Question:
Hello, I've been thinking about getting an eVent outershell as..erm...I have been known to perspire the odd swimming pool or so when out trekking. I'm looking for one that has been strengthened in stress areas for backpacking though. Any advice? I've heard the Rab SuperDru is pretty good but that Rab come in tight fitting. I've got the Generator Smock xxl which is a perfect fit. Cheers muchly.

Answer:

Hi there,

Gear here, Richard Gear, queen of the eVent and breathability fanatic. First, I'd agree that eVent is a good choice - it's the most breathable waterproof fabric I've used and even though you can still overwhelm it, it's certainly better than other comparable fabrics I've tested.

There are two obvious jackets you should look at. One is Rab's Super Dru, which was recently reviewed on this site. It's one of the best lightweight mountain jackets we've used and has the reinforced areas you're after, however as you say, it is cut quite snugly and may not suit if you're less than svelte. The only real way to check though, is to try one on.

You should also take a look at the Montane Venture - right - it's a lightweight 4750-gramme eVent waterproof with hi-tenacity nylong reinforcement on shoulders and seat. I haven't used one, so I can't comment on cut, but it ticks your boxes and is also £50 cheaper than the Super Dru at £150.

Another possible candidate is Montane's SuperFly XT. It's deliberately cut slightly larger all round than the same company's SuperFly to accomodate extra clothing and like the Super Dru, it's has tougher fabric on shoulders and other stressed areas. It's heavier than the 400-gramme Rab jacket by around 240 grammes but is a tough, well-engineered jacket.

Rab's equivalent to the XT is probably the Suilven which is again a little heavy at 660 grammes, but is made entirely from a tougher grade eVent fabric, which should be up to anything you choose to throw at it.