Originally Posted by andrewclaus

I'm in the "forget about staying dry, get wet and stay warm" school. After a couple of decades of many hundreds of dollars spent on breathable rain gear, I no longer use it. The last ten years or so (five of those in Arizona) I've switched to silnylon, extremely lightweight (7 oz for anorak and pants), packs to the size of a fist, and cheap (homemade by a friend). I used bread bags for my feet the few hours I needed it over the years I lived in Arizona--free, extremely small and light. I pay more attention to the layers underneath, ventilating, and drying out as often and as soon as possible--trading off experience for expensive gear.