My Barbour Border Jacket has served me well for travel over the years. It has fit in for nearly every occasion-- I've worn it to everything from barbecue joints to funerals and never looked out of place. It handles everything from drizzles to downpours. Best of all, it eliminates the need to take a separate "light jacket" and rain shell.

The only downside is that it's too warm for temps above the 60s and it doesn't make for light easy packing. I'm headed to London and Paris for the first time in early May. It's strictly a leisure trip. Average temps range from 50s to high 60s, according to all of the weather sites.

I'd love to hear from other Barbour fans who travel-- especially to that part of the world at that time of year. Is a Barbour right for this kind of trip, or am I better off with a fleece and a rain shell?

I'm a major Barbour fan but for London travel in May the waxed jacket would stay at home. My choice instead for this time of year is Barbour Linehope Featherweight but sadly it is discontinued.

Barbour has a good line of non-wax lightweight jackets that are fashionable and rainproof. When you are in London you might want to consider a new one. There are stores around the city. My favourite is the location on Regent Street. Harrods has a good selection although often at a higher price. Remember you can reclaim the VAT upon departure.

London has had a very erratic start to Spring this year with temperatures a lot below normal and steady rain (one sure indicator - my tree pollen allergy hasn't kicked in yet, was in full force by last week of March last year!). You may want to keep something warm as a backup.

Put more bluntly: I'm trying to determine whether a Barbour Border jacket is too warm. As Badenoch points out, there are several Barbour jackets that are lighter than my Border. Unfortunately, I don't own any of them. I do have two lighter water-resistant jackets (a Filson and a cheap LL Bean rain shell). I also have a PVC Helle Hanson that can keep me dry in a hurricane (and has). That seems like overkill.

The LL Bean one should work in May if you want to ditch the Barbour.

I wouldn't think you'd have any problem. London is more likely to be too cold than too warm in early May, though Paris might be a bit warmer. IME it's more about the thickness of what you wear under it than the jacket itself.