Originally Posted by
elcruxio
Sooo, you haven't tried the new high end stuff? That's ok. I hadn't before I got the Active. I quite dislike the normal Gore Tex because it's too stuffy. Only really works as a standing still or light walking jacket. But the Gore Active really is pretty nice.
Usually it's engineers who come up with better products (Gore Active). Sometimes it's marketers (merino wool)
Also, this topic isn't in the C&V forum. It's in the Touring forum, where I believe staying dry under the rain shell is of utmost importance. I live in a part of the world where you get wet and get into an unheated tent afterwards and you die. Water decimates a sleeping bags heating properties pretty efficiently be it down or synthetic fiber.
Water is difficult. If it's just cold, above freezing, easy peasy. Cold below freezing? Even easier! Cold down to -30 fahrehnheit, a bit more difficult but still pretty easy. Rain is never easy if it's not a nice summer rain.
Sorry, I usually post over in the C&V section, forgot this was done in the Touring forum! That makes for a different answer! But only subtly so.
As far as the new high end stuff, I have what works for me. I don't ride, much less tour in -30 F weather. If I was touring somewhere that cold, I'm sure I'd open myself to thinking about the new fangled high end stuff, but, even then, I'd rather have several thin layers than one, special made piece of clothing just for real cold, rainy weather. The times I've really needed to stay dry and warm when touring is when I was caught in conditions (marble sized hail!) that I didn't plan for. A wool undershirt, thin nylon shirt over that, wool sweater, and Showers Pass rain jacket kept me warm and dry when it was around around 25F and hailing.
As far as better products, I'm a steel frame, 3-cross spoke, rim brake, friction shifter kind of guy, mostly, and I believe that most of the new bike stuff that comes out every year is driven by marketing. Especially for touring, I wouldn't get caught dead on a carbon fiber or aluminum bike. Having said that, I have a Rohloff equipped custom frame on order. I am an engineer, and despite my curmudgeonly old ways, I'll spend money on something that has a track record. Come out with something new with a brand name and I'm leary. Gore Active? that's not an engineering product, that's a name some marketer put to it. Goretex is stretched PTFE, that's what an engineer would call it. Merino wool isn't a marketer's name, it's the wool from a Merino sheep, and they've been around for at least a few centuries.
And wool has been around before marketers were invented. I do carry a rain jacket, rain pants, and full winter gloves when I commute during the winter. the jacket and pants get used maybe 10 days/year here in Portland, where winters are typically mild, but wet. It got down to 23F a few days last winter. I don't have experience touring in cold climates, but if I did, I'd do it with what you might call old and "obsolete" clothing and technology.
Except that Rohloff, that's a fine piece of German engineering.