If you’re looking for a rain jacket for your outdoor adventures, there are 3 main kinds of materials. Membranes, coated fabrics and vinyl.
Vinyl is cheap and keeps water out but also does a really job of keeping your sweat in. Membrane fabrics are the most breathable. Coated fabrics breath somewhat but not as well as the membrane fabrics.
The 2 main membrane fabrics are Gore-Tex and eVent. Gore-Tex now comes in a couple different types. I’ve seen lab tests that say that eVent is more breathable than Gore-Tex but probably not by enough to make a big difference in the real world. Gore-Tex and eVent are also very durable because they’re made of 2 or more layers.
If you’re working out at a high heart rate, you’ll still have moisture build up even with Gore-Tex and eVent. Still you shouldn’t get totally soaked and keeping cold water out will help keep you warm.
The advantage of jackets made with coated fabrics is they don’t cost as much. The big name outdoor jacket makers such as North Face, Columbia and Arcteryx use different names for their fabrics. Jackets with coated fabric will become less waterproof as the coating wears off.
Although there are only a few different types of fabrics, the design of the jackets can make a big difference in how well the jacket performs. Many jackets provide vents on the upper back and also zippered armpit vents. Some jackets have elastic around the wrists and others also provide velco so you can better control the fit.
A jacket with a hood will keep water from getting in around the back of the neck. Some hoods are removable. Personally I don’t like the feel of an attached hood when I turn my head. I get a jacket with a removable hood and don’t use it. I have been using the Mountain Hardware Windstopper hat. It’s not ideal for hard rain but rain in Colorado doesn’t generally last too long. I used similar gear on an Alaska expedition and backpacking in rain in Washington and it worked fairly well.
I’ve long used Columbia jackets. They used to fit me well and they warranted them when zippers would break after 4-5 years of hard use. Honestly I wouldn’t have complained if they just told me I had worn the jacket out. The last time I needed a new jacket, the Columbia jackets no longer fit me well.
I ended up getting a North Face Triclimate jacket and really like it. I’ve also used jackets that consist of a separate shell and a fleece liner. I rarely zip them together but I feel they fit better than trying to combine separate fleece and shells.
The great video above describing waterproof jackets is from Webtogs. They carry quality outdoor gear including North Face Jackets in the UK and ship throughout Europe.
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