Having been a trail runner for a couple of years, I managed to avoid buying a seam-sealed waterproof jacket thanks to a friend gifting me hers.
While it has been in my bag on lots of runs, I can count the number of times I’ve used it on one hand. It’s at least a size too small and I don’t mind getting wet in a t-shirt.
But leading into the latest winter it was time to look into seamed-sealed running jackets as I start to enter more events and take on bigger adventures.
And so I got the Macpac Tempo Rain Jacket.
The tempo in the wild
1. My Priorities When Buying A Rain Jacket
2. Macpac Tempo Rain Jacket Specs
3. What I Like About The Tempo
4. What I Don’t Like About The Tempo
Note: I was working for Macpac at the time of purchasing the jacket so I did get a staff discount. I would have considered buying the Tempo Jacket from Macpac regardless when looking to buy a good running jacket as it’s not something I’d be skimping on due to the mandatory requirements.
But the staff discount did sway me from buying other rain jackets of similar specs. I’ll do my best to be as unbiased as possible in this Macpac Tempo Jacket review. If it was shitty I wouldn’t wear it…simple.
MY MACPAC TEMPO RAIN JACKET REVIEW
In three words? I’m a fan.
Compared to the previous rain jacket I was using you can feel the quality is right away. It’s a jacket I’m confident will do its job and in a weird way, I get excited when it rains so I can wear it.
There’s so much discussion in running groups about seam-sealed jackets. This is one I happily recommend.
1. MY PRIORITIES WHEN BUYING A RAIN JACKET
Meets the compulsory rain jacket requirements for most ultra events. Most of the time this means that a rain jacket is seam-sealed at a minimum. To geat an idea on the specs you can expect for ultra running events, you can look at this page: https://thegoat.co.nz/jacket-info/.
It’s a bright colour. I’ll be using the jacket in the mountains where the weather can change quickly. It makes sense to have a bright jacket rather than the standard black.
Lightweight. There’ll be lots of days where the rain jacket will be in my bag all day without being used. While I wouldn’t consider myself a crazy minimalist, carrying additional weight when it can be avoided is good.
Breathable. I sweat easily. So most of the time I wear the jacket is when I risk being soaked to the bone, then getting super cold. In warm rain I’d rather have no jacket and feel like my sweat can be free :p
If you’ve ever worn a poncho, you know what wearing a jacket that can’t breathe feels like underneath…it’s not a nice feeling. So the more breathability the better.
2. TECH SPECS
You can head to the product page for more but here’s the important stuff:
3. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE TEMPO
It’s Bright. The red is awesome!
Works as an everyday jacket. The specs of this jacket are great for most situations. In a perfect world that jacket would be 20,000 mm (hydrostatic head – waterproof rating) and 40,000 g/m2/24hr (breathability), but there’s a balance between the two. If you increase the waterproof rating, the breathability can’t always be sustained.
Packs up small. It rolls up (inside the internal mesh pocket) into a small ball slightly bigger than my hand.
The front chest pocket. This wasn’t something I was looking for, but a pocket is always handy (it even fits the phone okay). Not that I have a pocket on my t-shirt.
4. WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT THE TEMPO
The edges have frayed a little on the inner mesh pocket. It’s nothing that’s causing any issues with the jacket, but it’s still annoying when I fold it up and see it.
The hood doesn’t really sit well. It’s a very loose-fitting hood and unless I’m really conscious about keeping it on my head it doesn’t sit long before falling back. I’m normally wearing a hat so it’s no major, but an inconvenience.
I am a fan of the Macpac Tempo Rain Jacket. People regularly ask about the jacket when I am wearing it as they like the look of it.
There’s plenty of shoddy-looking rain jackets out there! The Macpac Tempo isn’t one of them 🙂
If you’ve got any questions, drop a comment below or email jub@churnewzealand.com.
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Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.