Raincoat
I have always eschewed raingear. I always got too hot in those thick yellow plasticky rubber contraptions from my childhood. I would always rather get wet and change later when hiking or riding. But what if you can’t change?
Backpacking through Patagonia, I invested in the first raincoat I’ve absolutely loved. Mammut Rainspeed HS Jacket - Women’s Medium. It is pack rated, and kept me dry through a day of hiking in rain/snow/hail under patchy cover. It was also a great windbreaker. Packed down to nothing. I still love this jacket.
But riding for 40 min in driving rain with no cover, it was soaked through unfortunately. I’ll continue to wear this for most outdoor activities in the wet, especially when needing to be especially active, but won’t be bringing it to Mongolia with me.
Next, I tried the Mammut Ridge, (discontinued, similar to the Kento) which I liked a lot. Stayed dry in the driving rain for an hour, the hood fit over my helmet, and I could fit other layers underneath. This is, so far, the winner, but I did get cold because of my legs and hands, so still need to work on that.
Weather: 53 degrees, steady rainActivity: Riding, mostly walkingLength: 65 minutes