Review: Black Diamond StormLine Stretch Rain Gear
I’ve always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with my rain gear. It enables me to confidently go on longer hikes without worrying too much about what the weather’s doing, but on the other hand, I can’t wait to take it off because of how much it restricts my movement — especially rain pants when I have to step up on bigger steps. Thanks to the Black Diamond Stormline range, it’s all love.
Key Information
Price (at time of writing): Jacket – R2899; Pants – R1899
Water-resistant membrane: BD.dry™ (with DWR coating)
Water column rating: 10,000mm
Breathability: 10,000g/m²/24hr
Weight: Jacket – 288g (Size: Large); Pants – 215g (Size: Large)
Hiking in the Cederberg on a freezing, post-storm morning.
Stretch
The Stormline range’s major selling point is the fact that it stretches. That’s right — water-resistant fabric that stretches! This allows for a more fitted garment and more freedom of movement at the same time. Modern textile engineering — it’s a wonderful thing.
The stretch is most noticeable in the rain pants, which have a much more fitted cut than usual, with slightly pre-articulated knees. No more poofy “Oros Man” style while walking in the rain — these rain pants are so slick you could wear them to a party… maybe.
Image credit: Black Diamond
Fabric
The fabric used on both the jacket and pants is Black Diamond’s own BD.dry™ 2.5L, which consists of a water-resistant laminate on the inside, 4-way stretch nylon outer and a DWR hydrophobic coating.
The fabric has a waterproof rating of 10,000mm and a breathability rating of 10,000g/m²/24hr. In layman’s terms, it does a great job at keeping the water out and is surprisingly breathable. Combined with the added ventilation of the pit-zips, I comfortably hiked for over an hour without excessive moisture build-up inside my jacket.
Warm and dry on a snowy Matroosberg.
Design & Weight
The design is basic and solid, with no unnecessary “fashion panels” that would otherwise create weak points and add weight. The few seams that are present are fully seam-taped.
The underarm area of the jacket and the seat area of the pants are gusseted for extra freedom of movement.
Image credit: Black Diamond
Weight isn’t a concern either, with the jacket weighing 288g and the pants 215g. Both the jacket and pants come in men’s and women’s cuts.
Image credit: Black Diamond
Features
The jacket is fully featured with an elasticated drawcord around the waist to seal in the heat, two hand-pockets, pit-zips for extra ventilation, an adjustable hood and a generous peak to keep the rain out of your eyes.
Adjustable hood and pit-zips for comfort and ventilation.
The hood features a convenient single-toggle system that adjusts both the peak and volume at once — simpler and faster than the usual three-toggle setup.
The cuffs are adjustable with velcro tabs, while the pants feature one back pocket that doubles as a stow pouch. Both the jacket and pants easily pack into their own pockets.
Both jacket and pants stow into their own pockets.
The pants also have 1/3-length zips at the bottom, allowing them to be pulled on while wearing boots. An internal button closure prevents accidental opening while walking.
Cons
My only criticism is that the pockets on the jacket are positioned too low to be usable when wearing a backpack with a thick waistbelt.
Image credit: Black Diamond
Conclusion
Since I’ve had the Stormline rain jacket and pants, I’ve been reaching for my rain gear with much more enthusiasm — and I’m quicker to pull out the jacket at a lunch stop on a hike to keep the wind off. It’s comfortable, light, has a soft skin-feel and does exactly what it’s supposed to without fuss. In a nutshell – the most comfortable rain gear I’ve ever worn.
This gear was provided by Ram Mountaineering for review purposes and can be purchased from any specialist outdoor store that stocks Black Diamond.