Rain Gear Reviews

The REI Essential Rain Jacket is a good value if you’re looking for a low-cost and affordable rain jacket than can span hiking, backpacking, cycling, skiing, and everyday use. It’s your basic 2.5 layer waterproof breathable rain jacket with an adjustable hood, velcro wrist cuffs, adjustable hem, and two zippered …

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 rain jackets that cost $100 or less for just this reason. While outdoor clothing manufacturers …

Montbell’s Versalite Pants are 2-layer ultralight waterproof/breathable pants that weigh just 3.7 oz (in a men’s XL.) They can be used as rain pants or wind pants or when you want light layer to keep your legs warmer in camp. Montbell’s Versalite Pants have been available for many years, but the …

The Outdoor Research Panorama Point is a lightweight rain jacket that can be used year-round for hiking, backpacking, and all of your recreational pursuits. That’s actually harder to come by than you think. While there are lots of lightweight rain jackets that you can use for three season wear, few …

I’m a big fan of REI’s clothing because it’s affordable, good quality, and virtually indistinguishable from the other name brand products they sell. This includes their Waterproof/Breathable Rain Pants (the latest update has been renamed “Essential Rain Pants”) which are a steal at $60/pair (often available for less), and are …

Gloves or mittens – dexterity or none – that’s always the big tradeoff you need to weigh when packing for hiking trips where you expect sleet or rain. Personally, I prefer gloves over mittens, but I’ve never found a glove that I like for 3 season use that can stand …

The North Face HyperAir GTX Trail Jacket is an ultralight, breathable rain jacket that only weighs 5.0 oz in a size XL and compresses down to the size of a sandwich bag. This jacket is even lighter weight and more minimal than the first generation HyperAir GTX Rain Jacket (note …

The Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite Rain Jacket is an inexpensive and durable rain jacket with a fully adjustable hood, zippered side pockets, velcro wrist closures, and a cord-adjustable waist. This well-fitting jacket is a great waterproof and windproof layer with fully-taped seams to keep rain out. Priced at an MSRP …

Hard Shell Jackets are best used in winter conditions as a windproof clothing layer and an extension of your packing system, with lots of pockets that provide easy access to gloves, hats, snacks, and navigation instruments so you don’t have to stop and take bone chilling rest breaks. While hard …

The LightHeart Gear Rain Jacket (MSRP $99) is a lightweight ripstop nylon waterproof rain jacket made the old-fashioned way, without any so-called breathable fabric. Coated on the outside with silicone and on the inside with polyurethane, this maintenance-free rain jacket won’t wet out like much more expensive waterproof breathable jackets that …

The Patagonia Torrentshell Rain Jacket is an affordable and fully featured rain jacket with an excellent hood and pit zip ventilation. While nearly twice the weight of minimalist lightweight rain jackets like the OR Helium II, it’s warmer and much more durable, making it good for rough and tumble activities like …

Besides the fact that they’re very lightweight, the most important thing you have to know about Montane’s Minimus Rain Pants is that they’re not baggy. They have extra velcro tabs along the base of the legs that you can cinch down to make the legs form-fitting so they don’t flop …

Backpacking rain pants are designed to keep you warm when you’re hiking in rain, snow, or a cold breeze. They do this by trapping your body heat and by preventing cold precipitation, rain, or wind from stripping it away. While it’d be great if they also kept you dry in …

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 zips as a winter shell for snowshoeing and …