Of course I just had to try them on (and wear) them the very instant they arrived... The shiny lemon-yellow PVC was much softer and smoother than I actually thought it would be but .... it also feels just wonderful against my skin. My rainsuits are as smooth on the inside as out. They're a fraction large, but that's OK, because I plan to wear them over my clothes when I go out fishing. Putting everything on is also simplicity itself: just slide the pants up my legs before pulling up everything so I can insert my arms inside each sleeve. They fasten with a zipper and a row of press-studs covering it with a little flap. I also liked the elastic cuffs provided on each arm and leg opening very much.
If I've got one beef, the same softness that makes my rainsuit such a pleasure to wear also means they're more prone to tearing. I'll have to be careful putting everything on; even more careful when taking them off when they are sticky & sweaty because it clings to my skin.
Once acid test remained: how well would they hold up under a real drenching; i.e under field conditions? I could hardly wait for a real rainstorm to arrive so I could test my rainsuit in the same elements it was designed for! Fortunately it wasn't long before Mother Nature obliged with a major cold front bringing strong gusty winds and heavy rain with it. Was I happy or what?
The weather radar showed lots of rain activity associated with the front in a solid band of precipitation some fifty kilometres wide, so I hurriedly put my rainsuit and matching yellow Target rubber rain boots on before going out. It was still fairly warm, so I only wore my t-shirt and shorts underneath, partly because I wasn't sure how much it might heat up...
There is a big park bordering the Yarra River not far from where I live; I like walking there because it's never crowded or busy unless the weather is good. By the time I got there, it was raining very, very heavily. I fastened the hood tightly before stepping outside and I was absolutely drenched in moments - but not one drop of precipitation found its way inside, save for one vulnerable area just beneath my chin: but the rain was extremely heavy though.
Product testing has never been this much fun! I've rarely enjoyed such a high level of protection from the elements. The water just sluiced down the smooth protective plastic while I strolled down the winding path through increasingly thick bushland before reaching a foot bridge over the Yarra around 1 km away.
Because the rain was so heavy, I didn't expect to see anybody else but as it turned out, a couple of bushwalkers/joggers (one guy and a young couple) got caught out by the sudden cloudburst. They were saturated to say the least. They both looked quite amazed to see me kitted out for the rain like this ... can you imagine the absolute contrast between my rainwear and his soaked T-shirt and shorts? It still didn't stop him from gawping though and the couple I ran into just after him also appeared equally amazed but they didn't say anything. They just smiled and continued on their way home.
The car park was empty by the time I returned after a most enjoyable walk. I was extremely thankful I wore my rubber Wellies, anything else would've been soaked by 1) the torrential rain and 2) the huge puddles blocking half the path. I was (almost - well, it seemed that way) as wet through with condensation when I reached my car. Plastic simply does not breathe, least of all, relatively tight fitting rainsuits!!
CONCLUSIONS: My Plastico rainsuit performed admirably in about as stern a test as I could devise for it, but unless you enjoy being the center of attention, don't wear it anywhere in very public places.... It's also less than idea for walking or any other form of strenuous activity (although it'll work just fine as a sauna suit). However, fishermen and bikers will love this rainsuit because it is both very waterproof as well as highly visible. It'll be great wearing this during very cold mornings chasing snapper out on Port Phillip Bay. They are also perfect for lounging around the house (I wear plastic panties under them) of a quiet evening.