rain jacket needed for UK
 

Can anyone recommend a company with a good rain jacket needed for a year's stay in the UK? I can't remember where I bought my jacket in 2004-5, but it just didn't hold up? I'm thinking REI or Lands End or Old Navy? Any other thought? I'm hoping to spend $100 or less. I've got the umbrella sorted out, thankfully!

Thanks.

You should get one in a fabric that breathes. I bought a cheap Land's End a few years ago and ended up donating it because it was kind of rubbery and got really hot. I would think Old Navy - having lower end products - would be the same or else not really waterproof. Land's End sells GoreTex pretty affordably which may be good. I have had a lot of luck with LL Bean products.

I live in London and just brought back a rain jacket from The North Face and I love it. It is not Gore Tex but it breathes well and is also windproof. You can zip in an inner shell. I have worn it a lot lately as we have had tons of spotty showers with sunny intervals and perhaps wind. I am small and got it in a child's size so it was cheap. I also have a mildly waterproof pullover windbreaker from LL Bean for warmer weather. It is good for the London rain which often lasts perhaps five minutes and then you see sun.

This past year was really dry and cold in England. I am outside walking every day and I rarely needed a rain jacket but I froze from November through April. Evidently the typical weather here in the winter would be maybe 40 - 50 F and rain much more often. So I bought an LL Bean parka and the rain jacket above and hopefully that will help me deal with the weather.

I don't know how much time you will spend outside but if you are able to use an umbrella you may not need a specific rain coat. I push my kids in a stroller so I can't use an umbrella. Plus in a year it may be hot and rainy and freezing and rainy so you would need more than one coat. My husband does not have a rain coat and he manages.

www.llbean.com

Get one made of GoreTex

A classic Barbour is the way to go when in the U.K. IMHO. Sturdy old fashioned but timeless quality products that develop some patina over time. Love their style.
Nothing light, though.

If you find anywhere that sells Barbours for $100 please let me know!

Keep an eye out for UniQlo - a japanese chain that does gap type clothes at un-gap like prices.

If you want something just for the trip that you can throw away after - look out for Primark - they are astonishingly cheap (obviously you get what you pay for)

Where2 - which North Face jacket did you get? I'm looking for something similar. I'm also a small person pushing a pushchair and am missing my umbrella lots!

NorthFace does have great stuff. Very well made. It's a very desirable brand among twenty-something outdoor types here in Colorado. It's expensive, though. Search eBay for sales. They have many, many styles. Maybe stores have last year's inventory on sale now.

REI probably has some good options, esp. if you are male, JoeTro.

I'd love a "dry as a bone" jacket but way too pricey for me.

A decent walking shop will sell you a good rain coat, Find a "Blacks" for mid range but decent stuff.

Thanks, all. I hadn't considered LL Bean. I am male, if that helps.

I'm not an outdoory person perse, but I will be doing lots of walking and traveling a bit too, so I need to be prepared for a good bit of rain. But I won't be standing outside in it or anything for loads of time.

For outdoor gear at (a little) less expensive prices, try Campmor.com or REI's Outlet. Both sell all the major name brands plus their own good quality brands. ...If you're in the NY Metro area, you can go to Campmor's only "brick and mortar" store on Route 17 in Paramus, NJ... Oh, and another good outdoor gear store is EMS (EMS.com). Good luck!

StarLily-

My North Face jacket is linked below. It does not come with the zip in fleece but there is a zipper for it. My MIL works for a higher end children's clothing shop and got it for me at cost - about $55. I am a size 4 petite and I got the boys' large. I also got a girls' fleece in size large. There was an XL that I am guessing would fit a woman size 6 or 8. My MIL says lots of the college girls come to her shop to buy The North Face at kids' prices.

http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/pro...p;ad_id=nextag

I always wait until I get to Britain to buy rain gear. With the weather there, I figure they've acquired the knack of producing effective products -- or ordering workable stuff from a third world country.

Two trips ago we planned to buy new folding umbrellas the first time it rained. We were there for a month and wound up buying the umbrella in the duty free shop on the way home.

audere_est_facere,

(great name BTW), I casually omitted seeing the price limit.

Still, I would think Barbour's prices are money well spent - I have been owining my jackets for quite a while and I love that maintenance option you receive when owning one of their products. Baiscally I expect those to last for a lifetime!

I've seen Barbour's jackets for under $100 periodically at Overstock.com.

Thanks, where2. I'll check it out.

I suggest visiting cabelas.com.

I find some good buys at Sierra Trading Post...do a google and check out their stuff....really good buys and good quality most the time!

Tara

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/b/2...l-Jackets.html Just checked they do carry Barbour...good prices..
Tara

I will endorse the recommendation for Sierra Trading. Have bought dozens of things from them for years. Great brands, fantastic prices. Their customer service is very good as well.