Sierra Designs Elite Cagoule

Must not care about aesthetics

One of the problems with rain jackets is what happens at their lower edge: water drips down over a sensitive area where it soaks your pants at pocket height. It then soaks your underwear. It there’s enough water, capillary action may soak the lower section of your tops too.

Sure, you can wear waterproof bottoms to avoid all that problem sequence just to jump into another: waterproof pants are tedious to put on/take off and they’re stuffy, often leaving you uncomfortably wet.

There’s some middle ground: a long jacket puts the drip line away from sensitive areas. As body dimensions diminish below the crotch, some water will even drip down to the ground. A long jacket is obviously heavier and bulkier to carry than a waist long, regular one but if it’s enough to be comfortable without waterproof bottoms it may make sense even from a weight/bulk standpoint.

The concept is not popular though among modern recreational outdoor waterproofs. That’s why I took it as particularly good news when Sierra Designs announced the Elite Cagoule a couple years back. It took me a while to decide I deserved one but I eventually did.

Features

The idea is to take the cagoule concept of old and adapt it to multi-day backpacking. Weight is an obvious concern. This brings it to the usual compromises:

Simple design

• No frills, no extras, just a hooded, pullover piece that extends below crotch line.
• No breathability nonsense (or so I thought. See below)
• It fits loose and relies on ventilation to avoid internal excess moisture buildup.
• The final weight figure is outstanding: 6 oz

Version shift?

There must have been one. Current models use a PU coating and weight 9 oz. A very bad move, in my opinion. I haven’t found any reference to such upgrade (downgrade?)

I shopped around for an older model. I found one in Campsaver.com or so I thought: declared weight was 6 oz. The item I received weights 9 oz and has a PU coating.

If anyone knows where to get an older model, please let me know. If I’m mistaken about the older version, please let me know too.

Side openings

The Elite Cagoule features partial side openings on the lower section of the sides. This is for ventilation and it’s of particular interest to backpackers because the openings allow the pack’s hipbelt to thread through so the ventilation feature keeps working with the pack on.

Rainwear and impromptu apron

Pullover design

Pullover designs are inherently more difficult to put on/take off than those with a full front opening. As an exchange, they get rid of the potential weak point of an opening where the elements will beat the most. This also helps saving weight as there’s no need to protect the weak point with overlaps and/or waterproof zips. It’s a worthy option. In this case, it pairs well with the long cut, the side openings and the possibility to thread the hipbelt through them.

Pit vents

Pit vents in the Elite Cagoule are rather small and not closeable. I don’t particularly like pit vents as I don’t feel they help much. In this instance, at least they are kept simple: they’ll add a bit of complexity and barely any significant weight.

Pit vent

Chest opening

Chest opening is generous enough for easy put on/take off, as easy as a pullover style can get. Closing is by snap fasteners with a generous enough overlap to avoid leakage.

Fully open

Front pocket

This is the only pocket in the garment. It’s flat against the chest area, just a horizontal strip of fabric with vertical side openings that can’t be closed. The inner walls of the pocket are mesh.

Front pocket

I’m not really sure what it’s meant for. I can think of keeping hands under cover if they’re not in use, maybe holding a folded map that would still need some waterproofing if you really need to keep it dry.

I don’t think I’d use it for anything else, there’d be too much potential for losing it.

Fabric & build

Face fabric is a typical, how denier, densely woven nylon. The PU laminate inside has the also typical rubbery feel that’s not nice against the skin.

The build is good quality. Other than the commented features, it has hook & loop’ed tabs on the sleeve cuffs and no means of fastening the lower edge, which is fine (it’s a cagoule).

The cut is loose but not baggy and it’s true to standard sizing. A M size fits my 5’8” (172 cm) fine.

The fabric wears well, with some limited structural rigidity that I feel is welcome for such a garment design.

Initial review

So far I’ve only used the Elite Cagoule once but it was a good test: hours-long precip with alternating drizzle, heavy rain, hail and, to top it all, exposed sections with strong, blustery wind.

I liked

You feel the protection. The Elite Cagoule has this barrier effect that feels like it puts you on one side and the elements on the other. This is important psychologically. The long drop surely helps with this feeling.

The hood is good, given how simple it is: barely stiff brim, no cord-lock adjusters. With the garment fully snapped, the collar stands up and keeps the hood in a natural, comfortable position. I’ve used the cagoule in heavy, blustery wind and the hood didn’t move out of place. There are this odd, short cords on each side of the hood that would apparently work to cinch it down some but they have no locking system. I pulled on one of them and haven’t been able to thread it back onto its narrow sleeve.

The hood stands on its own

I didn’t like

The side openings closing system is not functional enough. It’s made of hook & loop strips that are just too small. They may get fiddly to align properly, it’s easy to open them accidentally and the unhooked length is enough to allow water in if the weather is violent enough, namely in strong, side winds. This is not a show stopper but I’d have invested a bit of extra weight in longer hook & loop strips. I may actually sew some myself. I’d be an easy hack.

Two hook dots and a snap at the lower edge: not enough

The front (and only) chest pocket is of limited use. I’d add some hook & loop patches to at least be able to partially close it, otherwise it feels too prone to leave stuff fall.

Suggestions for improvement

• More hook & loop length on the side openings.
• Some hook & loop on the front pocket’s sides. Additionally, a bit of a depth drop in the pocket might be welcome to make it really useful. Actually, it might be a good idea to get rid of the pocket and save a few grams. I might actually sew some of the suggested additions myself.

• Go back to where the idea started: build the cagoule from a non-breathable fabric and get the weight back down to 6 oz. This weight reduction is key for a garment that is meant to be carried in the pack regularly.

Summary

This garment would be most interesting if it still was 6 oz. I don’t think the 50% increase in weight of the current model is worth it, even if it really could breathe, of which I’m overly skeptical. At 6 oz it’d be light enough to be carried at all times, even for emergency use in dry climates.

At 9 oz it starts being a bit heavy for emergency use but still a nice option if you like the cagoule concept, which I do. I think it makes a lot of sense for long distance backpacking.

It feels like it would work well in vertical rain, with a good potential to keep a good amount of dripping off your pants entirely.

My plan is to give it a chance at being my default waterproof top for the long distance and see how it goes. If I can find an older model at 6 oz, I’d surely try that one.