Stormfit Goretex Rain Jacket
Grade: A-

I invested in a Nike Storm Fit rainsuit after being disappointed by the Sun Mountain suit. And I do mean "invested" because this sucker wasn't cheap. It was so expensive, in fact, that I hesitated for a long time before buying it. But my wife, the ski bum (we're a mixed marriage -- I golf, she skis), told me that  I wasn't going to be comfortable unless I got a suit that breathes (all her stuff is Gore-Tex).  And she encouraged me to buy one (Gee, I love that woman).

The Nike suit, while not Gore-Tex, is made of Nike's proprietary fabric that essentially does the same thing: it keeps the rain out, while allowing inner moisture to pass out. It's a neat trick. And it works. I can wear this suit and stay dry even in warmer weather.

The suit is well-designed. The legs have a zipper up the side that allows you to easily get your shoed feet into them. The pants pockets allow you to reach through to your pants underneath. Both have enough room in them to allow you to easily make a full swing.

The jacket, in particular, is good looking, and I often wear it as an around-the-town cover. The pants don't look to bad either.

If I have one complaint, its that the sleeves don't fit tightly enough. I think that if the fit a bit more tightly, I could give this suit an A+.

Sun Mountain Provisional Rain Suit

Grade: D

My complaints with this rain suit come down to one thing: it's too hot because it doesn't breathe. Oh, it keeps the rain off you, but on any slightly warm day, you end up just as wet from the sweat. I guess that's why they bill it as "for cold weather play."

There are a couple of good things about it. It fits very nicely into a very small zipper package, and it doesn't weigh very much. It's also very durable -- much more so than rainsuits that I've owned for camping.

Still, the lack of breathability kills this product for me.