I'm quite happy to buy value for money items but, for certain stuff, I've found it makes sense to pay out. Goretex waterproofs certainly make a difference, despite the pricetag. I play golf (yep, shoot me) and, a few years ago, bought a £300 set of Goretex waterproofs. They've never failed yet even using them on the Three Peaks Challenge where we got absolutely p***ed on for several hours on Snowdon. They're light, breathable and waterproof. I even use the jacket on the bike - it may not be perfect in the sense that it doesn't have the longer tail but otherwise it's a very good jacket, even for cycling.
