Anyone on this forum from Oregon? My daughter is starting at U of Oregon in a few weeks, and everyone keeps telling us that she needs to be ready to live in rain, rain, rain. Where we come from, we have rainy days, but you can get buy (most times) with a little umbrella that you leave in your car or backpack. Apparently, that won’t be the case in Eugene. Anyone have an suggestions for a good raincoat that she can pretty much wear year-round and is halfway stylish, so she will wear it? Maybe someone that has a zip-out fleece layer? Just not sure. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. (She already bought the nice serviceable rainboots …)
Oregonians don’t use umbrellas or very rarely raincoats. Like most kids everywhere, they wear hoodies.
If you are buying something I’d go Columbia Sportswear.
As a former Oregonian, I would say a waterproof (e.g., gore-tex) parka-style jacket is good enough. Forget the rain boots, though. Mostly, it will just drizzle with a few good down-pours thrown in.
Rain boots will be good to have. She can always puddle-hop in sneakers, but it will rain hard a few times. Plus, they are a fashion statement on campus.
As a backcountry skier and a general mountaineer (kids and wife, too), I made sure my kids were well-outfitted for unusual weather days. Check waterproof/breathable ratings for garments, higher is better. They have both lightweight backpacking-capable rain coats and waterproof winter coats. A separate shell and insulation layer is better for a winter coat as conditions will vary quite a bit. Do not buy a non-waterproof winter coat.
Brands we have gone through: Sherpa (my current favorite), Eider, Arc’teryx, Mammut, Salomon, Marmot, Outdoor Research, Helly Hansen, and store branded jackets from REI, EMS, Campmor and Eddie Bauer. Many, many North Face jackets on campus.
That said, kid 1 wears fabric sneakers at all times, a full-zip hoody or his pea-coat depending on temperature, kid 2 is in running shoes and a pullover hoody every day.
I prefer Barbour myself.
Lots of good suggestions above on both preferable materials and brands. See rei-outlet.com, as they have a plethora of choices and costs options.
I second REI, and the outlet is awesome. I’m in Seattle, where the weather is similar, and I have an REI anorack that, because the seams are sealed to both rain and wind, and is lightly lined, is plenty warm for me in all but the really cold weather, which isn’t as common in OR. If it does get cold, I wear a fleece jacket underneath. My D isn’t that long past college age and she has a similar jacket, so even the younguns wear them. My younger D had a Columbia jacket with a zip-out fleece liner that she preferred. As for rainboots, they’re some kind of fashion things up here-I see them on little kids, college kids, soccer moms and even hipster guys. I don’t know if they’re as much of a thing in OR.
Columbia and North Face are both really popular; definitely something with a hood. Hoods are commonly used instead of umbrellas.
I’m from Seattle, and we have pretty much the same climate. I have a semi-water resistant windbreaker and a medium-thickness water resistant winter coat. It gets coolish occasionally.
D2 attended college in Portland OR. I finally bought an Eddie Bauer rain jacket when I forgot a coat one year. I love it. It certainly worked while she was out there and continues.
A jacket with a hood is preferable because u end up in class with a dripping wet umbrella and no where to put it. I have a light raincoat and a winter raincoat. Both with hoods. I also like a longer (butt-covering) jacket because my pants stay dry. Hunter rain boots are on point here.
Very light weight gore-tex is nice. Don’t get anything too heavy or you will be wet from the inside out from sweating. Many kids get by with just a polar fleece Northface or similar jacket - no hood.
But @saintfan even your cat has a hood!
Thanks to all. A friend who lives there and worked at UO reports that the best option is something light and impermeable (like a light Goretex rainjacket) that can be worn with layers underneath, just as you all said. He said there are kids who won’t wear any rain protection, but they just end up getting soaking wet and looking ridiculous and catching colds. But apparently no umbrellas …
If you are flying into Portland, don’t buy anything until you arrive. Stop at the Columbia outlet at Woodburn outlets on Rt. 5 on your way down to Eugene. Cannot beat the prices.
Waterproof jacket with hood and zip in fleece layer.
As others have noted, many urban Northwesterners get by WITHOUT a rainjacket. That being said, REI and Columbia are popular. But we just love Eddie Bauer. Avoid the overpriced and under effective Nike outdoor wear. You probably should wait until you arrive, but I have seen some great-looking discounted stuff at the online pages of Land’s End and L.L. Bean.