Best rain gear combo I’ve used is a Columbia Outdry Extreme rain jacket, paired with their waterproof breathable baseball cap.
Was intrigued when I first read about their Outdry Extreme material.
Unlike most of the waterproof breathable fabrics available, that use an outer face fabric that requires a DWR coating to repel water and avoid wetting out, the OE material is a 2-ply that has an inherently waterproof outer.
The outer material looks like the old school vinyl rain slickers (the yellow ones I used back in grade school), but it’s actually breathable. The best part is that it doesn’t use a DWR, so there’s no periodic reapplication necessary, and if anyone’s ever been in extended rain, you’ve probably experienced DWR failure, when even new/fresh DWR ends up letting the outer fabric wet-out after 2-3 hours of constant rain.
I now have 2 of the OE jackets. The newer one has back vents, which are even more effective for ventilation while still keeping me dry. I pull the hood over the waterproof cap and cinch it down. Keeps the rain off my face and stops it running down my neck/back, and the cap allows me to cinch the hood snug, while still maintaining field of view.
I got the first OE jacket before adding the cap. Trying to cinch the hood down so it didn’t blow open from the wind, was a PITA. It either didn’t keep the rain out of my face/eyes very well, or occasionally obscured my FOV.
*** intentionally going out for a stroll in a downpour, specifically to test rain gear before depending on it, is apparently uncommon and leads to curious people asking if I’m OK.
*** I guess I do various things that are considered abnormal. Was out for a training/cardio ride in the Fall and had specifically bought equipment for riding after dark, since that was the only time available (and it got dark early).
Still had a cruiser tail me for almost 3/4 of a mile at the ~15 - 20 mph I was going, wondering who this person was, pedaling like a madman down a road after dark. Did they REALLY think someone with nefarious intent would be decked out in reflective, neon striped thermal tights, a neon striped jacket with reflective stripes, and reflective neon gloves, AND a 5,000 lumen handlebar mounted light, plus a daylight bright seat post mounted rear strobe AND a helmet mounted rear strobe?
I didn’t feel like stopping to explain, and they didn’t try to stop me. They just crawled down the road behind me, for ~3/4 of a mile, before apparently deciding that I was just another cyclist nut, and finally passing me and zooming off.
