3/24/26

Outdoor Research Foray 3L Rain Jacket - Short Review

This is the Outdoor Research Foray three-layer rain jacket. It has three pockets, three layers of fabric, a really nice adjustable hood, adjustable wrist cuffs, an adjustable draw cord around the hem, and the most clever ventilation I've ever experienced in a rain jacket. It has zippers on either side that turn the jacket into somewhat of a poncho. I'm a big fan of pit zips, but after using a jacket that does this, it just seems like the way to go. I mentioned it has three layer fabric, but it ain't Gore-Tex. It's called Ascent Shell Dry, which is Outdoor Research's proprietary three layer fabric. It's kind of a stretchy, slightly soft face fabric. And I prefer it to Gore-Tex because it's so much quieter. Even my very favorite Arc'teryx Beta jacket is way louder whenever you're walking around, moving, whatever. You'll appreciate having a jacket that doesn't sound like a big old hefty garbage bag whenever you're walking up and down the hill. It also has a Nik-Wax DWR coating on it from the factory, so that should hold up for a while. But as far as waterproofness goes, I haven't had it wet through or be an issue. Although, I've only worn it for a couple hours in actual rain so far. So, we'll see how that holds up long term. As far as fit, I'm 6'2, 190 lb, and this jacket is a size medium, but I wish it were bigger. Don't get me wrong, I think it fits a lot like it fits the models on the Outdoor Research website, but there's not a whole lot of extra room underneath here, and I intend to layer whenever I have a rain jacket. The thickest thing I can comfortably fit under here is my ultra light Norrona jacket, and that just isn't enough for really cold days. So, if I were to maximize versatility, I would have gotten a size large. Overall, there's a developing theme whenever I buy stuff from Outdoor Research. It's nicer than the other jackets that I own and it's a good bit cheaper. So, if there's something from Outdoor Research that you really like, let me know in the comments and I'd be keen to try it out. As far as my opinion on this jacket, I would buy it again and I can see myself wearing it for a long time to come. I just really like it. Anyway, if you like this video, check out my channel and if you want to come along, subscribe. But either way, I'm stoked you're here and I'll see you next time.

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