REAL WORLD, REAL RAIN
The Aqua0 travel trench coat seems to do exactly what it was designed to do - keep you dry, weigh very little, and look a lot better with a business suit or sport coat than most lightweight raincoats would. The below-the-knee length is great. It’s just blousy enough at the bottom to keep your trousers dry almost all the way to the cuffs in a moderate rain shower. I was in a steady drizzle with the Aqua0 for about 15 minutes and only my shoes got really wet. With its polyester fabric the Aqua0 will never be mistaken for a Burberry but looks reasonably good. The coat comes folded in a separate storage pouch that’s about 10x14 inches. The folding creases linger, but I’m not sure who’ll care in the midst of deluge. The coat weighs about 11 ounces - more than a waist-length performance-style raincoat, but well worth it if you’re a business traveler who goes carry-on only. The Aqua0 is also useful as a just-in-case for the car or briefcase.
The Aqua0 is vented across the back with mesh lining above the vent and two velcro patches to close the overlapping vent more or less tightly. I used the Aqua0 on a 65-degree spring day with a nylon travel shirt and cotton undershirt underneath. It was more comfortable than I expected and it did keep me completely dry. It’s probably a good three-season coat in most climates. It would surely get a little warm and sticky above 70-75 degrees F. It seems ideal for climates like England and Scotland where it’s ususally cool, rains a lot, and often rains sideways. I could have used it in London a couple of winters ago. Being windproof, it would make a warm winter alternative with only a little light layering. And the length means you can sit without getting wet.
The coat has two handwarmer-type pockets and no interior pockets. The pockets are not vented so they might tend to hold water in a real downpout. There are no interior pockets.
Color choices are khaki and black for men’s and women’s - plus red, yellow, and blue for women’s only.
The Aqua0 is $69.99 and is made in China.
Frank@OBOW