Hiking in the rain is never quite as much as hiking in the sun is, but if you have a good rain jacket with you for hiking, you can at least hike in the rain without getting wet. The best hiking rain jacket will keep you dry from the rain outside, and the moisture inside too, like sweat. And if you spend a lot of time with a backpack on, there are some excellent options available to make hiking and backpacking in the rain a more enjoyable experience.
Best Hiking Rain Jacket
What to look for when you're looking for the best hiking rain jacket.- Material – There are plenty of different materials that rain jackets get made from, but some are more waterproof than others. It’s important to do your research and find out just how good the material you’re buying is. You don’t want to get out in the rain, only to discover that your jacket isn’t all that waterproof after all.
- Reinforced – If you tend to be carrying a heavy backpack while hiking, or if you like to spend a lot of time backpacking, then you will likely want a rain jacket that is reinforced in the shoulders and along the waist, which are the two areas where backpack straps will rub, and potentially damage a rain jacket.
Best Hiking Rain Jacket Reviews
Reviews of some of the best hiking rain jackets for men and women too.- Marmot Super Mica - The Super Mica is a jacket designed squarely with a person who like to carry a backpack in mind. The hand pockets are raised up, for example, to allow you to access them when your backpack hip belt is done up. And the hips and shoulders of the jacket are reinforced, so that the jacket rubbing wont damage the waterproof material. And speaking of material, the jacket uses Marmot's very thin and lightweight MemBrain fabric, so that you can throw this jacket in your backpack and forget about it until you really need it.
- Patagonia Torrentshell (Women's Version) - The Torrentshell is an ideal choice for budget shoppers. It uses Patagonia's own H2No fabric to keep you dry, while still allowing sweat to escape. The seams are taped, and you get two zippered pockets for your hands, plus a zipper under each armpit to keep yourself ventilated when working hard. But beyond that this is a fairly basic hiking rain jacket aimed squarely at the person who wants to stay dry without spending a whole lot.
- Arc'teryx Alpha SV Jacket (Women's Version) - The Alpha SV is the exact opposite of the Torrentshell above. It's expensive, and is a high quality jacket. First, it uses Gore Tex 3L Pro, which is the top of the line when it comes to Gore Tex's line of fabrics. It has the essentials, like pit zips and a couple zippered pockets for your hands. It also has a few extras, like increased length for an over-the-hips fit, a helmet compatible hood, and a minimal amount of seams that are laminated, rather than taped, to make sure water stays out. A seriously good hiking rain jacket for those that want the best, and are willing to pay for it.
