I get questions like this fairly often. I always sit in mock horror and look at them on my 21″ ViewSonic screen. And I say aloud to the two beagles sleeping in their bed behind my chair: 聯90 degrees, 90 percent humidity, and worried about a rain jacket?!?” I聮m mainly a West Coast hiker, but on a travel story once I did backpack on the Gaspe Peninsular in Quebec, and the last thing on my mind was a rain jacket. I was utterly drenched WITHOUT one.
Marmot Impulse Jacket
Impulse JacketAnyway, anything as bulletproof as requested here would have to be a heavyweight three-ply jacket, something such as Arc聮Teryx聮s Beta AR ($399; arcteryx.com), which uses Gore-Tex XCR. It聮s a very nice jacket, and very sturdy, but even at that it would have its limits to how many thorns and tree trunks it could fend off. Plus, you聮d have steam coming out your sleeves.
Personally, I聮d opt for the lightest jacket out there, and if it gains a few rips over the years before I retire it, well, there聮s always duct tape. Marmot聮s Impulse ($135; marmot.com) is sort of the default champion here. It聮s light, well-ventilated, has a decent waterproof-breathable material, and doesn聮t cost a fortune. Same for Mountain Hardwear聮s Cohesion ($145; mountainhardwear.com), which, like the Impulse, uses a proprietary polyurethane-based laminate for good rain protection and adequate breathability. Outdoor Research聮s Zealot ($199; outdoorresearch.com) uses Gore Pac-Lite for excellent breathability. The most durable jacket out there? No. But it would work well and be far more comfortable than heavier pieces.
The Gear Guy reports from , the bi-annual gearapalooza in Salt Lake City. Check out his top picks for gear to watch in 2007.