What must you search for in a rain jacket for climbing and backpacking? Whereas having a water-resistant/breathable jacket could be a plus, it’s fairly simple to overwhelm their potential to vent moisture within the rain while you’re perspiring with a backpack strapped to your again. You’re actually higher off shopping for a extra inexpensive jacket that has options that hikers want like a totally adjustable hood, pit zips, velcro wrist cuffs, and hem adjusters. Monitoring down rain jackets that match that description takes a bit of leg work, however we’ve performed it for you beneath.
We’ve additionally included waterproof/breathable rain jackets in addition to ones made with non-breathable materials since you’re going to perspire while you’re carrying them within the rain, regardless of how a lot they value or what they’re product of. If staying perspiration-free within the rain is necessary to you whilst you’re climbing down a path carrying a loaded backpack…perhaps you must decide one other sport. You’re going to sweat. Consider a rain jacket as a part of your bigger layering system as a substitute. Its greatest use is to maintain you heat when it’s raining or the wind is blowing onerous, usually together with a mid or base layer. Perspiring is inevitable. Your aim needs to be to remain heat and keep away from hypothermia.
Listed here are the ten high (fairly priced) rain jackets that we advocate for hikers and backpackers.
1. Patagonia Torrentshell 3L ($149)
2. Black Diamond Stormline Stretch Rain Shell ($170)
3. REI Rainier Rain Jacket ($100)
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REI
4. Outside Analysis Foray II ($225)
The Outside Analysis Foray II is an up to date model of OR’s hottest waterproof/breathable Gore-tex rain jacket. It’s loaded with options together with a three-way adjustable hood with a entrance brim, velcro wrist cuffs, chest and hand hotter pockets, YKK Aquaguard zippers, and elastic hem adjustment. However what units this jacket other than all others are its full-length torso-flow side-zips which will be opened like pit-zips however prolong all the best way down the perimeters of the jacket so you’ll be able to totally ventilate the jacket like a poncho and even put on it over your hip belt to maintain it dry within the rain. The ladies’s mannequin is known as the Outside Analysis Aspire II.
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REI | Outside Analysis
5. Montbell Versalite Jacket ($249)
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Montbell
6. The North Face Enterprise 2 ($110)
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Backcountry | Amazon
7. Marmot Precip Eco ($100)
8. Lightheart Gear Rain Jacket ($125)
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Lightheart Gear
9. Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite ($60)
10. Columbia Sportswear Watertight II ($100)
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Backcountry | Columbia Sportswear
Backpacking Rain Jacket Choice Standards
What are a very powerful options to search for on a climbing and backpacking rain jacket?
Adjustable Hoods
Sadly, many rain jackets have outsized hoods which can be supposed for skiers and climbers who put on protecting helmets. What you must search for is a totally adjustable hood with a rear quantity adjustment so you’ll be able to shrink the hood dimension to suit your head, facet pulls so you’ll be able to modify the scale of the face opening, a wire or shapeable brim to protect your eyes from wind and snow, and a excessive collar that covers your neck and mouth. All of those options will assist defend your face from the chilly and wind and enable you to keep hotter.
Zippered Pockets
You may’t have too many rain jacket pockets. They’re nice for carrying spare gloves, hats, and preserving navigation instruments in simple attain. They’re additionally good for preserving snacks shut at hand so you’ll be able to eat whilst you hike. I view rain jacket pockets as an extension of my backpack as a result of the additional storage cuts down on the variety of occasions I’ve to cease to get garments or meals out of my pack.
Venting Capabilities
When it’s a must to hike in cool moist climate, you need to restrict the quantity you perspire by actively managing your heat stage. The important thing to doing this entails venting extra heat by eradicating or venting layers. A great rain jacket ought to present a number of methods so that you can dump extra warmth with out having to take it off utterly. Listed here are a few of the most necessary options to search for when evaluating completely different jackets.
- Adjustable Hook and Loop (Velcro) Wrist Closures: This helps regulate the physique warmth at your wrists the place the blood flows near the floor of your pores and skin. They are often worn beneath gloves or over them relying in your choice and the glove kind.
- Two-way entrance zipper: For those who pull the underside half up, you’ll be able to dump numerous extra torso warmth, poncho-style.
- Hem drawcord: Cinch it closed to maintain the wind from blowing up between your legs and robbing your torso of warmth.
Breathability Rankings
What must you search for by way of breathability rankings when taking a look at climbing rain jackets? For cheap rain jackets, one of the best you’ll be able to hope for is 10,000 (g/m^2/d) MVTR (movable water vapor transmission price), which is fairly lackluster. A lot of the producers listed above don’t publish the MVTRs for his or her jackets, as a result of they’re not that aggressive with costlier clothes.
However to be trustworthy, I don’t belief the breathability rankings printed by producers as a result of they’re measured in preferrred laboratory situations which have little to do with precise use. Pit zips and lively venting trump breathability claims any day. For those who get too sizzling, venting your rain jacket goes to chill and dry you off way more rapidly than ready for water vapor to maneuver throughout a breathable membrane whereas your zipper is closed.
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