What must you search for in a rain jacket for mountain climbing and backpacking? Whereas having a water-resistant/breathable jacket generally is a plus, it’s fairly straightforward to overwhelm their capability to vent moisture within the rain whenever 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 jackets that match that description takes just a little leg work, however we’ve achieved it for you under.
We’ve additionally included waterproof/breathable rain jackets in addition to ones made with non-breathable materials since you’re going to perspire whenever you’re carrying them within the rain, regardless of how a lot they price or what they’re fabricated from. If staying perspiration-free within the rain is essential to you when you’re mountain climbing down a path carrying a loaded backpack…perhaps it’s best to 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 finest use is to maintain you heat when it’s raining or the wind is blowing arduous, usually together with a mid or base layer. Perspiring is inevitable. Your aim must be to remain heat and keep away from hypothermia.
Listed here are the ten prime (moderately priced) rain jackets that we advocate for hikers and backpackers.
1. Patagonia Torrentshell 3L
2. Black Diamond Stormline Stretch Rain Shell
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REI | Black Diamond | Backcountry
3. REI Rainier Rain Jacket
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REI
4. Outside Analysis Foray II
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 handwarmer pockets, YKK Aquaguard zippers, and elastic hem adjustment. However what units this jacket aside from all others are its full-length torso-flow side-zips which may be opened like pit-zips however lengthen all the best way down the edges of the jacket so you possibly can absolutely 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 known as the Outside Analysis Aspire II.
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Outside Analysis
5. Montbell Versalite Jacket
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Montbell
6. The North Face Enterprise 2
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REI | The North Face | Amazon
7. Marmot Precip Eco
8. Lightheart Gear Rain Jacket
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Lightheart Gear
9. Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite
10. Columbia Sportswear Watertight II
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REI | Columbia Sportswear
Backpacking Rain Jacket Choice Standards
What are an important options to search for on a mountain climbing and backpacking rain jacket?
Adjustable Hoods
Sadly, many rain jackets have outsized hoods which might be supposed for skiers and climbers who put on protecting helmets. What it’s best to search for is a totally adjustable hood with a rear quantity adjustment so you possibly can shrink the hood measurement to suit your head, aspect pulls so you possibly can modify the dimensions of the face opening, a wire or shapeable brim to defend 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 assist you to keep hotter.
Zippered Pockets
You possibly can’t have too many rain jacket pockets. They’re nice for carrying spare gloves, hats, and conserving navigation instruments in straightforward attain. They’re additionally good for conserving snacks shut at hand so you possibly can eat when 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 instances I’ve to cease to get garments or meals out of my pack.
Venting Capabilities
When it’s important to hike in cool moist climate, you wish to restrict the quantity you perspire by actively managing your heat degree. The important thing to doing this entails venting extra heat by eradicating or venting layers. 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 essential 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 below gloves or over them relying in your choice and the glove sort.
- Two-way entrance zipper: Should you pull the underside half up, you possibly can dump a number of 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 Scores
What must you search for by way of breathability scores when taking a look at mountain climbing rain jackets? For cheap rain jackets, the most effective you possibly can hope for is 10,000 (g/m^2/d) MVTR (movable water vapor transmission price), which is fairly lackluster. Many 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 scores printed by producers as a result of they’re measured in ideally suited laboratory circumstances which have little to do with precise use. Pit zips and lively venting trump breathability claims any day. Should you get too scorching, venting your rain jacket goes to chill and dry you off much more rapidly than ready for water vapor to maneuver throughout a breathable membrane whereas your zipper is closed.
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