Cheap rain jacket vs $400 shell, my knees made the call

I spent years thinking you had to drop serious cash on a waterproof jacket for the PCT. Bought a $400 shell in 2021, hated it, too stiff and loud. Last spring I grabbed a $60 Frogg Toggs on a whim for a 3 day trip in the Sierras. It kept me dry through a solid 8 hours of sideways rain near Donner Pass. Now I'm wondering if the expensive stuff is just hype for most of us. Anyone else ditched the high end gear for the budget option and never looked back?

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jason_stone592mo ago

Man, people really do get all worked up over this gear stuff, don't they? We're talking about walking in the woods, not climbing Everest with a film crew. Yeah, the expensive stuff is better built and lasts longer, but most of us are doing weekend trips, not thru-hiking every season. That $60 jacket keeping you dry is basically all you need, and if it rips, you just buy another one. It's like people forget that gear is a tool, not a personality trait.

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