Cagoules

Are they still used? My wife's is still in good shape. Mine died years ago during my "retirement" from hiking.

Campmor still has cagoules.....

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=29009903&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1

A cagoule will be on the warm side to wear backpacking, although some have pit zips. I hope to find one someday in my thrift store shopping trips. Hilleberg makes a bivanorak which is really an oversized cagoule. In a really bad storm a low tech cagoule will keep you dryer than anything else. I took a NOLS trip in 1993 and the caguole wearers stayed dryer during the "big storm" than the rest of us wearing gore tex jackets.

Alan, as you said , it is not for active backpacking. Wool garments and my 60/40 jacket dealt with most rain. But, around camp or in an hellish downpour, it was great. Also carried it as an emergency item if I got stranded on a day hike.

Ahh ... good Cagoule + waterproof stuff sack or backpack (for your feet) = warm bivy! I wonder where mine is ???

Isn't it funny how old technologies are new again? Wool (my cycling friends have rediscovered this miracle fiber), canvas, leather, cagoules, ponchos...

'Yeast

"Old Tech": picked-up a Merino wool-very soft-button neck sweater as a base layer yesterday. $ 9.99. Winter clearance at a top clothing retailer. As I start off again, and it is going to take some time to build-up again, I could not see $ 40-80 for synthetic or smartwool at this time.

When I was in NZ in the 80's, I saw a lot of the locals wearing wool "bush shirts." They looked like a Cagoule or Anorak-a long pullover with a hood. Swanndri still makes them, but they are now really pricey. They are waterresistant to a certain extent and fine to wear in light mist. Should have bought one when I had the chance. I've got a lightweight Swanndri pullover, but these days I usually wear fleece.

The Rainshed sells a simply pattern for sewing a cagoule. http://www.therainshed.com/
Go to Rainshed patterns and scroll down the page.

The great news on merino wool (at least for tops) is the popularity has caused many retailers to sell light merino wool sweaters. I picked up a stack of them from Target for $5 on clearance and now have a 10 year supply. Merino wool bottoms are still spendy since mass retailers do not seem to be selling merino wool long underwear and tights.

I bought a cagoule in '78 from REI and used it for about fifteen years. I acquired another from Campmoor about eight years ago. They do serve as a nice quasi-bivvy sack for rest stops, and are also surprisingly okay for activity in cold, windy weather. For much activity in other conditions, they get sweaty and I will no longer use them.