G’day!!
Moving to the UK soon and want to upgrade my rain jacket (for obvious reasons). I currently have a Kathmandu one with ngx2 and while it is alright for light rain - downpours and being under light rain for long periods it doesn’t hold up well.
Any advice on brands and or shops to buy would be awesome!
Where did you purchase your Arcteryx Zeta?
Paddy Pallin (with the membership discount) but I remember seeing it cheaper on amazon.co.uk and other uk stores, which wouldn't ship here.
When I was puddling around looking this jacket up this mob seemed to have it at a better price. However, I know nothing about them and sizing is restricted.
https://www.the-priory.com/en-AU/Arcteryx-Zeta-AR-Jacket/p52…
Also, a lot of these are cheaper in the UK AND they don't ship to Australia, so you might want to wait until you get there.
I agree on that one. You might also find that the jackets are on special as they are coming out of their winter at the moment. Had that happen when we were in Canada.
You might even find one for a steal in the charity shops there.
I used to think that. I lived in UK for a couple of years. Before I left Australia I bought some stuff and thought, 'I'll buy the rest in UK as it will be cheaper'. It wasn't true. A good sale in Aus is as good as a good sale in UK. Retail prices in UK were high. US prices are better than Aus and UK but importing stuff into UK means paying 20% VAT, so the best way to get anything is during a US holiday (or from US when in Aus). I got stung with the VAT charge before…
Edit: The bigger consideration is that in UK you could get other stuff that is not outdoor sport focused, and it may be ok. There is more 'street' wear. If looking at sports related stuff then there are also a couple more easily accessible brands but most of the stuff you could still import into Aus anyway.
Nothing beats the breathability of goretex.
Bahaha I wish I could upvote this a million times
get them locally of where you go.
i went to iceland and got a canada goose jacket i wanted to get shipped to me prior to my trip.
was well worth getting it there
Canada goose is reasonable price in Iceland, if you call Canada goose prices reasonable :). Arcteryx is not! Cheaper to buy Arcteryx on sale in Aus. So depends on the brand.
If you want a jacket that you can use both in the city and for hiking (or some other out of the city activity) then I would highly recommend Arcteryx. Paddy Pallin had them on sale at 30% off at the end of last year, which made them a good buy. I would recommend Theta AR as its a bit longer than Zeta (not Gore-Tex Pro) and Beta. I own an Alpha but I wouldn't recommend that for walking around in the city.
If you would like something much cheaper and still Gore-Tex Marmot or Outdoor Research make some Gore-Tex, and can end up on bigger sales.
If you are in Melbourne or Sydney and can make it to Paddy Pallin clearance stores then you may land yourself a good bargain.
As far as waiting until UK here is a quick comparison:
https://www.ellis-brigham.com/products/arcteryx-mens-zeta-ar… (http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=359.99&F…) $640.665AUD
https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/p/arc-teryx-mens-zeta-ar-jac… $640.664AUD
http://www.paddypallin.com.au/arc-39-teryx-zeta-ar-gore-tex-… $689.95
So you could save a little bit in UK or get rough parity in Aus on sale.
If you have the time, and know your sizing well then sportpursuit.com have Marmot and Berghaus Gore-Tex on sale:
https://www.sportpursuit.com/sales/outdoor-07012018?order=sp…
Just don't expect quick delivery.
As a lot of mountain design stores are having big sales (60% off), it may be possible to find a Berghaus Gore-Tex bargain.
Marmot Precip seems to get good reviews for much cheaper jacket but I don't have any first hand experience with it. As its not a membrane like Gore-Tex it may not last as long or accept as much abrasion.
Few good links to look at:
https://www.switchbacktravel.com/best-hardshell-jackets
https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/clothing-mens/best-har…
https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/clothing-mens/best-rai…
Quick sale page to browse:
https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com.au/c/offers/online-sale/shop-all.html?size=&page=0&sort=price,desc&filter=%26filter%3Duk_jacket_type:(waterproof)%26filter%3Dbrand:(1418_uk;2124_uk;1442_uk;1595_uk;1636_uk;1698_uk;1702_uk;1680_uk;1777_uk;1790_uk;1839_uk;1836_uk)
Also, I am not sure where you are heading to in UK but if you are going to England then be prepared for lots of drizzle and wind, downpour didn't happen very much when I was there. Lots and lots of light rain and wind. What mid layer (jumper, jacket, etc) you will need will depend on where you are in UK.
I have the Arc'teryx Zeta and it is ammmaaazing. Okay, I know you said affordable, but this one will last for such a long time and keep you comfortable in the wettest conditions. I have never felt so miserable as I was hiking in Iceland in a sub-par Kathmandu jacket. It wetted out within half an hour and I was dangerously cold in the mountain winds. Half the price, but with good reviews, is the Marmot Minimalist Gore-Tex jacket.