In my last post I was waxing lyrical about the positive sides to going running in the rain. That's all well and good, I hear you say, but tell me about the gear!
Let's start with the importance of terminology. The experienced among you may have known this for years, but for me this was a revelation: while the difference in wording between "water resistant" and "waterproof" seems minor, the difference in reality is significant. And as with most running items, you can start out by making do but will soon heed the siren call of the upmarket options.
Water resistant
I have one water resistant top, which is what I started out with: your entry-level Karrimor.
Karrimor - cheap and cheerful
A bargain at around £20 to £30 in your local stack-em-high-sell-em-low, and for good reason:
- If its purpose is just to get you out of the door, under the illusion that you'll be sheltered from the rain, then it does that job
- It will provide some protection from light rain over a relatively short period of time
- It's cheap and a good place to start if you're just, er, testing the water
- But on a long run, or in heavy rain, it will get soaked through and cling to your body like a cheap shower curtain
- When you look to the left or right ahead of crossing a road you'll just see the inside of your hood unless you pull it back - it obscures your view
- As your average 'resistant' is not breathable either it'll get steamy inside
So, several drawbacks but let's be fair to it - it's still better than nothing at all, and the psychological illusion that it will keep you dry is not to be discounted. It can be the difference that gets you out the door.
Waterproof
In the waterproof corner, the Ronhill Torrent. I bought one of these as an incentive for marathon training through a wet winter, and in case needed for the March UK marathon I was working towards. The full retail price is a hefty £130 but you'll often find it on sale for anything from £80 to £100. Good alternatives include the almost identical Montane Minimus, which weighs in 10g heavier.
Ronhill - the real deal
Now this is a different kettle of fish, and a case of you get what you pay for:
- This will both get you out of the door and keep you dry for a long time. Hurrah!
- Once you're getting up to the waterproof price point it will be breathable too, don't settle for less
- It sports a well designed and adjustable hood, the angles carefully measured to give you good peripheral vision
- It also has a clever trick whereby the pocket also serves as a pouch for packing the jacket, the "Pack it system". You reverse it, fold the garment in to it, then zip it up into one neat small package of Ronhill
- Be warned, talking from experience rather than science, I suspect it is difficult if not impossible to combine a garment which is fully waterproof with a garment that is fully breathable. On long runs you'll still get moisture inside, especially around the shoulders where the material touches you more
So, the Ronhill is infinitely better than the Karrimor and got me out in dirty weather many more times than I would have done without it. But they both serve a purpose, and these days I keep the Ronhill at home for longer runs and the Karrimor at work for short lunchtime runs. In other words, I'm waterproof at home and water resistant at work.
rain photo by Gabriele Diwald