Outdoor Research Helium

The trade-off, I think 427 quid dice, I said, could have lasted a bit longer on the waterproofing. Yes, it's incredibly lightweight, incredibly strong...

For me, it's not as satisfying as I thought it would be anyways.

Ultimately, the quality of this jacket is excellent.

I recently downsized from my giant North Face hardshell and got an Outdoor Research Helium rain jacket. Watched and read loads of reviews that put this 2.5 layer jacket pretty high on the "repelling water" front. They basically said yeah it won't handle a tropical thunderstorm, but it'll handle rainy weather just fine, and it's one of the best non-Goretex that you can find.

The pack was pretty full, so it was nice having an extra daypack to hold snacks and water on the flights. The hat and gloves were a little thin, I’d like to find something warmer that’s not too bulky and a thin pair of wind pants would have been nice for the really cold days. The snorkel tube isn’t my favorite, but it works well enough to not need to buy another one.

- Outdoor Research Helium Hybrid rain jacket (folded/loose). - Flip & Tumble grocery sack. I used the top pocket for the tech pouch.