Best Backpacking Rain Jackets for $100 or Less

You don’t need to buy an expensive rain jacket for hiking and backpacking because an inexpensive one will work just as well as one costing an arm and a leg. In fact, most backpackers use lower-cost rain jackets for just this reason. While outdoor clothing manufacturers and the media rave about the breathability of Gore-Tex, eVent, Futurelight (and dozens of other waterproof/breathable membranes), the fact is they work poorly for hikers because they can’t keep up with the perspiration and condensation inside a rain jacket when you’re vigorously carrying a backpack all day in the rain. They’ll keep you warm if you keep moving and throwing off body heat, but forget about staying dry.

Here are the top rain jackets that cost $100 or less.

1. REI Rainier Rain Jacket – Best Buy

2. LL Bean Trail Model Rain Jacket

3. Eddie Bauer RipPack Pro Hooded Rain Jacket

4. REI Trailmade Rain Jacket

5. Columbia Watertight II Rain Jacket

6. Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite

7. Rock Front Rain Hoody

8. Frogg Toggs UL2 Rain Jacket

HOW TO BUY A BACKPACKING RAIN JACKET

What are the most important features to look for in a hiking and backpacking rain jacket?

Adjustable Hoods

When choosing a rain jacket, make sure the hood is NOT helmet-compatible, unless you have a huge Godzilla-sized head. Unfortunately, many rain jackets are intended for skiers and climbers who wear protective helmets. What you should look for is a fully adjustable hood with a rear volume adjustment so you can shrink the hood size to fit your head, side pulls so you can adjust the size of the face opening, a wire or shapeable brim to shield your eyes from wind and snow, and a high collar that covers your neck and mouth. All of these features will help protect your face from the cold and wind, keeping you warmer.

Zippered Pockets

You can’t have too many rain jacket pockets. They’re great for carrying spare gloves, hats, and keeping navigation tools in easy reach. They’re also good for keeping snacks close at hand so you can eat while you hike. I view rain jacket pockets as an extension of my backpack because the extra storage reduces how often I have to stop to get clothes or food out of my pack.

Venting Capabilities

When you have to hike in cool, wet weather, you want to limit how much you perspire by actively managing your body temperature. The key to doing this is to vent excess heat by removing or venting layers. A good rain jacket should offer several ways to dump excess heat without having to take it off completely. Here are some of the most important features to look for when comparing different jackets.

• Adjustable Hook-and-Loop (Velcro) Wrist Closures: These help regulate body heat at your wrists, where blood flows close to the skin’s surface. They can be worn either under or over gloves, depending on your preference and the type of glove.
• Two-way front zipper: If you pull the bottom half up, you can dump a lot of excess torso heat, poncho-style.
• Hem drawcord: Cinch it closed to keep the wind from blowing up between your legs and robbing your torso heat.

Breathability Ratings

What should you look for in terms of breathability ratings when looking at hiking rain jackets? For inexpensive rain jackets, the best you can hope for is 10,000 (g/m^2/d) MVTR (movable water vapor transmission rate), which is pretty lackluster. Most of the manufacturers listed above don’t publish the MVTRs for their jackets, because they’re not that competitive with more expensive garments.

But to be honest, I don’t trust the breathability ratings published by manufacturers because they’re measured in ideal laboratory conditions that have little to do with actual use. Pit zips and active venting trump breathability claims any day. If you get too hot, venting your rain jacket will cool and dry you off far more quickly than waiting for water vapor to move across a breathable membrane while your zipper is closed.

Waterproof/Breathable or Not?

If staying perspiration-free in the rain is important to you while you’re hiking a trail carrying a loaded backpack… maybe you should pick another sport.  Perspiring is inevitable. So is condensation, when the interior of your rain jacket is warmer than the exterior surface. Think of a rain jacket as part of your larger layering system instead. The main purpose of a rain jacket is to keep you warm when it’s raining or when the wind is blowing hard, especially when used in combination with a mid or base layer. Your goal should be to stay warm and avoid hypothermia.

The ultimate question is whether you should bother buying a waterproof/breathable jacket with crummy breathability specs or one that’s waterproof but not breathable since you’re going to get wet inside anyway. While heavier, many waterproof/breathable jackets are higher quality than non-breathable ones and offer more features, including taped seams. They’re often warmer, too. Whatever you decide, pay close attention to the features of the jackets you’re comparing. We think the most important rain jacket features are three-way adjustable hoods, pit zips, zippered pockets, and taped seams, followed by velcro wrist cuffs and hem adjusters.

DWR Coatings

If you do buy a waterproof/breathable jacket with a chemical DWR (durable water repellent) coating, water beads when it hits the fabric and rolls off. The downside of this design is that the DWR coating rubs off with use. When this happens, your jacket will remain waterproof but will cease to be breathable. When that happens, most backpackers buy a new jacket, on average every 2-3 years, instead of trying to restore the DWR coating with a product like Nikwax TX Direct. Alternatively, many hikers and backpackers buy rain jackets that are made with non-breathable fabrics. Many of those rain jackets have pit-zips and other venting features to reduce internal sweat buildup when it rains, rather than being breathable.