolling it up from the bottom to chest level, by pushing up the sleeves, or taking the sleeves off but keeping the jacket on. The generous cut allows you to layer underneath as well.



I made a belt loop pouch to keep this rain jacket handy. There's enough room in it for a pair of gloves.

This is a medium jacket, sleeve length is about 32 inches from center of spine. The jacket is 26 inches long, enough to be hip length. Fit depends on each individuals body composition. You can see there are very few seams. Like all the gear I make, seams are double rolled for strength and long life.

You can buy this prototype for $40, which includes shipping, by checking out how to order on the sales page.  http://brawnyview.blogspot.com/p/sales-page.html

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