Exploring the outdoors in the rain is never quite as fun as when it's dry out, but being unprepared for such conditions is even worse. For that reason, a good rain jacket is an essential piece of equipment to have for those who spend significant amounts of time in the outdoors. Campers, backpackers and hikers especially should have a good rain jacket on hand, for those days when the weather doesn't cooperate. Rain jackets for men are a bit different than jackets for women, though there are a few unisex jackets out there.
Rain Jackets for Men
Features to look for when shopping for your next rain jacket.- Ventilation - The perfect rain jacket allows no moisture in, while allowing plenty of moisture out. Unfortunately, no waterproof fabric is perfect, and so a good compromise is ventilation. Many rain jackets have zippered openings under the armpit to allow air in and out, but other jackets may integrate ventilation in different ways.
- Material - Not all waterproof fabrics are made equal. Gore-Tex is a great fabric, but it's also quite expensive. Nylon with waterproof finishes are quite a bit cheaper, but don't tend to perform as well as Gore-Tex. eVENT is a good, middle of the road fabric that doesn't cost a huge amount but will stick protect you from water. Know your fabrics, and the positives and negatives associated with the fabric that you choose.
Best Rain Jackets for Men
A few of the very best rain jackets for men currently out on the market.- Arc'teryx Alpha SV Jacket - If price is of no concern, you wont do much better than the Alpha SV. It uses top of the line, 3L Pro Gore-Tex fabric. Standard features like pit zip ventilation and waterproofed zippers are much appreciated, but the more advanced features, like hip length, gusseted arms and a storm hood are what sets this jacket apart. Backpackers and hikers should take note that high wear areas are reinforced, so the Alpha SV will survive a backpack without falling apart.
- The North Face Venture Jacket - The Venture is a great value jacket. It uses HyVent fabric, which is a fabric developed by North Face. It's good, it will keep you dry, but it's not as good as Gore-Tex. But then it is also a fraction of the price of your average Gore-Tex jacket. It's also not as feature rich as the Alpha SV, but crucially, it does have pit zips for easy and effective ventilation.
- Marmot Super Mica Jacket - The Super Mica is a great jacket for backpackers and hikers. It's extremely lightweight and packs down small, perfect for stuffing in to a backpack. It's also reinforced in all the right places for backpackers, hikers and anyone else who carries a backpack. Pit zip ventilation is also included, but not a lot else. The design of this jacket is lightweight, and it doesn't have anything except the essential features.
