need raingear

[gosling]

Apparently part of my job includes being out in the torrential rain for an hour or more at a time on a regular basis. (Um, yeah, I know, WTF...)

I need truly waterproof rain gear, both rain pants and a raincoat. Turns out this is super extra hard to find in plus sizes, particularly plus sizes for short people. People keep pointing me to things that are not actually waterproof or don't exist in nearly large enough sizes for me.

For now I am wearing shorts and a rain poncho (which I have used on numerous hikes for 25 years but has already torn from catching on things after wearing it twice at work). The rain poncho and shorts thing sort of kind of works, but eventually it is going to be 35 degrees and pouring and this will not work so well.

I need I think about a 24 in rain pants, or maybe 26 since it has to go over my clothes, and something like a 26 or 28 in rain coat. Larger is always better, so I can layer under it as needed. The rain pants are the most critical element here, as I suppose I *could* keep buying rain ponchos and using them until they tore. I would really like to have both though, as constantly going through rain ponchos is both seriously expensive and seriously wasteful.

Also, advice needed from folks who have regularly worn waterproof clothing: How does one make sure it dries entirely between uses, especially on the inside, so it does not mildew? And how does one clean it without damaging the waterproofing if it does mildew?

Comments

Rain gear

[ahf.livejournal.com]

What I have done in the past is motorcycle rain gear. ( my parents have a place off the coast in Maine, out in the boat is often rainy and wet and there is no choice about being there)

Something like this http://www.jafrum.com/Motorcycle-Rain-Gear/Womens-Rain-Gear/RS5000 Goes up to 5x

Not exactly what I ended up with as I can't seem to find that but you get the idea. I dry it by making sure it is hung on a hanger (by the fireplace up there, in the bathroom on the shower rod at home) and I turn things inside out after the outside seems dry.

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

Land's End has some coats in that size range:
http://www.landsend.com/shop/search/womens-plus/-/N-fxlZfoqZ1z141v3?Ntt=waterproof

For rain pants, maybe shopping in men's sizes would help? Like these, in small?
http://www.rei.com/product/870613/sierra-designs-hurricane-rain-pants-mens-short-2013-closeout

[donnad.livejournal.com]

You might try Cabelas. cabelas.com, search on raingear or rainpants. They can be expensive, but I can tell you they will last. Cabelas has some high quality clothing. I'm not sure what length you would need, You might have to hem them or find someone that can hem them for you or fold them up and tuck them into a pair of tall rainboots.

Also what about ski pants? they are often water resistant.

Also Bass Pro Shops. basspro.com
There are some actual stores locally, (within an hour of Boston) you may be able to actually go and try on stuff.

I have had little luck with LL Bean for "large size" womens clothing lately. But it can't hurt to look. And I don't know what they might have for outerwear. I get the feeling that they think if a person is larger than size 16 that women don't need clothing for hiking or outdoor activities. The other issue I have with them is I need a 22 tall, with a 33 inch inseam, and their tall sizes only go up to size 18 on most items.

Just a couple places to consider looking.

[gosling.livejournal.com]

L. L. Bean no longer seems to have much useful plus sized inventory at all... :-(

And they seem to do equally badly with tall and short people too

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

Head up to REI in Reading and try stuff on?

You might also want to try calling local motorcycle shops and see if they have anything you can try on?

For cheap, but not fitted, checkout Home Depot. They usually have rain gear. They're cheap, so you probably could hem them by cutting off the bottoms of the pants and not feel guilty..

[gosling.livejournal.com]

REI on line didn't seem to quite have what I needed (although unlike everywhere else I looked they at least *had* plus sizes). The brick and mortar store might have a different selection though.

And Home Depot hadn't occurred to me. Thank you! :-)

[pywaket.livejournal.com]

I was going to suggest something similar - old school PVC rain gear.

One nice thing about PVC rain gear is that when you cut it, you can hem the ends by folding over and using PVC pipe cement (also available at HD) to glue it.

Or how about a cycling poncho:
http://www.rei.com/product/853869/novara-fells-point-bike-poncho-womens

If a poncho works for you, then this is a nice long-lasting solution. Cyclists love ponchos due to the fact that you sweat less in them. They also have the advantage of being much easier to get in and out of...

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

Also, advice needed from folks who have regularly worn waterproof clothing: How does one make sure it dries entirely between uses, especially on the inside, so it does not mildew? And how does one clean it without damaging the waterproofing if it does mildew?

This is hard, and I sympathize. When you get really saturated, it helps to wipe down the outside with a towel before you hang it to dry. Then when the outside is dry to the touch, turn it inside out. I mean, turn a jacket or pants inside out. For boots, pull the zippers all the way down to let in as much air as possible, and remove insoles and hang them up. I like hangers with clips to maximize air circulation around your rain pants, insoles, hat, and gloves (in glove-wearing season.)

Unfortunately, waterproofing does not last forever; the coating eventually becomes less effective with wear and washing, or just being out in torrential rain hundreds of times. REI and other camping supply stores sell stuff that sprays on and renews the waterproofing. It won't stop rain getting through a tear in the fabric, but it makes the water much less likely to soak through.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

Junonia has some outerwear and they are all about plus sizes. Not sure if it's sufficiently torrent-proof for you.

[gosling.livejournal.com]

Looks like at the moment pretty much all their outwear is snow oriented. That may change in a few months though, and it is good to know they exist...

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

THE BEST rain pants come from this dude Lou in Minnesota: www.foxwear.net. He makes everything custom, so it will fit you! I wear the PowerShield pants, which are not his most waterproof but have served me well when it comes to walking in the woods in the rain for hours and also kneeling in the snow for photography purposes. He makes jackets too! They are expensive but mine have lasted approximately forever.