Mountain Hardwear Epic Rain Jacket

Overall: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ -- this jacket served it's purpose, but I was hoping to get more out of it in terms of effectiveness and durability.

I've put this jacket through the wringer.

I bought this rain jacket years ago for riverguiding in Moab. It did really well the first season, but after that it seemed to have a time limit on waterproofness. I could go for about an hour in light rain or 15-30 minutes in a downpour before it seeped through to my baselayer. For living in a desert with brief summer rainstorms and almost always a chance to dry off in the sun afterward, it suited me just fine. The hood is comfortable and never bothered me, pockets are roomy, and the pit-zips are perfect. For chillier days I'm able to layer this over a warm coat and still comfortably move around.

A few months ago I sprayed Nikwax Fabric Proof waterproofing spray on the outside of the Epic in an effort to increase water repellency, but I couldn't notice an improvement in performance.

Since I've moved to Southeast Alaska, this jacket hasn't been ideal. Somehow the laminate layer in the hood tore (I'm not sure how it happened, so it couldn't have been more than a slight stress that did it in) and it separated from the outside layer (which is NOT waterproof). I carefully applied a flexible, waterproof glue (GearAid's Seam Grip) to repair it but soon after it dried the laminate tore in the surrounding areas. I was really bummed out, but I guess that's what I can expect from an older rain jacket.

The only other complaint is the velcro cuffs began to fray away the fabric on the outer shell after time.