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Rock Front Rain Hoody Review

1 week ago 3

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The Rock Front Rain Hoody is an oversized anorak-style rain jacket specifically designed for hiking and backpacking. It’s made with 15d Sil/PU-coated nylon with extra-long side pit-zips and adjustable wrist drawstrings to prevent moisture from seeping up your arms. Cut extra long, it won’t ride up under your pack’s hipbelt, while its adjustable hood and front bill help keep the rain out of your eyes and off your glasses.

- Weight: 5.8 oz (164g)
- Gender: Unisex
- Size Tested: XL
- Material: 15d nylon, Silicone/PU coated 2500mm
- Pitzips: 31 in long (78.75cm)
- Breathable: No
- Waterproof: Hydrostatic head of 2500 mm
- Sea-taped: Yes
- Size in the sack: 8×12 cm / 3.1×4.7 in
- Price: 77 euros
- Pros: Long Pit zips, extra long length, dual hood adjustment
- Cons: Too warm to wear in hotter weather

The Rock Front Rain Hoody is an extra-long waterproof, but non-breathable rain smock with pit zips, a two-way adjustable brimmed hood, a front zipper, and adjustable wrist cuffs designed to protect your hands when it’s raining. It’s an innovative design from Rock Front, a Ukrainian ultralight backpacking gear manufacturer.

The pitzips run from the top of the arm all the way down the sides of the jacket.

Waterproof, But Not Breathable

The Rain Hoody is waterproof, but not breathable because it is made with a Silicone/Polyurethane coating. Non-breathable waterproof rain jackets have gained widespread acceptance among backpackers, particularly those who are sick of paying extra for rain jackets with waterproof/breathable membranes that don’t breathe well or require too much effort to maintain.

The Rock Front Rain Hoody does not leak, it has seam-taped seams, and does not require DWR retreatments because. The hoody has a hydrostatic head of 2500 mm, which is better than many tents.

Extra Long Length

The Rock Front Rain Hoody is quite long, reaching down to the middle of my thighs, and is almost long enough that it can be worn without rain pants or a rain skirt in warmer weather. The bottom of the rain hoody flares out slightly at the bottom, but not as much as a poncho, and does not interfere with your legs when hiking. The extra length also does not ride up when worn with a backpack hip belt.

Mechanical Venting (Pitzips)

The Rain Hoody had three zippers to help ventilate the jacket’s interior. There is a front 11″ (28cm) waterproof zipper over the chest and two 31″ (78.75cm) pitzips, each with dual waterproof zipper sliders, along the sides. The pitzips let you ventilate the entire torso to reduce perspiration, which is helpful if you hike in warmer weather (much like the torsozips on the Outdoor Research Foray 3L Rain Jacket).

I found that the Rain Hoody can become quite warm in hot weather, even with the pitzips open wide, and is best used in cooler temperatures. It also makes a good windbreaker when worn over a puffy insulated jacket (for example, on a powerboat) since the extra volume does not degrade the puffy jacket’s insulation.

Two-way Adjustable Hood

The hood has a stiffened front brim to help keep the rain out of your eyes or keep the brim of a cap from becoming saturated if worn with a ball cap. The hood has a rear volume control that lets you adjust the hood’s volume or pull back the brim if you have a smaller head. This is a simple strip of Velcro and a tab. There are also two cord locks at the top of the front zipper to adjust the size of the hood opening, a feature often absent on much more expensive rain jackets.

Extended Sleeves

The sleeves of the Rain Hoody are cut long on the back of the hand and shorter over the palm in a manner reminiscent of the flip mitts on the Ultimate Direction Ultra Jacket, a design which was all the rage when that jacket first came out. I’ve found that they work quite well with the carbon fiber Pacerpoles I prefer, which have a slanted 45% hand grip, but provide less coverage if you use poles with more conventional grips, like Gossamer Gear’s LT5 ultralight trekking poles.

In addition, the sleeves feature adjustable wrist closures that trap heat and prevent rain from dripping down your arms if you hold your hands above your head. While useful, the thin cords associated with these closures do have a tendency to catch on “things” in use.

Recommendation

The Rock Front Rain Hoody is an innovative rain jacket that satisfies many of the demands of backpackers, particularly for hiking in cooler weather. While the Rain Hoody is not breathable, it has a two-way adjustable hood, long torso-length pitzips, and extended sleeves that can cover your hands, even when used with trekking poles. Best used in cooler or drier weather, the Rain Hoody is a good option for hikers who have grown tired of the breathability claims of mainstream waterproof-breathable rain jacket manufacturers and want to try a rain jacket that has superior features at a lower price point.