Weather

[Antipodes]

Everything to do with yachts, right down to the loo roll, is expensive.

I tell you what has gone up in price in the boating shop. The enamel paint.

 

[Ely]

just an expensive pacamac, no better or worse than a Barbour, trouble is with all these is, they may stop the rain getting in but you get soaked with sweat as it doesn't let anything out either. Same as the majority of expensive yachtsmen's foul weather gear - either way, you get both cold and wet.
With any waxed jacket, once it gets any serious rain it gets very stiff and heavy - before now, during lunch after a long, cold and wet morning's shooting, we don't need pegs for the coats, they just stand up on their own in the wetroom

I have a barbour wax jacket. It looks nice and ok to wear for 10 minute walk to the pub but I have no idea what other use they are good for due to the reasons you say. In winter you sweat and get cold, in summer you sweat and get poached. Stylish but useless

 

[Antipodes]

I have a barbour wax jacket. It looks nice and ok to wear for 10 minute walk to the pub but I have no idea what other use they are good for due to the reasons you say. In winter you sweat and get cold, in summer you sweat and get poached. Stylish but useless

They toughen you up and build up strength in the legs. In the end, you just go out in a bluey and shorts and no complaining.

 

[pargyle]

just an expensive pacamac, no better or worse than a Barbour, trouble is with all these is, they may stop the rain getting in but you get soaked with sweat as it doesn't let anything out either. Same as the majority of expensive yachtsmen's foul weather gear - either way, you get both cold and wet.
With any waxed jacket, once it gets any serious rain it gets very stiff and heavy - before now, during lunch after a long, cold and wet morning's shooting, we don't need pegs for the coats, they just stand up on their own in the wetroom

Me and 'er indoors have got a couple of these Musto lite jackets each - they keep the rain and wind out but they breathe so you don't get that ghastly clammy sweaty feeling. They wash beautifully, dry quickly and if you watch the Musto website they usually sell off last year's colours for a fraction of their full price. I have a long one for really rainy days and a short one when I just need a coat to keep me warm. Brilliant kit. My heavy weather sailing gear is Musto as well - darned expensive but, again, waterproof and breathable.

I have a wax jacket for posing down the pub but as for weatherproof - largely useless - but what do you expect from a design that came about prior to the first world war that has remained largely unchanged since ? Times and materials have moved on from Irish linen soaked in wax - even if they do last forever !

https://www.musto.com/en_gb/m-marina-pl-long-rain-jkt-82520

 

[Ely]

Me and 'er indoors have got a couple of these Musto lite jackets each - they keep the rain and wind out but they breathe so you don't get that ghastly clammy sweaty feeling. They wash beautifully, dry quickly and if you watch the Musto website they usually sell off last year's colours for a fraction of their full price. I have a long one for really rainy days and a short one when I just need a coat to keep me warm. Brilliant kit. My heavy weather sailing gear is Musto as well - darned expensive but, again, waterproof and breathable.

I have a wax jacket for posing down the pub but as for weatherproof - largely useless - but what do you expect from a design that came about prior to the first world war that has remained largely unchanged since ? Times and materials have moved on from Irish linen soaked in wax - even if they do last forever !

https://www.musto.com/en_gb/m-marina-pl-long-rain-jkt-82520

Do you reckon they would be good for cycling to work?

 

[pargyle]

Do you reckon they would be good for cycling to work?

The shorter one would probably give you most freedom of movement - I used to keep a proper cape for cycling in the wet though ...rolled up and attached to the back of the saddle and worn over the top of a jacket.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/review-weathergoods-imbris-rain-poncho-cyclists

https://bicyclecollective.co.uk/products/waterproof-poncho

Much more effective and less restrictive than waterproof trousers. There are much cheaper ones available as well if you look for them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have Musto, Douglas Gill (standard and lightweight) and splashdown jackets here - none of them come up to scratch in heavy weather and I can assure you they have all been put through their paces, but maybe a bit more than the equivalent of taking the dog for a sh walk

 

[JamezF]

It's not me that I'm really worried about getting wet. The problems come when you're halfway through a job using electrical power tools or a chainsaw or something like that, it suddenly starts bucketing down and need to get everything out of the rain or need to finish the job to leave things properly safe.

James

 

[Vanterrier]

The Thornproof abilities of Barbours can sometimes prove useful if working near bramble...
And where else would you grow that damp musty mould after dumping your soaking Barbour in the garage/shed?
Can you really get rid of that smell ??
K

 

[pargyle]

I have Musto, Douglas Gill (standard and lightweight) and splashdown jackets here - none of them come up to scratch in heavy weather and I can assure you they have all been put through their paces, but maybe a bit more than the equivalent of taking the dog for a sh walk

I have a Splashdown Ocean suit which has stood me well in some dreadful sailing weather since I bought it in 1988, still going strong and waterproof ... they were very well made but the company went to the wall when the 'breathable' materials started to be used by the likes of Musto. On one particularly awful cross channel trip we broached so far over in a really heavy squall that I was chest deep in the water, my life jacket inflated, my sailing boots were full of water but the rest of me stayed dry - but you are right - modern waterproofs, by the leading makes, are not really geared up for proper heavy weather sailing. I understand that Helly Hansen are the preferred wet weather gear for serious sailers and are used by the RNLI ... but when you are looking at over £1000 for a full ocean suit you are probably a bit overkill for riding a bike to work or walking the dog ... horses for courses.

 

[Antipodes]

I have a Splashdown Ocean suit which has stood me well in some dreadful sailing weather since I bought it in 1988, still going strong and waterproof ... they were very well made but the company went to the wall when the 'breathable' materials started to be used by the likes of Musto. On one particularly awful cross channel trip we broached so far over in a really heavy squall that I was chest deep in the water, my life jacket inflated, my sailing boots were full of water but the rest of me stayed dry - but you are right - modern waterproofs, by the leading makes, are not really geared up for proper heavy weather sailing. I understand that Helly Hansen are the preferred wet weather gear for serious sailers and are used by the RNLI ... but when you are looking at over £1000 for a full ocean suit you are probably a bit overkill for riding a bike to work or walking the dog ... horses for courses.

You should see if you can get yourself on a Sydney/Hobart boat one day for the great blue water classic and really put your wet weather gear through its paces. Head into Bass Straight in a "southerly buster" as the temperature can drop 15 degrees in a few minutes and wind squalls of up to 72 knots. It all looks peaceful at the end in the docks and belies the rigours of the voyage. The boat in the middle has my name on it. The first one looks like it's from the UK.

 

[Wilco]

My go to waterproof for land based wet weather plus longboating, if you forget the breathable claim.

https://hollandscountryclothing.co....X2YfCrHfu-VqK5mSeoCCkvVgfu1ASYlxoCp98QAvD_BwE

I have various bits of Gill and Yak kit which are over 10 years old and still going strong in terms of waterproofing... Maybe just the expensive brands don't pass muster.

There's also the old stalwart the Buffalo for on land stuff - doesn't matter if you get wet, it's warm and dries quickly.

 

[beeker]

My go to waterproof for land based wet weather plus longboating, if you forget the breathable claim.

https://hollandscountryclothing.co....X2YfCrHfu-VqK5mSeoCCkvVgfu1ASYlxoCp98QAvD_BwE

I have various bits of Gill and Yak kit which are over 10 years old and still going strong in terms of waterproofing... Maybe just the expensive brands don't pass muster.

There's also the old stalwart the Buffalo for on land stuff - doesn't matter if you get wet, it's warm and dries quickly.

The fort clothing is really good, though as you say still get clammy inside.
Still have my buffalo, and a Montane similar thing but came with hood included. Remember buying them for the guys at work, end of year budget leftover spend, and got loads of stick, ( urgh is anorak, don't want that etc) couple weeks later, everyone wanted the trousers too . Seems the buffalo has shrunk though , or I may have expanded.

 

[Ely]

The shorter one would probably give you most freedom of movement - I used to keep a proper cape for cycling in the wet though ...rolled up and attached to the back of the saddle and worn over the top of a jacket.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/review-weathergoods-imbris-rain-poncho-cyclists

https://bicyclecollective.co.uk/products/waterproof-poncho

Much more effective and less restrictive than waterproof trousers. There are much cheaper ones available as well if you look for them.

Thanks. I'll have a look. I've been looking for a breathable waterproof solution to cycle to work for a while

 

[pargyle]

My go to waterproof for land based wet weather plus longboating, if you forget the breathable claim.

https://hollandscountryclothing.co....X2YfCrHfu-VqK5mSeoCCkvVgfu1ASYlxoCp98QAvD_BwE

I have various bits of Gill and Yak kit which are over 10 years old and still going strong in terms of waterproofing... Maybe just the expensive brands don't pass muster.

There's also the old stalwart the Buffalo for on land stuff - doesn't matter if you get wet, it's warm and dries quickly.

I've just ordered their waterprooof bib and brace - I have a lot lot of powerwashing to do and these look a good option; for under £20 I don't mind them getting covered in the detritus that inevitably kicks up and leaves me looking like a mud man !

 

[Wilco]

I've just ordered their waterprooof bib and brace - I have a lot lot of powerwashing to do and these look a good option; for under £20 I don't mind them getting covered in the detritus that inevitably kicks up and leaves me looking like a mud man !

I had their kit as a student on farm placement. We had a difficult calving in a field in torrential rain. Out of me, the other student and the vet, I was dry - and not from lack of participation.

 

[Murox]

I've just ordered their waterprooof bib and brace - I have a lot lot of powerwashing to do and these look a good option; for under £20 I don't mind them getting covered in the detritus that inevitably kicks up and leaves me looking like a mud man !

I don't think you will be disappointed with Fort airflex waterproofs. I use them a lot up here and am always dry despite wind driven rain, farmers use it as well. Cheap enough and it works. Ive just thrown out my last jacket which lasted a full five years of daily abuse.The pu finally broke down and start to let water in.

 

[Amari]

Well there is some sun up here, last couple of nights I was blessed with glorious sunsets over the sea. Still rather cool but I have managed to get around all colonies over the weekend.

I've never known such a cold April, T currently 8C at 1300. The OSR has been in bloom for four weeks and is now going over. Very little nectar coming in - not surprising as no days have reached 20C, said to be the temperature needed for OSR to yield. The spring honey crop in these parts is usually twice the July yield, but that's unlikely this year.

 

[Murox]

I've never known such a cold April, T currently 8C at 1300. The OSR has been in bloom for four weeks and is now going over. Very little nectar coming in - not surprising as no days have reached 20C, said to be the temperature needed for OSR to yield. The spring honey crop in these parts is usually twice the July yield, but that's unlikely this year.

No OSR near me but there is often some of its cousin brassica b*st*rd cabbage in flower later in the year. Surprisingly two hives have found enough, mainly gorse I think, nectar to fill a couple of brood frames despite the cold , wind and rain,

 

[alancooper]

I've never known such a cold April, T currently 8C at 1300. The OSR has been in bloom for four weeks and is now going over. Very little nectar coming in - not surprising as no days have reached 20C, said to be the temperature needed for OSR to yield. The spring honey crop in these parts is usually twice the July yield, but that's unlikely this year.

Costa del Fermanagh here - a week of calm dry sunny weather (13-15C). Fields and roadside verges with dandelion flowering at max. Willow still flowering well. Gean (bird cherry) and Milkmaid their best. Apples started flowering. Sycamore will probably be a couple of weeks yet. Fingers crossed for a hedge honey Spring crop?