Introduction
In this article, we make the case for spending a few extra ounces on raingear that offers more ventilation features and durability than typical ultralight rainwear styles.
We already know that raingear made with ultralight fabrics sacrifices durability and waterproofness when backpacking in heavy, sustained rain. However, ultralight raingear also makes other compromises, including simpler designs that sacrifice ventilation, limiting one’s ability to control thermoregulation when one’s exertion level is high.
Because weight, durability, and ventilation are often at odds with each other, we’ll discuss the use cases where spending a few extra ounces may be worth it.
Updated July 28, 2024: Edits made to clarify terminology around heat and moisture transfer processes; discussions reorganized and expanded to improve clarity, including addressing some forum comments prior to this update date; product recommendations updated to reflect current state of the market.
Why is layering important?
Layering various combinations of clothing pieces helps hikers manage thermal comfort and moisture in response to changes in activity level and environmental conditions.
Generally, layers for backpacking should be hydrophobic (so as not to absorb excessive moisture, whether from perspiration or precipitation), quick to dry, and lightweight.
Clothing that absorbs as little moisture as possible (i.e., is hydrophobic and lightweight) dries faster and remains lighter if you have to stow it back in your pack. In addition, the less moisture that is absorbed in your clothing, the less likely you will be chilled by evaporative cooling. Evaporation of moisture in clothing requires body heat. Excessive loss of body heat can be uncomfortable or unsafe in cold conditions.
Traditional layering systems for inclement weather are based on their ability to serve three primary functions:
- Wick perspiration away from the skin surface.
- Keep you warm via insulation and wind-blocking.
- Keep you dry and protected from precipitation.
Limitations of traditional three-layer systems
These three functions are addressed by what is commonly referred to as the three-layer system.
The layering system illustrated above includes three popular garments and weighs a total of 31.3 oz (887 g):
- Patagonia Capilene Midweight Crew (6.2 oz / 176 g)
- Patagonia R1 Fleece Pullover (11.2 oz / 332 g)
- Patagonia Torrentshell Rain Jacket (13.9 oz / 394 g)
In the three-layer model, the wicking layer is worn in warm conditions, the warmth layer is added in cold and dry conditions, and the wind/rain jacket is layered over either the wicking layer alone (e.g., in cool and drizzly or dry, cold, and windy conditions) or over both the wicking and warmth layer (e.g., in very cold, wet, and windy conditions).
Author’s Note: An ultralight backpacker will look at the specific three-layer system example above and be appalled at the weight! For example, my mid-summer alpine hiking layers in the central US Rocky Mountains often includes a 115 gsm (gram per square meter) merino base layer (4.1 ounces / 116 g), a 60 gsm Polartec Alpha Direct hoody (3.5 ounces / 99 g), and a 7D waterproof trail running smock (3.1 ounces / 88 g), for a total system weight of 10.7 ounces (303 g): a system that’s about a third of the weight of the one illustrated in the image above.
Why lighter layers matter
The purpose of layering is not to save weight; it’s to increase comfort and versatility in response to changing activity levels and environmental conditions. However, selecting the lightest possible layers to accomplish this objective makes obvious sense. Lighter layers (less material) absorb less water and dry faster. Lighter layers provide less material resistance in response to body movement and feel more comfortable. And, of course, when stowed in your pack while not in use, lighter layers are, well, lighter.
Layering challenges during shoulder seasons
Shoulder season refers to spring and fall when the weather is predominantly characterized by wet, cold, and windy conditions (as opposed to the dryer and warmer conditions of summer and the dryer and colder – subfreezing – conditions of winter). I find it easier to stay comfortable during the snowy subfreezing cold of winter than during the wet, cold, and windy conditions that occur between Labor Day and Thanksgiving or between Easter and Juneteenth (at least where I do most of my hiking in the Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana Rockies). In addition, backpacking during shoulder seasons brings fewer daylight hours and more time spent in camp, where it’s harder to stay warm while inactive.
The three-layer system presented above starts to break down in shoulder season conditions, especially when precipitation starts to fall.
When raingear matters the most: the wind-cold-rain trifecta
During the summer in the mountains of the Northern Rockies (MT, WY, and Northern CO), in the Pacific Northwest (WA and OR), and in the Inland Northwest (e.g., Idaho Sawtooths, Uintas), shoulder season conditions can occur any time of year on a regular basis. If you are hiking in any of these areas on extended trips where you can’t accurately forecast the weather, plan on preparing for shoulder season conditions.
Barring any unusual weather patterns, most of the other mountains of CA, UT, NV, AZ, and the entire Appalachian corridor are characterized by warmer temperatures where a typical three-layer system will suit most hikers just fine.
The risk of discomfort and even hypothermia goes up significantly when the combination of cold temperatures (in the 50s °F / 10s °C or lower), heavy or sustained precipitation, and even just light winds (greater than about 10 mph / 16 kph) are coming at you during the day when you are facing several hours of hiking. I bring this up because the combination of cold, wet, windy conditions is something every hiker should be sensitive to, regardless of their geographic location or date.
When hiking in the cold-wet-wind trifecta, one of the biggest issues hikers face is that of overheating while wearing a waterproof shell. Let’s address that issue now.
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Discussion
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Hey Gerald,
I picked up a OR Guardian I and it seems pretty okay. Does yours have an inner storm flap? There have been quite a few issues with the waterproofness of Ascentshell. What is your experience? I was thinking about an Interstellar but for less than 2 ounces I get pit zips and 50d compared to 20d. Thank you.
I am limited in my choices because I need an XXL so I am looking at something like this or the Marmot Eco Precip. Has anyone actually used this jacket because people are saying it gets overwhelmed in heavy rain.
Thank you.
Brett – your reasoning matched mine. Interstellar got some great press, and for a couple ounces more I went with the Guardian II for the features and durability. I think the stormflap is on the outside. And FYI, I’m using the XXL myself.
During light/moderate activity, it seems to stay comfortable far longer than the Goretex I’ve worn in the past (which just seem to condense my sweat). And it’s stretchy but pretty durable.
“…overwhelmed in heavy rain…” seems kinda subjective. It was unseasonably cold and rainy in NM in July, with 6-7 solid days of rain… I was backpacking, and both the OR Guardian II jacket and Marmot Precip full zip pants exceeded my expectations, I more or less lived in them for a week… The jacket did wet out eventually (shoulder area, under my pack straps), but I would still not call that “overwhelmed”.
Thanks. I was talking about the Marmot getting overwhelmed. Glad for the info. I like the Guardian I because I can totally open it and dump heat easily. The reassurance that it will preform well in a long rain is great. Thanks.
Hi Gerard: When you experienced wet out, did any moisture leak through and did you experience any loss of comfort? Thanks.
I had a day hike experience this summer (7/18) in the Sierras which reminded me of this article. There was a hail storm and sustained downpour (with lightning) for many hours up at Mt. Whitney. I made the decision to turn back at 13500ft on my summit attempt. I put on a hardshell for the way down which is the same Beta LT mentioned in this article. The jacket was fully zipped and kept me comfortably cool with a merino baselayer. It was now cold enough (I think the 40s maybe) that my hands were getting numb from being wet and I tucked them into the jacket sleeves which for me are overly long. I also did not feel the impact of the hail once the jacket was on. I slipped a few times on wet rock and the jacket did not show any signs of abrasion as I was rubbing it on the trailside rocks as I fell. I started sweating once below treeline as it was warmer here. The pit-zips came in handy which I opened up fully. This kept me cool and the sweating stopped.
I do not have any experience with ultralight rain jackets. The Montbell Versatile and Outdoor Research Helium, were the two that I was considering to fill that gap in my layering system. I was wondering how these kind of jackets would fare in the kind of conditions that I described above, especially the hail? I actually wanted to get an ultralight rain jacket specifically for the Sierras which now seems a bit scary to me after this experience.
I have a Beta LT Hybrid (it has traditional 3-layer Goretex in high wear areas, Goretex Paclite in the lower torso, and pit zips), and I have an OR Helium (the latest with the “diamond fuse” fabric), and I would not trust the Helium in the conditions you describe. In sustained rain the DWR completely fails (and yes I have retreated it several times) and the outer fabric wets out, and even though the membrane doesn’t leak – I would be cold in the conditions you describe. I have never hiked in the Sierra, but a few years ago we did some September hiking in the Wind River range and I was very glad to have the Arcteryx jacket – we had it all – initially hot weather (sunny and 80s), then thunderstorms and hail, then sustained heavy rain, and ultimately several days of wet snow. I would not trust the Helium in similar conditions.
I hear good things about the Versalite though – I don’t think it suffers the same outer fabric wet out issue the Helium does.
@ Ryan
The Patagonia jacket weighs the same as the Arcteryx. The Torrentshell is $149 and the Arcteryx $399. Both have pit zips. Do they perform the same under similar conditions?
The Torrentshell is a great deal on a rain jacket. The Arc’teryx fit me better, so I ultimately went with that. I’m also not a fan of “storm flaps” over the zippers, and I like the waterproof zipper of the Arc’teryx.
I’ve been experimenting with rain jackets this spring and was testing the Outdoor Research Helium AscentShell Jacket, which gets rave reviews. I was not impressed with the construction quality of mine – interior seam tape delaminated in the shoulder strap area and the fabric isn’t as durable as I’d hoped. Mine has several rips and holes in it from bushwhacking, and the shoulder strap area now leaks. I haven’t used this jacket much, only a few months.
I just got back from an 8-day trip in the Colorado Flat Tops. I used my Zeta FL. We had about 6 inches of rain on the trip, and I wore the jacket a lot. It was fine. I added pit zips myself. Bushwhacking through wet willows with a heavy pack pushed it to its limits of breathability, for sure, but the pit zips make it OK.
I’ve worn the Zeta FL a ton, and it has zero leaks, no delam or other construction defects. It’s been a good purchase for me.
I no longer put much faith in ultralight rain jackets in sustained rain. They just don’t last, and they can’t really cope with heavy conditions for very long. I do still use one (Montane Minimus 777 pullover) for when the weather forecast is good. But even that one is wearing out, so I’ll be back on the hunt this fall…
Thanks for adding that last piece so that we know ORs Helium Rain jackets are 0 for 4. :)
@ Ryan. Thanks. I don’t like flaps over zippers either.
I would think the use case for something like the OR Helium is summer backpacking in the Sierra Nevada on shortish trips where you know the weather forecast where you might encounter a daily thunder shower that lasts 45 minutes.
For shortish trips where you have forecasts or chances of sustained rain or on longer trips where all kinds of weather might happen, seems like you do need to carry a Goretex Paclite garmet or better.
Does anyone have ideas for bushwhacking in hot humid tropical rainforest? It’s ok to get wet but it gets awful if you’re in it for hours. Ideally it would be tough material that won’t get torn apart by sticks and spines, lots of ventilation, and fully waterproof.
Military poncho? They are tough enough to use as a stretcher, and are issued for warm weather jungle environments.
I like to add a full-length front zipper to ponchos, for even better ventilation and easy on/off. However, many/most people use them without the zipper.
Or The Packa? It is available in 30d and 40d fabrics.
“We had about 6 inches of rain on the trip, and I wore the jacket a lot. ”
No kidding! that’s a ridiculous amount of rain.
I’m curious about the objection to zipper storm flaps. I’m assuming that it’s because they wet out and become useless. Well, yeah, in 6 inches of rain that might be the case. But in mere torrential circumstances lasting a day or two with 1-2 inches of rain?
Honestly I’ve never thought about storm flaps; others here may not have either.
looking at the Packa, for example, there are no storm flaps over the zippers. A good thing?
addendum to my above post: I wasn’t being contradictory, for once. I’m actually curious about this. Ryan and others are far more experienced than me with this topic, so it’s a chance to learn.
And then be contradictory. the opposite of what I usually do.
Yes! I swear by Outdry Extreme. People here have told me again and again that it’s not possible to stay dry in prolonged rain, but that’s not my experience. 7 days of non-stop rain on Hornstarndir, Iceland (close to freezing), 6 days of non-stop rain in Scotland…off trail, vigorous 12-15hr/day hiking… dry (Yes, DRY!) and comfortable all the time.
Maybe I’m lucky I don’t sweat so much, but I can make this work without pit zips (which to me are just another point of failure). Adjusting cuffs, hood and front zipper is enough. I combine it with non-breathable AntiGravityGear Ultralight Rain Pants and this works so well for me, I don’t even care about the weather anymore.
I stay away from anything with DWR, as that never worked for me (even $500 WP/B jackets). So that leaves out all the options mentioned in this article. It was good to see that Stephen Seeber was cautiously positive about an Outdry jacket in a recent BPL article, but in general WP/B seems to be the norm here (and ponchos as alternative). I think I perceive a lack of interest from the lightweight hiking community for Outdry. Which is a shame, because more interest might motivate Columbia to develop it further.
There’s an interesting episode on The Outdoors Station podcast featuring Mike Parsons of Karimoor/OMM episode 560 – Outdoor Gear Coach. In it he & host Bob Cartwright discuss the perhaps misnomer about the “3 layer system” in that it doesn’t literally mean three layers, rather it is a concept built around base layer(s), mid layer(s), windshirt & finally waterproof shell. Puffy jacket for rest stops and around camp, and to supplement our sleep systems. So in fact, our “3 layer system” could be made up of multiple layers within each of those three subcategories.
if your dealing with cold/wind/rain why wouldn’t you consider a fully waterproof jacket like LHG? it’s got huge pit zips and depending on size around 6-8oz
A couple years ago on a multi-week thru-hike I was happy with my old Luke’s Ultralight silnylon rain suit that weighed 8oz for both jacket and pants… Until an intense, cold two-hour rain storm gave me a close brush with hypothermia. I knew it was time for a change, and I’ll be heading into this shoulder season with an Arc’teryx Beta LT + Beta Pants rain suit. This aligns with the broader theme in my hiking journey, and that I’ve noticed on BPL lately, of accepting an increased weight in favor of long-term durability, a reduced “finicky factor”, and resilience in the backcountry in the face of unpredictable conditions.
why did silnylon rain suit result in close call with hypothermia?
did water condense inside the rain suit?
nothing lets the sweat out through a fabric once the fabric has wetted out, the sweat has to remain as vapour and it cant do that when the fabric has a complete layer of liquid water on it. its just any ventilation that’s letting hte sweat out
I’ll clarify: This was a cold, dumping mountain rain storm and somehow water began to get into my rain jacket and pants, perhaps flowing in from a structureless hood rim, perhaps there were micro perforations in the fabric — either way I took away a sense of disappointment at my own lack of preparedness. I also didn’t have a fleece when that could have made all the difference despite a soaking, which could be seen as a bigger indictment than the quality of my jacket.
I’m certainly not going to claim that “all silnylon rain gear is inadequate”, but, generally speaking, the more conventional Gore-Tex fabric along with a high quality construction gives me a sense of confidence and security in inclement weather that I didn’t used to have with the 4oz silnylon jacket, or with a Frogg Toggs etc. In fact, I thru-hiked the entirety of the CDT with a Integral Designs poncho tarp and a Houdini jacket+pants as my rain wear, sometimes clinging to the poncho tarp with both hands in an effort to prevent it from whipping in the wind on an exposed ridge, so I feel a familiarity with the UL options.
The larger “vibe” that I want to express agreement with is that sometimes the more robust item that weighs more is easier, simpler, more reliable, and more pleasant to use across a wider range of conditions. So I retired the sil and got a Beta LT on sale.
the more conventional Gore-Tex fabric along with a high quality construction gives me a sense of confidence and security in inclement weather
LONG long ago I would have agreed with this, until on one alpine trip I got soaked through my heavy-weight 3-layer GTX jacket. Most unhappy, so I took it to the Sydney Gore agency for testing. Under light water pressure the shoulders made like a sprinkler hose: fountains of water everywhere.
What had happened? The local scrub can be prickly, and the very fine tips of the harsh leaves had made a colander of the GTX membrane. Literally tens of holes in each shoulder. NOT covered by warranty. My expensive jacket was toast.
Yes, those same spikey leaves can perforate my silnylon poncho, but the silicone coating tends to be self-healing. The holes close up and (generally) don’t leak. Yes, I can get damp in icy rain, but the moisture is my own sweat. The smooth silnylon slides off the wet scrub, where the GTX fabric was catching and being perforated.
Cheers
thanks for the clarification eli
it’s funny how some people are satisfied with WPB performance, but others not
this is what’s good about BPL – you get multiple alternatives so people can try and use what works for them. There’s no “right” answer
Well put
Since the new Arcteryx Beta SL was discussed above, I will add this: I tested three variations of the Beta (SL, LT and AR) in 2021 for MVTR here. The new SL version available at REI uses Gore’s new ePE membrane, which I have been curious about. The 2021 version had an MVTR of 1980 grams/square meter/24 hours, while the new one tested at 2000. So, it is essentially identical in performance and still mediocre. It is unclear if they can/will extend this membrane to the Pro line. It is also unclear whether the new DWR formulation performs better than the C6 variations that are now replaced.
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