Backpacking Rain Jackets

Backpacking Rain Jackets – Don’t skimp on this piece of gear.
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If essential gear is in fact essential because it is important, then why would one buy bargain gear to make up their essentials? Sure, some of the main daypack essentials are their for emergency purpose and hardly ever get used. But come emergency time, do you really want that fifty lighter or a decent ten dollar lighter? If you are already five miles into a ten mile loop and it starts to thunderstorm, do you want that crappy emergency poncho or a decent rain jacket? I think you get where I am trying to go with this. One piece of essential gear that most people tend to skimp on is their rain gear. This is understandable though, as most people don’t tend to backpack or hike in the rain. And as a result, they can’t very well justify spending several hundred dollars on a rain jacket that they may only wear a few times a year.

Regardless of how often you end up in the rain, you should still have decent rain jacket. If you have never had the luxury of trying on a “real” rain jacket, you may not know what you are missing. If you have put off buying a decent rain jacket because you think they are all too expensive, you might be happy to know that there are a number of exceptional rain jackets in the $100 to $150 price range. That is really about as low as you can expect to pay for a quality rain jacket. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that just because these lower priced rain jackets have a smaller price tag that they are any less efficient than a higher priced one. These lower priced jackets are usually such because they use older fabrics, aren’t a top shelf name, or have slightly less features than the more expensive counter parts. None the less, these budget friendly rain jackets are perfect for day hikers or those who tend to only backpacking in drier areas, but like to be prepared.

For those of you who do constantly find yourself backpacking, hiking, or exploring in wet areas; you already know the value of a good rain jacket. If you have plans to visit wet and rainy areas, but don’t yet have a quality rain jacket, you might not know what to look for in one. Being that I lived in the rain forest of Costa Rica for over a year, I like to think I have a pretty good idea of what makes for a good rain jacket. Aside from having a rain jacket that sports moisture wicking and highly breathable fabrics, I find that side and pit zippers can really make or break the jacket. Pit and side zippers can do amazing things to help regulate your body temperature when hiking or exploring in the rain. Full side zippers are great for this and are also cool because they can convert your jacket into a poncho style jacket as well.

Check out some of my rain jacket reviews:

Regardless of what you do outdoors, there is no real reason you shouldn’t have a decent rain jacket. Ok, maybe if hike in the Sahara or something, but Im guess a lot of you don’t do to much exploring out there. Yes, rain jackets can be a good bit of money, but if you shop around for them, you can usually find some pretty good deals. Im a fan of searching for stuff on Amazon first because they usually have some of the best prices. Check out the links on the above reviews if you don’t believe me. Many of them are to Amazon pages that feature great prices and super low shipping prices.