Clothing - Raingear

Francis is an umbrella advocate, eschewing typical rainwear. Find out why he's backpacked over 12,500 miles with an umbrella... and decide if you should follow his lead. Read More...

News from the cottage industry is conspicuously absent from Outdoor Retailer, where even modest booths can be more costly than a serious gear-buying habit. So, here are a few new and noteworthy pieces of gear from smaller manufacturers that were either released late in 2011 or are coming in 2012. Keep these items on your radar as you prepare for the coming season! Read More...

Backpacking Light staff pick their favorite gear/cool dealio/thingy-dingy of 2011. Read More...

Further discussion on the four individual categories, a review of the products tested within the context of each category, and a brief conclusion of ways in which various alternative rainwear products can be combined, both with each other and with WPB garments, to suit various hiking environments and conditions. Read More...

An unruly, heterogenous group, Dave divided it into four categories: simple poncho-tarp, complex poncho-tarp, alternative upper-body wear, and alternative legwear. Read More...

In this final part of the series we assemble the information gleaned from our field testing into an informative discussion with down to earth conclusions. We also present field test data for each individual jacket, comment on its utility, and identify standouts. Read More...

Manufacturers make lofty claims for the enhanced breathability of the new fabrics. I tested ten jackets under challenging and forgiving backpacking-type conditions, while recording temperature and humidity inside and outside the jackets, and reported my findings. Perhaps I didn’t experience “air and water vapor permeability so shocking you’ll swear it's magic,” but I did identify some standouts and some promising trends of interest to backpackers. Read More...

The Mount Asgard Smock is a minimalist mountaineering shell meant to withstand hard use and bad weather. If Superman needed a jacket, would this be the one? Read More...

The Tumalo line is GoLite's most affordable WPB rain gear, yet only gives up a little weight on their top-of-the-line offerings. How does it perform? Read More...

Does the strong appeal, on paper, of the Integral Designs eVent Pullover materialize in real-world use? Read More...

Enduring sleep deprivation and a cold, we roamed the show on the final day and found some very interesting gear – new trail crampons, very lightweight rain mitts, more collapsible trekking poles, a 9-ounce snow shovel, cool apparel and footwear, and more... Read More...

This is not our backpacking gear list (honest!); today we again report on a wide variety of new gear – a new bear canister, more collapsible trekking poles, an insulating skirt for your derriere, lightweight high output lights, an ultralight down jacket from an unlikely source, more footwear, etc, etc... Read More...

Lots of footwear today, for the trail and snow, plus an assortment of jackets, a to-die-for backcountry ski system from La Sportiva, Big Agnes introduces new lightweight trekking poles, a new Klymit skeletal sleeping pad, a 12 ounce sleeping bag from Terra Nova, a 2.3-ounce Quantum GL windshirt from Montane, and more, and more... Read More...

Backpacking Light staff pick their favorite gear/cool dealio/place of 2010. Read More...

We present our final lightweight gear finds and summarize the trends we noticed at this Outdoor Retailer. Read More...

The daily perspective: I wish that everyone could truly understand just how much brilliance and passion go into the outdoor products we buy and use. Read More...

Backpacking Light staff pick their favorite gear of 2009. Read More...

At one ounce per pair, these waterproof/breathable rain mitts are designed for ultralight backpacking, but should they be worn over a jacket sleeve or under it? Read More...

Waterproof clothing without coatings or membranes: how they do it and how it works. Read More...

This silnylon mountain poncho covers both you and your pack against some of the worst weather, allows ease of movement on mixed terrain, and isn't prone to condensation. Read More...

Great fitting, lightweight, exceptionally versatile eVENT pant. Read More...

Ultralight pack cover, rain skirt, and rain mitts. Read More...

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Lightweight eVENT multi-sport jacket with a terrific fit and feature set, but its appeal depends on whether you need a helmet-compatible hood or not. Read More...

The Montane eVENT Quick-Fire Jacket offers great features such as a full coverage hood, drop tail, excellent sizing, dual vent pockets, and super-breathable eVENT fabric, all at a lightweight 11.9 ounces (size large). Read More...

A 3.5 ounce hoodless, waterproof jacket Read More...

The Isotope is the current lightweight champ for backpacking rainwear – and it’s full-featured! Read More...

New lightweight eVENT and PrimaLoft jackets, and an upgrade to the classic Rab Top Bag. Read More...

Pertex defies adversity, emerges with new product line. Read More...

Improved fabrics, lighter weight and lower prices - too good to be true? Read More...

Tougher, lighter, and softer eVENT jackets Read More...

Lightweight (3 oz), simple, and long. Read More...

The lightest silnylon poncho/tarp we have reviewed, but also the shortest. Read More...

Well under 9 ounces, including pit zips - but those pit zips are pretty small Read More...

6 ounces! 80 bucks! Read More...

Full featured rain jacket that is under 6 ounces. Read More...

A simple, low cost jacket that is the new lightweight standard in woven rainwear Read More...

Woven waterproof/breathable rainwear weights are dropping as technology improves. Read More...

This waterproof/breathable polyurethane laminate pullover is light, but could lose more weight by eliminating extra features. Read More...

Full-featured multi-purpose eVENT rain jacket that weighs less than 13 ounces, but what's the deal with the wire brim on the hood? Read More...

A full featured rain shell with pit zips that weighs only 11.2 ounces (size L), but how does the fabric - MontBell Breeze Dry-Tec three-layer waterproof/breathable - perform? Read More...

Silnylon rain chaps that are freakishly light but limited in application and best paired with a poncho or cagoule. Read More...

A functional and lightweight waterproof-breathable rain hat that becomes a performance liability in warm conditions. Read More...

Bushwalkers take note: these chaps are tough, breathable, and weigh less than six ounces. Read More...

Marmot's Precip Plus 7 ounce rain jacket Read More...

Gore-Tex PacLite fabric rain jacket. Read More...

Innovative waterproof/breathable technology. Read More...

Very light waterproof/breathable hooded and nonhooded rainshells. Read More...

Rain shirt? Jacket? Who cares: It's 7 oz and has the ability to disappear in a corner of your pack. Read More...

A product performance review of the Outdoor Research Zealot Rainshell, a 7-ounce full-zip jacket. Read More...

Product performance review of the Patagonia Specter pullover, a 6.5-ounce rain shell. Read More...

Product performance review of the women specific Isis Vivian 2.5 layer WP/B jacket with Entrant DT10K coating. Read More...

Review of the lightest eVENT jacket available: the 9-ounce Integral Designs eVENT Rain Jacket. Read More...

The Moonstone Nitro Jacket is a feature-rich rain jacket for the alpinist wanting helmet headroom and a short hem. Read More...

Excellent ventilation and fit, but a poor DWR and zipper durability issues. Read More...

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A solid choice for the sloppy mountains of the Pacific Northwest, but deviates unnecessarily from the basic design of general purpose backpacking rainwear. Read More...

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At this time, the lightest Gore-Tex (Pac-Lite) jacket available in the world - 8.8 oz. Read More...

Gateway page to BackpackingLight.com's 2004 rainwear reviews and rainwear gear guide. Read More...

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The GoLite Phantom Rain Jacket weighs less than 12 oz yet provides full weather protection and good breathability with Gore-Tex Pac-Lite III fabric. This is a full-featured shell providing parka-length coverage, pit zips, and generous pocket space. Read More...

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