Unlike some lightweight raingear, the Newt jacket ($170) doesn't skimp on length to save weight. Consequently, it overlaps your rain pants enough to discourage dreaded "water creep."

The Newt jacket: not ultra-durable, but ultra-light and, smartly, long enough to prevent water seepage

A full-length front zipper allows some venting. It's a lightweight model that's strong enough for careful users with warm hands, but could be damaged by clumsy, careless, or cold fingered fumblers. The zipper is well protected by double flaps and snaps.

Cuffs on the Newt are simple elastic closures — light but neither versatile nor good for ventilation. The hood is adequate, but I prefer more protection at the sides of my face. Seams are fully taped.

The Reed pants ($110) are a simple design that involves no zippers. As a result, you have zero venting options, and you probably need to remove footwear to get the pants on and off — but the addition of full-length zippers and their flaps and Velcro would probably double the weight.

The GoDri laminate fabric used on both the Newt and Reed provides some breathability, but since the garments have minimal venting opportunities, you will likely want to remove them at the earliest opportunity. This is probably a good thing, since with any ultralight raingear, the less you wear it the better.

You can't expect light fabrics to have the durability of heavyweight fabrics, and there's no point in subjecting them to unnecessary wear. For a wide comfort range, most of the time you'll be wearing the far more breathable, wind-resistant and water-repellent items like the Bark Jacket and Trunk Pants.

Move on to Parka: the Coal

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