Hiking Jackets: 12 Tips
And A Review.

What is important in hiking jackets? What separates great rain jackets and outdoor wear from the cheap stuff?

The ideal jacket may or may not have all of the features below, it just depends on what is important to you. People have different needs in hiking jackets just like they do in camping gear or hiking equipment. Where Gore-tex ® may be great in the rainforest, someone that does all of their hiking in the desert is probably wasting their money and better off looking for one that offers more protection from the sun. Unless of course, his friends have a tendency to douse him with their water bottles. ;-)

What to look for:

1. If you're looking for a rain jacket to backpack in, consider pocket placement. Backpack straps can interfere with pocket access.

2. Where some people like to have lighter jackets that end at the waist, I prefer a hiking jacket with enough length that it falls just below the butt. The reason for this is it helps to keep your upper pants and pockets dry. Also, depending on what you're wearing it can help to prevent wet clothing from chafing. A dry butt, is a happy butt. ;-)

The drawback to a longer coat is that your legs will bump into it with each stride, so it might slow you down a touch. If you go with a shorter jacket and it ends up being too short, you can always get rain pants to go with it. So length really comes down to personal preference.

3. Taped seams act to seal fabric to help keep the water out and hiking jackets dry.

4. Gore-tex® or other waterproof breathable membranes allow water vapor/sweat to escape while at the same time repelling larger rain droplets. This can help you avoid that cold and clammy feeling.

5. Fleece liners can triple the versatility of hiking jackets: 1) Use the shell by itself as rain gear. 2) Wear the fleece by itself on cool dry fall or spring days. 3) Layering both pieces will keep you warm, dry, and comfortable in cold wet windy weather.

At the least a jacket should have two hand pockets. If there's an extra Napoleon pocket thrown in that's even better. (Visualize how Napoleon usually held his hand across his chest in old paintings, and you've got the idea.)

Also, for some reason it seems like a majority of manufacturers are using elevated hand pockets. This is a pet-peeve of mine because it's not very comfortable holding your hands at rib-level in the pockets.

7. A removable/stowable hood with a visor can come in handy when it rains as it will help keep the rain from streaming into your eyes. Drawstring hoods are also nice because they minimize exposing your face to the elements. Loose hoods will let rain and snow in which isn't much fun when it runs down your neck. Why should it be stowable?

Stowable/removable hoods are nice because they stop the hood from flopping around on your back. Hoods that are out of the way are also impossible to catch on tree branches and such that have a tendency to yank you backward by the throat when you least expect it.

8. Adjustable cuffs can either be made of elastic or with Velcro® type closures. I prefer Velcro® because it can be adjusted from tight to loose and everything in between.

9. Pit zips are great for those days when it's too cool to remove your hiking jacket, but at the same time you're starting to sweat due to exertion. Pit zips give you extra ventilation where you'll notice it the most.

10. Most good quality hiking jackets should have double/reinforced stitching, especially at high stress areas, to increase their durability. Seams that aren't reinforced have a tendency to pull apart or rip out much quicker than you'd like.

11. Reinforced ripstop material helps slow small tears so you can get them fixed before they grow into large tears.

12. One last thing to be aware of is Velcro® and how it's used. If the scratchy loop part of the closure is on a surface that rubs against another part of the hiking jacket in typical use, or when it's unfastened, it can quickly fuzz the fabric and eventually effect the integrity of the jacket. If it's aligned and fastened together with its other half it shouldn't be a problem, it's when the facing is open that it becomes an issue.

Recommended hiking jackets:

The Men's North Face Venture Hiking Jackets are extremely popular hiking jackets people literally rave about. Both the men's and women's give you a lot for your money. These lightweight three-season rain or hiking jackets are waterproofed with HyVent DT that also breathes to keep you dry and warm. It comes with pit zips for ventilation, 2 hand pockets, taped seams to keep you dry, a hood, and only weighs in at 12.5 ounces (354 grams).

The Venture also comes with textured "microdots" on the inside to keep it off your skin and help avoid that clammy cold feel usually associated with rain gear. You can find the men's and women's versions by following the links to Altrec, one of the best stores I've found, as you probably know if you've visited this site before. :-)

Pros: Very water resistant, lightweight and packs down to a small size. A drawstring at the hem helps to keep these hiking jackets from flapping in the wind.

Cons: These lightweight hiking jackets are not totally windproof. But to be fair they're designed for cool to warm weather and this does help breathability.