I've been getting more skeptical about store-bought gear. Would welcome any advice from people who have developed their own. Please keep this discussion to items that are readily available or can be made with minimal skill. For instance, you may have sewed your own backpack, but no matter how good it is I'm not going to attempt it.
I'll start. On my latest trip (report coming soon), I got pretty good use out of my favorite piece of rain gear: a regular wide-brimmed hat with a disposable shower cap underneath. It has two big advantages over my rain jacket's hood: it protects my face, and doesn't rustle or otherwise impede my hearing.