The 5 Best Rain Jackets for the Backcountry

The 7.5-oz. Marmot Crux Jacket

By Michael Lanza

Shop for a rain jacket for the backcountry and you’ll see shells for adults ranging in price from under $100 to over $600, in weight from less than half a pound to over a pound—and just as huge and confusing a range of opinions on them from reviewers and consumers. I’m going to make the choice simple for you. I’ve tested dozens of rain shells over the past two decades, at all price points, from many brands you know and don’t know. Hiking through soaking rains all over the world has shaped what I look for in a jacket.

Here are my picks for the five best rain jackets available today, ranging in price from $275 to $425—with great deals available right now on some of these top-performing shells. I think you’ll find one of them is just right for you. Continue reading →

Review: Mountain Hardwear StretchDown Jacket

Mountain Hardwear StretchDown Jacket.

Down Jacket
Mountain Hardwear StretchDown Jacket
$250, 1 lb. 2 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
backcountry.com

From backcountry skiing in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains in a below-zero wind chill, to resort skiing on a sunny but frosty day with temperatures in the teens Fahrenheit, this puffy jacket stood out for three reasons. First and foremost, it kept me warm whether as my only insulating layer over one base layer and under a shell (while resort skiing) or when I simply pulled it on over other layers in the backcountry. Second, it felt noticeably more comfortable than some bulky, stiff puffy jackets, because both the fabric and the down-filled chambers actually stretch. And third, after I got its lining wet with sweat or its shell damp from falling snow, it still kept me warm. Continue reading →

Review: Marmot Mica Ultralight Rain Jacket

Marmot Mica Jacket

Ultralight Rain Jacket
Marmot Mica Jacket
$160, 7 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XL
backcountry.com

Ultralight rain jackets usually come at a heavyweight price. Given the relatively diminutive cost of the Mica, I decided to take it out in wet, windy weather from New Hampshire’s White Mountains to southern Utah’s Dirty Devil River canyon to see how it measures up to much pricier ultralight shells (such as Marmot’s Crux Jacket, which lists for over $100 more). What I discovered didn’t surprise me: Differences in price usually align with performance. Still, the Mica delivers what you expect from a basic rain shell—protection from rain and wind—raising a legitimate question of why you would spend a lot more money for a comparably lightweight jacket. Continue reading →