When camping, there are a few essentials that you need, and one is a good jacket. Camping jackets come in a few styles, depending on what kind of camping you are doing and where you plan on going. Soft shells, for example, make excellent camping jackets. They keep you warm, breath well and will even shed a small amount of rain, from a spring shower, for instance. But it's hard to beat a good rain jacket for camping, because you cant predict the weather, and sometimes it will rain. With a rain jacket, you will be prepared.
Camping Jackets
Features to look for when you are looking for a new camping jacket.- Waterproof - When you're spending any significant amount of time outdoors, like camping for example, it pays to have at least one waterproof layer on hand. If you cant have a waterproof layer, or if you're camping in an area and time of year where rain isn't a big concern, then a water resistant jacket should suffice.
- Hood - A hood is another important feature to have on your camping jacket. A hood both keeps the water off of your head, and also adds a few degrees of warmth in those times when you need that little boost.
Best Camping Jackets
The very best in camping jackets for both men and women.Best Camping Jackets for Men
- Patagonia Torrentshell Jacket - The Torrentshell is a great all around camping jacket. It's nylon, with a waterproof coating, so it wont stand up as well as Gore-Tex, but it's also a much more reasonable price than Gore-Tex. Beyond that, you get a hood with drawstring, a hem with a drawstring, and pit zips to keep you well ventilated. A great camping jacket for plenty of different conditions.
- Rab Boreas Pull-On - The 2011 winner of the Backpacking Magazine Editor's Choice award, the Boreas is a lightweight, soft shell jacket ideal for campers who want to save weight. It's warm, but it also breathes very well, and even has a UPF 50+ rating, so that you are covered for just about all situations. One of the best features, however, is a hood, so that you can stay warm when you need to, and then take off the hood when you want to cool off.
Best Camping Jackets for Women
- Arc'teryx Epsilon SV Hoodie Jacket - A great soft shell jacket ideal as a camping jacket for when you don't have to worry too much about rain. It will shed a limited amount of moisture, however, so you will survive a spring shower or two. It also has a good hood with a drawstring, so that you can vary how much warmth the jacket adds, which makes it ideal for both sitting around camp and being active.
- The North Face Venture Jacket - If you're looking for something that will deal better with a little rain, the Venture is ideal. It's made with North Face's proprietary hyVent fabric, which is good, but not quite comparable to something like Gore-Tex. Still, it does a good job, and the price is very attractive. It's light on features, but does, crucially, have pit zips to keep you well ventilated if you like to stay active while camping.
