Best Lightweight Rain Jacket

A guide to the best lightweight rain jackets for men and women thru hiking in 2020.

Best lightweight rain jacket. Marmot has truly designed an effective lightweight rain jacket with the precip but the best part that rounds it all out is the price tag. The breathable 2 5 layer construction battles both wind and rain to keep you dry in the harshest of travel conditions. A rain jacket s most important job is to keep its wearer dry whether hiking backpacking ski touring alpine climbing or out walking the dog on a rainy day this is the equipment s primary purpose. The 365 scudo is an ultra lightweight jacket that has a little less waterproofing than some of the other rain jackets here but still offers 100 windproofing making it ideal for those days when.

The best lightweight rain jacket material is something hotly contested by gear manufacturers. Below we break down the best rain jackets of 2020 from entry level models for hiking and daily use to ultralight pieces for backpacking climbing and trail running. An update on a simple classic the rei co op essential rain jacket gives you everything you need and nothing you don t to deliver an all around performer that s light on the wallet. Less is more with marmot s minimalist a relatively lightweight rain jacket with heavyweight waterproofing credentials the jacket s two layer design makes it one of the best rain jackets for hiking and traveling whatever the weather.

Most of the toughest lightweight rain jackets out there are made out of either gore tex or some variety of rip stop nylon. Patagonia torrentshell 3l 149 weight. You can have all the best features in the world but if your rain jacket doesn t do an adequate job of keeping you dry not much else matters. I was also impressed by the performance of outdoor research s helium ii a lightweight packable rain jacket that can usually be found for under 100.

Marmot s precip eco has also been around for. 1 they keep you dry in sustained rain 2 they are breathable and vent internal humidity sweat to keep you dry on the inside 3 they are light and pack down to a small size 4 they hold up to the rigors of hiking backpacking and extended travel. Despite the light weight the rei co op essential doesn t dispense with important. 9 best ultralight rain jackets and shells for hiking.

All together the precip is a worthy contender for almost all predictable usages of a rain jacket and rightfully deserves its reputation. The best lightweight rain jackets and pants have all earned their spot on this list by performing better than the competition. For more background information see our rain jacket comparison table and buying advice below the picks.