Best of the cheapest

Hi Fishy. Great news about your wife.:thumb

I have RST gear. As said, of the budget ones, it's very good for the money.

I live in a hot country so it's ideal for me where a laminate jacket would not be; it doesn't rain enough here (mostly) and if it does it isn't a good idea to go out here in Spain (south, anyway; north different)

For light rain the equipment is....fine but for the kind of rain you get up in the Highlands..... not so. Last year I got caught in all day rain (about 200 miles) and my RST wasn't up to it, frankly. It dried out over night but I was drenched. So you WILL need to carry a rain-suit if you're thinking of doing more than a couple of hours in rain.

The great thing about layered equipment is that when it's really cold, with all the layers in it, it's very warm and nice. The waterproof liner, except on the hotter days, is a great windbreak and stops you from getting chilly. And on the hot days, the outer shell is so well ventialated that it just becomes great summer gear. On trips where I might encounter all sorts the liners squish up nicely in 22cm freezer bags, crush them down and take all the air out and they even fit in your tank bag for handy access. The CE protection is pretty good but I wear an airbag anyway, I only really need the knee and elbow pads.

I hope you find that you made a good choice. If you have an old laminate gore-tex kit you may be able to get it rezipped and re-velcroed for the really rainy days. It'll have to be a cottage industry but if you can find someone who does it, then it'll save you having to put a rain-suit on which, as we all know, is a real pain.

ATB,
 


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