(Rain) jacket like pants? Waterproof, windproof and breathable for a total of 30 €? The DriDucks of Frogg Toggs are popular with long-distance hikers, especially in the US, and are praised there in the highest tones. Out of curiosity, what's up with the things, I ordered the complete Rain Suit and tested the cheap Hardshell.

The set of jacket and pants comes in a small pack bag - and looks dressed, like those suits of forensics in the TV crime fiction. A rubbery outer layer, laminated inside with a fiber reminiscent of thin felt and above all: huge! Oversized is already on the pack, and you can really pull just about everything the backpack gives - and it still fits the jacket and pants over it.

Material and workmanship

The manufacturer states for the Ultralight line that it uses a bi-laminate of polyethylene and polypropylene. Polypropylene is the lightest commercially available fiber and due to its high surface tension it passes moisture and sweat very well. It is abrasion resistant and resistant to many acids, alkalis and organic solvents. Made of polyethylene (eg Tyvek) is the physically fitting counterpart on the outside: low density, does not absorb moisture, but lets it through - is permeable and yet waterproof - is also durable and very resistant to chemicals.

The combination of these materials, the structure and appearance is slightly different than the usual rainwear laminates: the usual outer material is saved, thus the membrane is quasi open, only from the inside, the vapor-permeable polypropylene fabric is laminated. This processing has several advantages:

• You save the weight of a complete layer of outer fabric
• nothing has to be re-impregnated due to the absence of the outer material. This promises lasting better breathability - if the membrane used is not microporous or not destroyed or glued

Indeed, similar suits are used as protective clothing in medical clean room situations or for laboratory applications and the chemical industry.

Frogg Toggs says nothing about the typical values like breathability and water column for the Ultralite2 Suit, some research on comparable materials (DriPore Gen2) by Frogg Toggs shows the values> 15.000mm and> 10.000 g / m2 / 24h. This is now the quasi-standard, you should not go under it anyway. 

Frogg Toggs rain jacket

The weight of the jacket surprised at least as much as the feel and appearance. The blue I ordered reminds of something between garbage bag and construction site. The jacket is clearly oversized in size S, because it suits a thick down jacket underneath.

The zipper makes a favorable impression, but should last at least as long as the jacket. The cuffs are closed with a sewn rubber quite well, the hood is large and without volume adjustment at the back, so it slips a little way in the face. But she can draw by drawstring tight to the face. There are no annoying seams on the shoulders that could rub under the backpack wearers.

Frogg Toggs rain pants

As for the jacket also applies to the pants: size matters. It is very wide cut, but is held by elastic on the hips.

field test

Here in the Munich Hausbergen is striking not so easy. Quietly colorful people in sinfully expensive clothes populate the mountains every weekend. With Frogg Toggs you are there but definitely the eye-catcher. The simple garbage bag design looks so uncool cheap that it's cool again.

Surprisingly, Frogg Toggs Ultralite2 is really waterproof and reasonably breathable. I have already tested some rain jackets and also worn them, but these are really the price-performance hit. If they were to cut something, just a little, prettier, it would be enough for vanity on the mountain. Technically, they are by no means doubtful, though they really look like that. It is an experience ever!

update:

Having a few meters of tape with you is certainly not wrong! Really robust and durable, the part is not, once scrub on the rock and ratchet is a crack in it.

Also Dennis from outdoor-blog.com she had in the test.

At Amazon's there DriDucks in a set for less than 20 € to order*.