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| Lee-Stuart Evans wearing the Rat Race Fort Augustus Thermal Jacket |
In a separate blog here I breakdown the elements of clothing you need for multi day or harsh UK weather running events. Its the standard baselayer, midlayer, jacket then waterproof set up. In this review we will focus on the jacket and waterproof part of this set up and as well as looking in depth at the Rat Race Jacket offerings I’ll explain some of the features you should look for when buying similar gear.
I chose the perfect run to test both the RatRace Jackets. A windy wet dark Hash House Harriers run on the North Downs Way near Dorking on a cold Monday evening in March. When out running in the UK I often need a decent waterproof breathable jacket to keep me from getting soaked and after shorter runs like a Hash House Harriers run Ill find myself standing around in the cold having a beer and a chat so need a jacket to put on that can instantly keep me warm. In extreme conditions when I’m out for longer periods I will pair the Waterproof and Jacket together for warmth and dryness in the cold and wet.
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| Lee-Stuart Evans wearing the RatRace Smock on a wet run |
RatRace Ranger Waterproof Smock
The RatRace Ranger Waterproof Smock went straight on when I arrived at the run as it was raining hard. When you are looking for a waterproof for running you should look for a few features. Firstly it needs to be breathable. A cheap waterproof jacket wont be breathable and you’ll find you get just as wet on the inside from sweat accumulating as you would from running in the rain anyway. On the spec for any waterproof jacket you are interested look for a breathability rating at or above 10,000mm (don’t worry about he science of it just look for the number like I do !!). Secondly look for a Waterproof rating of 10,000mm as well. This should be the minimum standards for any jacket for a runner in wet outdoors conditions.
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| Waterproof Zip on the RatRace Smock |
Most decent Ultras will make a jacket like this mandatory kit and will ask that the jacket has taped seams and a waterproof zip. A waterproof zip is easy to spot as it is usually rubberised on the teeth and leaves a smooth shiny black line on both sides all the way up forming a perfect waterproof seal along the zip. Taped seams means all the fabric joins have an overlapping tape seam inside to make sure the stitching between each fabric section of the jacket doesn’t leak water through the seams.
What instantly struck me the moment I put the RatRace smock on was how light and stretchy it was. The storm 10:10 fabric almost didn’t feel thick enough to cope with being waterproof. Compared to my Alpkit Balance jacket I found the smock was much more comfortable and stretchy and lighter to wear.
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| Rat Race Ranger 10:10 smock with thumbloops – pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
The jacket comes with a useful little pouch to pack it in to when not using so you can store this easily in a bag, on a running belt or even in a pocket at a push. I forgot and ran round the whole night with it dangling off my hood like an idiot.
The zip goes down part way on the smock (rather than all the way like a jacket) and seems to have 2 zippers, one at each end, which seems unnecessary. The zip gives you the option to zip down if you get a little bit too hot.
The arms are long enough and have thumb loops that you can tuck a large amount of your hands out of the wind when they are wet to help keep them warm.
There is a small vertical zip pocket on the front of the jacket which is just big enough to hold my large smartphone. A slightly bigger pocket on a future version would be appreciated. provided it didnt push the price up I would want zip side pockets too mainly to keep my hands warm and store things, but also if you have an internal mesh like Alpkit do it means you can use the pockets to vent excess heat.
The hood can be tightened to not flap about much when running and it has a strong visor on it that holds it shape and helps keep the rain off your face.
After an hour of running up and down steep hills one thing became very apparent. With every breathable jacket I’ve worn in the past that is also waterproof there is always a trade off and although you feel less clammy the better quality the material is you always still feel a bit clammy inside when running hard. The RatRace smock is the first Waterproof I’ve worn that is so breathable I didn’t feel clammy at all. In fact the fabric is so breathable you can actually put your mouth to it and draw air through, something I couldn’t do with my Alpkit Balance with the same breathability rating.
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| Rat Race Ranger Waterproof Smock little storage bag |
Longer term use will tell me if the lightness and breathability of this fabric is as hard wearing and resistant to tearing and holes as other brands but for now I was really impressed. This is the perfect waterproof smock for runs where you are caught out in the rain and want to stay comfy and not sweaty. I could see this being used on Obstacle Course Races as well when it raining or there is a lot of water obstacles and you need some shelter from the wind without a top sopping up lots of water. The medium also fits well over the medium Fort Augustus Jacket so you can combine them to create a very warm and very waterproof outer layer .
Update – I’ve now used this for a very rainy marathon on a pier in Southend and it kept me dry without being clammy throughout the marathon! more info here
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| Lee-Stuart Evans wearing the Rat Race Smock during the Southend Pier Marathon |
This smock is also about £40 cheaper than the best competition.
If you are looking to buy one you can from here
There is also a DISCOUNT LINK here on Amazon for 30% off for a limited time here
Fort Augustus Jacket
After the run with Guildford Hash House Harriers we often stand around in car parks in the cold admonishing each other, drinking a beer and catching up on who is still lost out on the trail. Its at these points I can get very cold quickly and this is when I always reach for a decent warm jacket to put on.
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| Rat Race Fort Augustus Thermal Jacket |
The Fort Augustus Jacket is against some stiff competition from the likes of RAB, Alpkit and The North Face. My first thought when I got it out was that it was too light. It feels much lighter than my Alpkit 0Hero Jacket which is a close equivalent. Despite the lightness the Sorona material that it is made from is very warm and with the hood up I was nice and warm instantly. For runners these jackets are perfect for those times when you stop to have some food on long runs, or at the end of a multi day event.
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| Superb showerproofing on the Rat Race Fort Augustus Thermal Jacket – |
It has all the usual stuff you’d expect, zip side pockets , hood etc. Its very much an industry standard coat and avoids any gimmicks. I was surprised how resilient it was to the rain as well and the water beaded off without it getting saturated. Sizing is spot on if you take into account you could be wearing up to 2 layers underneath it.
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| Rat Race Fort Augustus Thermal Jacket packs into its own pocket. |
It packs away into its own pocket and weighs less than 500g so its perfect to leave inside a running pack. All in all I think this may beat the competition from Alpkit et al on features and weight…but its party piece is its price. At £120 its a good £20 cheaper than anything Alpkit have to offer.
A couple of minor gripes. Id like to see slightly longer arms so I can tuck my hands inside the ends more when they are cold and I suspect a few people might want to see more colour options than gunmetal grey.
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| Rat Race Fort Augustus Thermal Jacket |
My old Alpkit 0Hero jacket has seen better days and is rather worn and torn in areas but I’ve held on to it because of all the adventures I’ve had in it including crossing lake Khovsghol with the Rat Race guys. A hasher in the car park was shivering and cold and complaining they didn’t have a decent running jacket so without thinking I offered to give them my old Alpkit Jacket to keep.
The Fort Augustus has replaced my Alpkit as my go to post run jacket after only one wear and the Smock will go in my running bag and get a battering over the next few months.
Rat Race have clearly stepped up to providing gear in a way that OMM did after their races. To make such a great start with gear that avoids gimmicks and provides much better value for money that the leading competitors is superb. People that organise races, Ultras and Obstacle Course Races have first hand knowledge of what clothing their customers actually want and it shows.
You can learn more about the jacket here
THERE IS A SHORT TERM HALF PRICE OFFER FOR THIS JACKET ON AMAZON WITH LIMITED STOCK at £59.99 here
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rat-Race-Lightweight-Water-Resistant-Everyday/dp/B01LWPSWP3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520513252&sr=8-1&keywords=rat+race+thermal+jacket
More Ranty and Opinionated Gear Reviews from me here
http://airlandandsea.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/ultimate-direction-fastpack-25-review.html
http://airlandandsea.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/ultimate-direction-groove-mono-belt.html
My Experience with the Rat Race crew at Minus 47 Celcius here
http://airlandandsea.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/crossing-frozen-lake-khovsghol-in.html
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