When assessing whether or not a jacket is eco-friendly, I took a number of elements into consideration. Preferably, the jacket’s waterproofing supplies are PFC-free; I’ve really useful Fjällraven’s Keb Eco Shell in the previous, nevertheless it’s exceptionally dear and desires to be handled each season with a PFC-free spray. I additionally tried Black Diamond’s TreeLine shell, which makes use of a proprietary PFC-free DWR made primarily from palm seed oil, nevertheless it wasn’t as efficient. I did not get moist, however I undoubtedly acquired a little bit clammy.
In addition to being efficient, the jacket additionally has to be sturdy. That’s why many sustainable firms like Patagonia nonetheless proceed to use fluorinated DWR, albeit in barely less-toxic compounds. In their calculus, it is higher to personal a jacket that you will put on and rewear, as a substitute of shopping for a less-effective PFC-free jacket that you simply substitute each season.
Taking all this into consideration, I feel the Eclipse (7/10, WIRED Review) continues to be the most eco-friendly rain jacket I’ve tried. In Portland, I can put on the DWR off a rain jacket in lower than a 12 months, however the Eclipse continues to be going robust after a number of years. Marmot makes use of a expertise known as AquaVent, which makes use of high-pressure gasoline to press water repellents instantly into the jacket’s fibers, the place it’s thermally polymerized into place. In addition to being extra sturdy, it would not produce a variety of poisonous wastewater as a byproduct, and it is so much simpler to clear.
Best Rain Jacket for Hiking
Arc’teryx Beta LT Jacket ($399)
As a lot as most of us need to put on 100 p.c bombproof gear, we in all probability do not want it. It’s OK to put on a breathable, and maybe barely permeable, jacket like the Cloudburst should you’re operating round your neighborhood and going to be dwelling in an hour or two.
But should you’re in danger for publicity, or out for 24 hours or extra, it is arduous to advocate a jacket with out the finest DWR attainable. For this motive, I often advocate quite a lot of alpine shell. I nonetheless like Outdoor Research’s MicroGravity, which makes use of OR’s proprietary AscentShell material. You make Ascentshell by spraying nano-sized polyurethane fibers over an electrical cost, which creates a skinny, stretchy, and breathable membrane that’s then sandwiched between a sturdy face material and a comfortable inside backing material.
But it is arduous to make a simpler and comfy jacket than Arc’teryx. This winter, I’ve reached for the Beta LT greater than another jacket. Unfortunately, there is a motive why we have used fluorinated DWR for therefore lengthy: It actually works. The Beta LT is a three-layer Gore-Tex jacket that may work for every little thing from day hikes to spring snowboarding.
