When planning to go for a hike, you need to prepare a lot of gear. There are ready-made lists available online so that you do not forget anything. The classic ten essentials for hiking include map, compass, sunglasses and sunscreen, extra clothing, headlamp/flashlight, first aid kit, firestarter, matches, knife, and extra food.
Today, we will speak about hiking clothes. Clothes mean really a lot, especially when you go on a long-distance hike. They can protect you from the blazing sun and from biting wind. They can make you feel safe and comfortable. They can help you survive when the nature starts doing its tricks with weather.
When going on a hike, it is essential to take a good rain jacket along. It will save you from many unpleasant situations. If you go without one, you’ll be completely at a loss when it starts to rain. You can start seeking shelter underneath the trees; however, that is not the most reasonable decision when you get caught by a thunderstorm, with lighting flashing over your head. You might start putting up a tent, but you’ll inevitably get wet while you are doing it.
If you have a rain jacket, you can take it out of your backpack when you see that the weather is starting to change. Thanks to the design of rain jackets, they help you stay completely dry even under a downpour. Modern rain jackets are made of Gore-Tex or eVent, completely waterproof materials. The outer surface of the jackets is covered with a durable water repellent finish that makes water drops roll off the fabric without actually getting onto the fabric. Velcro cuffs, a cinched hood, rubberized zippers, and sealed seams only add to that effect.
As you can see, a rain jacket is really one of the hiking essentials. It will help you avoid getting soaked through if the weather decides to surprise you with pouring rain. If you have a waterproof backpack, all your gear will remain dry, too.
So, how to choose a rain jacket for hiking. Let’s think, what are the main priorities when you have to carry a heavy backpack? You do not want to add even more weight to that load. That is why a perfect hiking rain jacket should as lightweight as possible.
Another thing that matters a lot is the compact size of the jacket when folded. You need to be able to pack it into your backpack, without having to stuff it. That is why it is best to choose the highly-packable rain jacket when going on a hike.
To find such rain jacket, you need to pay attention to the number of layers in its design. Rain jackets with a polyester mesh lining tend to be the heaviest and the bulkiest. Rain jackets that are made of an outer layer with a thin PU film instead of lining are the most compact. Some of them have a useful feature – they pack into their own inner pocket. When folded, they are the size of a woman’s fist.