Rain Gear Reviews

The Montbell Versalite is an ultralight waterproof/breathable rain jacket that weighs 7.0 oz in a men’s XL. It’s by far the best backpacking rain jacket in my gear closet in terms of the features important to hikers. It has pit zips, a …

The Outdoor Research Seattle Rain Hat is a waterproof/breathable Gore-Tex rain hat with a wide brim. While it’s billed as a rain hat, it can do double duty as a UPF 50+ sun hat, especially for water sports where its floating brim …

The Warbonnet Stash Jacket is available as a rain jacket or a non-waterproof windbreaker (see review), depending on the fabric you order. This is a review of the rain jacket made with the 30 Denier siliconized nylon which Warbonnet uses to make …

The vast majority of hiking clothes, including rain jackets, used by hikers and backpackers aren’t actually made for hiking or by people familiar with hikers’ needs, but for skiers, climbers, runners, and suburban dads and moms. So it’s no wonder that most …

The Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket is a minimalist waterproof/breathable rain jacket and a long-time favorite with thru-hikers and section hikers because it is so lightweight. Weighing a mere 6.8 ounces in a men’s size X-Large,  it is best used in warm …

The Outdoor Research Apollo Jacket is an inexpensive but fully-featured waterproof/breathable rain jacket that can be used year-round for hiking and backpacking. Priced at $129 dollars, but often available for less, it compares favorably with other value-priced rain jackets like the Marmot …

The Marmot Precip ECO is a lightweight waterproof/breathable rain jacket made with recycled nylon ripstop with a PFC-free DWR coating. Weighing 10 oz, the Precip is inexpensive but fully featured and suitable for year-round hiking and backpacking. It has a fully adjustable …

The Montane Podium is an ultralight rain smock designed for trail running, fastpacking, and ultralight backpacking that’s best worn in warmer summer weather. Weighing 4.1 oz (115 g) in a size large, it’s sized quite snug with no room for a mid-layer …

The Outdoor Research Motive Rain Jacket is an affordable three-layer waterproof/breathable rain jacket made with OR’s AscentShell membrane. Three-layer rain jackets are usually more expensive, work much better, and are much more comfortable than other waterproof/breathable jackets because they have a liner …

The North Face Venture 2 Rain Jacket is a value-priced but fully-featured waterproof/breathable rain jacket that can be used year-round for hiking and backpacking. The Venture 2 has a fully adjustable hood, 8″ long pit zips, velcro wrist cuffs, two side pockets, …

ULA Equipment’s Rain Kilt is a lightweight and breathable alternative to rain pants that will keep your lower half dry in rain without overheating you. It’s great for use in the summertime when hiking on brushy trails with wet ferns, leafy shrubs, …

The Columbia OutDry Ex ECO Rain Jacket is made with a new waterproof/breathable fabric called OutDry that beats the pants off of Gore-Tex. The stuff works. I’m impressed. However, I’m less impressed by the OutDry Ex ECO Rain Jacket for use as …

The Columbia OutDry Ex Blitz Rain Jacket is an inexpensive waterproof/breathable rain jacket that doesn’t have a DWR coating. It’s made with OutDry so it’s waterproof layer is on the outside of the jacket eliminating the need for a DWR coating like …

Marmot makes two styles of Precip Pants, the kind with full length side zips, and what they call a regular, classic, or old style which just has a zipper the runs up to mid-calf. I use the ones with the full length …