The selection of your hiking or trekking jacket should be guided by 3 main criteria: the duration of your trip, the weather risks you’ll be taking on, and of course the intensity of your activity. These criteria will help you find your ideal waterproof jacket, so that you can enjoy care-free adventures in comfort!
In this post
What is the best type of jacket for hiking?
At a Glance: The Top Hiking Jackets
- Editor’s Choice: Arc’teryx Zeta SL.
- Best Value: Patagonia Torrentshell 3L.
- Budget Pick: The North Face Venture 2.
- Best Midweight: Marmot Minimalist.
- Best Lightweight: Outdoor Research Helium II.
- Best Mobility: Black Diamond StormLine Stretch.
- Best Ventilation: Outdoor Research Foray.
How do I know what size hiking jacket to buy?
Different brands have different jackets in the same sizes, so when you pick a jacket, go for one that is your size. As far as the fitting is concerned, a good trekking jacket should have additional room so that you can add a layer of clothing underneath it and at the same time provide some space for air to move around.
Is 10000 mm waterproof enough?
10,000mm – 15,000mm: A jacket in this range will withstand most downpours as well as heavy snow, but will soak through over time if subjected to pressure, such as crashing in wet snow, kneeling or sitting down, or a heavy pack.
How do I choose a mountaineering jacket?
Waterproof jacket: Look for a straightforward waterproof/breathable shell jacket that keeps you reliably dry. Also, make sure the hood is designed to fit over a climbing helmet. It’s nice if the pockets are positioned such that you can get in and out of them while wearing your backpack.
How do I choose a waterproof hiking jacket?
Which Waterproof Jacket Features Should I Look For?
- Stiffened hood.
- Good breathability.
- Storm flaps.
- Consider choosing a jacket with a waterproof and breathable membrane, such as GORE-TEX® for comfort and high specification.
- Pockets for extra storage.
Are down jackets good for hiking?
The purpose of this article is to help you work out what’s the best down jacket for you, and see what options (that we rate) are out there. Down jackets are useful for hiking as their warmth-to-weight ratio tends to be much better than any other alternatives.
How do I choose an outdoor jacket?
How to Choose Jackets for All Weather Conditions
- Understanding Waterproof/Breathable.
- Waterproof/Breathable Technologies.
- 2-Layer, 2.5-Layer, and 3-Layer Waterproof/Breathable Rain Jackets.
- Types of Venting.
- Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking.
- Non-insulated Jackets for Skiing, Snowshoeing, and Winter Sports.
Should jackets be a size larger?
Trying on Jackets in a Store. Opt for a jacket that’s 1 size larger than your shirt size. This is the general advice for buying a jacket so that it won’t be too tight. Having the jacket a little bigger than your normal size will also help to ensure that you can easily layer it over other items.
Is 10k waterproof rating good?
In the case of a 10k or 10,000 mm fabric, if you put a cylinder with inner dimensions of 1” x 1” over a piece of said fabric, you could fill it with water to a height of 10,000 mm (10m) before water would begin to leak through.
What does 28k waterproof mean?
28k waterproofing: Goretex fabrics are the only ones to achieve this, the highest waterproof rating in skiwear. Higher waterproof ratings do exist but at the expense of breathability and so so they are not used for ski clothing.
Is 8000 mm waterproof rating?
Clothing rated between 5,000 mm and 10,000 mm (10k) is a good choice for riders who spend long days out and ski or snowboard in any weather conditions. Avid skiers and snowboarders, especially those in wetter climates, should look for waterproof ratings in the 10,000 mm to 20,000 mm range or better.
Should I size up for a hard shell jacket?
Answer: My advice is to size up, especially if it’s a shell that you’d wear in the winter months. You want enough room under the shell to accommodate a puffy, insulated jacket for skiing, mountaineering, or just cold weather camping.
How do you measure the warmth of a down jacket?
One way to determine the quality of down is to look at its fill power. Ranging from about 450 to 900, fill power is the volume in cubic inches that one ounce of the down fills up; higher quality down lofts to a higher volume, so a higher spec number indicates warmer down.
Why is Gore Tex better than nylon?
Benefits of GoreTex
Gore-Tex has the desirable properties of nylon, but is also ‘breathable’. It lets water vapour from sweat pass to the outside, but it stops rain drops from passing to the inside. Clothing made of Gore-Tex is very useful to hikers and other people who work or play outside.
Is 20K waterproof good?
A rating of up to 10K is enough to handle light to average rain for a short amount of time. Ratings between 10K and 15K can handle a moderate amount of rain for much longer, and jackets rated between 15K and 20K or higher are serious shells for heavy, intense rain over a prolonged period.
How tight should a waterproof jacket be?
A waterproof jacket should fit snugly without restricting your movement. When trying one on, move around: jump up and down, wave your arms around, and twist your body. You want to make sure you have full range of movement available to you.
Which is better puffer or padded jacket?
These jackets (along with your layers) can withstand temperatures up to -5 degrees. Having said that, if you compare the warmth to weight ratio, down jackets are the clear winner. If you have to attain the same warmth as a down jacket, the equivalent padded jacket tends to weigh a lot more.
Is 800 fill down warm?
800 to 1000+ fill down
Ounce for ounce, when compared with lower fill power downs, 800 to 1000+ fill garments and sleeping bags are the warmest, lightest, and most packable options on the market. They’re also, as you can imagine, the most expensive.
Which is warmer polyester or duck down?
Both have their pros and cons. Down is lighter and weight-for-weight it’s warmer than synthetic insulation.
Should I size up for waterproof jacket?
Fit and cut
Most types of rain jacket for hiking are sized to fit over mid layers, so it’s usually unnecessary to size up unless you anticipate using your jacket in extremely cold climates and wearing a bulky insulating layer like a beefy down jacket.