Apparel & Gear

The only way to test and review a rain jacket is to go outside and get it wet as many ways as you can. Here’s how we go about doing that ourselves.

Light, compact, and protective: The best packable rain jackets are designed to keep you dry without weighing you down or crowding your pack!

This is our first-hand head-to-head test of the best rain jackets on the market, from versatile everyday hiking jackets to advanced technical hardshells!

Can an affordable rain jacket still deliver the technical performance you need? We took the Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 into the field to find out.

Light, packable, and backed with GoreTex protection: We tested the REI Co-op XeroDry GTX to find the limits of affordable two-layer performance.

Light, breathable, and oh-so-stretchy. We took the Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic on a few rainy hikes to see how it stands up to the elements.

Regularly touted as one of the best budget rain jackets out there, we took the Marmot Precip Eco into the wild to see how it performs!

We took the Arc’teryx Beta LT everywhere from snow capped peaks to rainy valleys to see how this versatile hardshell holds up to the elements!

The Arcteryx Beta AR is quite possibly the best all-around shell money can buy: We tested it in the field to see if that performance is worth paying for.

Being outdoors and getting rained on just go hand in hand: Don’t try to escape it, just get yourself a rain poncho. The best rain ponchos are a quick and convenient alternative to a full rain suit, making them a time-tested favorite for campers, backpackers, and tailgaters alike.