Section Hikers Backpacking Blog Hiking and Backpacking for Beginners and Experts
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 and the media rave about the breathability of Gore-tex, eVent, Futurelight (and dozens of other waterproof/breathable membranes, specialized fabrics, or coatings), 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 carrying a backpack in the rain all day.
Here are the top 10 rain jackets that cost less than $100.
| Make / Model | Adj Hood | Pit Zips | Avg Weight | WTB | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marmot Precip Eco Rain Jacket | Yes | Yes | 13.1 oz | Yes | $99.95 |
| REI Rainer Rain Jacket | Yes | Yes | 13 oz | Yes | $89.95 |
| Frogg Toggs UL2 Rain Jacket | Yes | No | 5.5 oz | No | $24.99 |
| Frogg Toggs Xtreme Light Rain Jacket | Yes | No | 7.6 oz | No | $39.95 |
| Compass 360 Ultrapak UL Rain Jacket | Yes | No | 7.8 oz | No | $39.95 |
| North Face Venture 2 Rain Jacket | Yes | Yes | 11.5 oz | Yes | $99.00 |
| Lightheart Gear Rain Jacket | Yes | Yes | 7.2 oz | Non | $99.00 |
| Columbia Outdry Ex Blitz Rain Jacket | Yes | No | 13 oz | Yes | $99.00 |
| Sea-to-Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Poncho | Yes | No | 5.2 oz | No | $99.95 |
| Red Ledge Thunderlight Rain Jacket | Yes | No | 13.5 oz | No | $54.99 |
If staying perspiration-free in the rain is important to you while you’re hiking down 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 the wind is blowing hard when used in combination with a mid or base layer. Your goal should be to stay warm and avoid hypothermia.
Waterproof/Breathable or Not?
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 better quality than non-breathable ones with 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 that is coated with a chemical DWR layer (durable water repellent) that makes water bead when it hits the fabric and roll off. The downside of this design is that the DWR coating rubs off with use. When this happens your jacket will remain waterproof, but it will cease to be breathable at all. 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 backpacks buy rain jackets that are made with non-breathable fabrics. Many of those rain jackets have pit-zips and other venting features to help reduce internal sweat build up when it rains instead of breathability.
1. Marmot Precip Eco
2. REI Rainier Rain Jacket
The REI Rainier Rain Jacket is nearly identical to the Marmot Precip. It includes pits zips, a three-way adjustable hood, hook and loop wrist cuffs, and zippered side pockets, which are highly desirable on rain jackets intended for hikers and backpackers. The Rainier has two zippered pockets, both lined with mesh. Both pockets are enormous and can hold lots of gloves, hats, or snacks. They can also be used as a stuff pocket to store the jacket when not in use. Read the SectionHiker review.
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REI
3. Frogg Toggs UL2 Rain Jacket
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Amazon
4. Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite
5. Compass 360 Ultrapak Ultra-Lite Rain Jacket
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Amazon
6. The North Face Venture 2
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REI | The North Face | Amazon
7. Lightheart Gear Rain Jacket
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Lightheart Gear
8. Columbia OutDry EX Blitz
9. Sea-to-Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Tarp Poncho
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Sea-to-Summit | Campsaver
10. Red Ledge Thunderlight Jacket
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Amazon | Sunny Sports | Bob Ward’s
HOW TO BUY A BACKPACKING RAIN JACKET
What are the most important features to look for on 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 and help you stay 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 cuts down on the number of times 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 the amount you perspire by actively managing your warmth level. The key to doing this involves venting excess warmth by removing or venting layers. A good rain jacket should provide several ways for you 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 the body heat at your wrists where the blood flows close to the surface of your skin. They can be worn under gloves or over them depending on your preference and the glove type.
- 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 is going to cool and dry you off far more quickly than waiting for water vapor to move across a breathable membrane while your zipper is closed.
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I’d admit when I was less experienced I fell into all the marketing hype about breathability and my quest to stay dry while hiking in the rain. But as was mentioned above, I eventually realized I had two decisions. Warm and wet or cold and wet… That being some, I’ve found some jackets/technologies to be less clammy, and feel better even if I’m still damp on the inside.
I’ve never considered a poncho interested in the Sea to Summit ultra-sil option. How does that material hold up to pack abrasion or other minor durability concerns?
Silnylon is incredibly tough stuff. I wouldn’t worry about that aspect.
i never knew a rain jacket that i loved hiking in until i met my frogg toggs xtreme lite. the lack of pit zips is a blessing to me, because any time i am wearing a rain jacket, i am wanting to get myself warmer than i am currently anyways.
Yes! I love mine. In my second season with one. My first disappeared. It was literally spirited away somehow at the end of last season. I love them because they fit well, and are WATERPROOF. I can wear a down layer underneath without concern it will get wet. Perfect for high mountain wet weather in Colorado. Normally, the wet doesn’t last long here, but moves through, so I’m not moving in warm, wet weather to the extent I have to worry about overheating. If you are more concerned with staying dry and warm, this is an effective, light layer.
Thanks to Section Hiker for the tip on this one.
Hello
Lots of good advice here. I just want to chime in with the White Sierra rain jackets you can get for $25-30. I like the fit and I believe they are sil-nylon, light weight and they do have a full back plaque vent, but of course like Philip mentioned a backpack blocks that feature. They come in one million colors. There is always one in my day pack.
Interesting reviews. Thanks.
Right now I’ll stay with my old REI Kimtah eVent parka and pants. Over 7 years they have worked very well and been the most breathable WPB gear I’ve ever owned.
Great article. I’ve terrible luck with rain jackets. On a rainy trek to Fort Mountain, my Marmot was soaked in the first hour! Made for a long, chilly hike. My husband’s low priced North Face never failed him that day, nor did his EMS rain pants.
When I complained about the Marmot, I was told by friends (and REI) that it was sweat – not rain -that was making my skin/clothes wet. Not until I held the jacket sleeve under running water was I able to prove it was the jacket. Decided to go with a really nice, but a bit heavy Outdoor Research Goretex raincoat which has kept the rain out but even with pit zips wide open, it’s too heavy for hiking. I think I’m going with North Face, glad you agree it’s in your top ten. (And Nikwax.)
I’ve used both the bottom line frogg togg, and the lightheart rain gear. I’d recommend either, actually the cheap frog tog has a tad bit of a lining to it that’s really good at blocking wiind too. Of after all the duct tape, you realize maybe either get a new set (miles per set ?), or move to something more durable, the frog togg extreme looks tempting, but I wanted to try the lightheart gear. I prefer warm and wet to cold and wet, and am not sure how waterproof the pitzips are. What I (I guess everyone else too) would love is to avoid after the warm and wet is the next morning frozen stiff clothing, but I guess not going to happen. After hiking with custom made size light heart gear jacket (the folks there are awesome to work with) in the rain for 5 hours or so I got pretty wet. I suspected the pit zips (not waterproof zippers), so got some lukatape from Grandpa and closed them up. After hiking in rain still got just as wet, so perspiration or maybe seams I didn’t know. So time for an experiment, after removing the pit zips tape (ughh, not fun), decided to take a shower with wearing just the jacket. I stayed dry the whole shower, armpits we’re a bit sticky :( but stayed dry.
I scored a set of Frogg Toggs on sale at my local hardware store. I left the trousers at home (I carry a sheet of Tyvek to use as a ground sheet/rain skirt). The jacket now has excellent underarm ventilation on one side as a carabiner on my pack caught something — I’m at a loss as to what, as there’s nothing to ‘catch’ — and tore a 12″ long hole in it my second day of wearing it. I kept it, as I’m frugal and I hate sending things to landfills if I can avoid doing so.
A few months after that trip, I found a Frogg Toggs poncho in a thrift store for $3. OMG OMG OMG – hiker happy dance!
My problem while hiking in the rain is perspiration. I get heated so fast and perspire so much. Then I cool off too quickly if I take a break.
I have an REI Co-op Rhyolite Rain Jacket (discontinued) made with 3-layer eVent waterproof breathable membrane. It has no pit-zips and has 2 side zippers with small mesh inside pockets. It is not a fancy one like Vertice.
One November night 2 years ago my group had to hike in the pouring rain for 3 hours to reach cars due to bad weather. It was 40-45 degrees. Whenever we stopped to take a break, I would cool off too quickly and started to shiver. After reaching our cars I got disoriented & nauseated, and eventually started vomiting. I had to take 3 cups of hot chocolate to get better.
Last August on a 7 day trip my group got rained on all day, quite heavy at times. It was about 60-70 degrees. I got more cautious this time and tried to not get overheated. I would take my arms out and/or open my front zipper to vent often. But still got soaked inside to a point where I would take my shirt off and wring sweat out (Sorry for being disgusting) even though my jacket’s breathability appeared decent.
1. Should I get a new rain jacket with pit zips? or
2. Should I get a fancy rain jacket with superior breathability like very expensive Zpack’s Vertice?
3. What about getting a poncho? Despite no breathability, it may give more interior space for my body to vent out.
Thanks.
One of the things you didn’t mention is how you layer under a rain jacket. I almost always wear a fleece sweater under a rain jacket when it’s raining except if it’s tropically warm. It will keep you warm even if it’s soaked. This appears to be a lost art, but most experienced hikers do the same. Even better than wool.
Now if you get cold when it rains and you stop, I’d probably get a jacket and not a poncho because it will keep you warmer. As for a super breathable jacket, why bother. I mean, do you actually expect it to work? I would definitely get a jacket with pit zips. But I’d focus on features like the hood instead of breathability. Good luck.