Staying Dry is a State of Mind
What wearing a rain jacket for six straight days in New Zealand's Southern Alps taught me about waterproof gear
Disclaimer: Not only is Jenny Abegg one of the founders of Better Trail, but she’s also a member of the Patagonia Trail Run ambassador team. The jackets referenced below are all from Patagonia’s lineup, but the broader takeaways in this article apply to waterproof jackets from across the outdoor industry.
Three different piles sit on the Airbnb floor, trios or quartets of colorful fabric falling into each other. I had weighed each layer on my kitchen gram scale earlier, and my notes app lies open on my phone, numbers scratched in black-and-white text. This combination of lightweight base layer, breathable synthetic jacket, and ultra-ultralight rain jacket, or that combination of sun hoody, thin synthetic insulation, puffy down jacket, and stretchy rain jacket?
I’m packing for a week-long traverse of the Southern Alps in New Zealand, a trip that will demand nearly constant movement for seven days. My partner Kaytlyn and I will essentially be fastpacking across the range from hut to hut, carrying as little gear as possible to move as quickly as possible. What we choose as our layering system matters more than most things, especially given the forecast: a combination of rain, fog, wind, and the occasional few hours of sun. We’ll be moving at a high output through multiple elevation bands and needing real-deal weather protection—which is no small task for a set of layers. Hence my piles.
The waterproof shell is the least fun layer but arguably the most important. I have three options laid out before me, all from Patagonia. The M10 Storm, the Storm Racer, and a prototype that strikes me as a waterproof version of the popular Houdini windbreaker. Each jacket has its own personality—the M10 Storm is highly protective but on the heavy side (at least for my use case), the Storm Racer is subtly stretchy and breathable, and the prototype is lightweight at all costs—waterproof but incredibly trim and a little plastic bag-like. This decision ends up feeling the easiest.
I was recently reflecting on this packing process to a friend, and he asked me, “How do you eventually make the decision about what layers to bring?” My answer surprised me: “You hem and haw until the very end, packing and repacking, running to your kit in the middle of the night to throw out one layer and add another. And then when the clock runs out and you have to hit the trail, you just go with the last combination you happen to have packed. And then—you just make do.”
As they love to say in New Zealand, “She’ll be right.”
Because I know you’re hanging on the edge of your seat, I’ll let you in on my eleventh-hour packing decision. I opted for a synthetic short-sleeve shirt (my arms saw the light of day once and got a sunburn because of it), a 20-gram breathable synthetic insulated jacket, a 60-gram synthetic insulated jacket with decent wind and rain protection, and the Storm Racer rain jacket. Was it the right decision? Sure—it was what I had, and I made do. And here’s a little bit about what I learned along the way.
1. Waterproofing doesn't have to be uncomfortable
It’s likely that most people packing for this trip would have had very different waterproof jackets in their piles. Headed into the mountains in variable conditions, being out all day without shelter, planning on traveling across glaciers for considerable periods of time… you’d think a burly three-layer mountaineering hardshell would be the obvious choice. And sure, that’s the safe pick if you’re willing to carry it and don’t mind spending the day in a rigid, crinkly shell.
But the reality is that my Storm Racer was a great fit for our trip. The main reason is simple: It got the job done. It kept me dry while staying breathable, comfortable, and easy to move in all day. Sure, a thicker hardshell would have felt more protective, covered more of my body (my synthetic insulated jacket poking out from under my Storm Racer’s hem was a vibe), and offered better storage, but none of that was particularly important to me. We knew we’d be traveling in the rain, but we also knew that if the rain grew heavy enough to max out our lightweight rain gear, our objective probably wasn’t happening anyway. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be in a hut than on a glacier in a downpour.
2. Sometimes you can get away with less
We battled a lot of moisture on our trip (not always falling from the sky—the river crossings were pretty real-deal too). But despite the conditions, I didn’t find myself constantly stopping to pull on the Storm Racer. Because it was so cold, I spent most of the trip wearing my Patagonia DAS Light Hoody (the 60-gram synthetic-insulated jacket I mentioned earlier). At the risk of sounding a little advertorial, this jacket is exceptional for mountain weather thanks to its Pertex Quantum Pro shell, which sheds moisture about as well as any non-waterproof fabric I’ve tested. And if it does wet out, the synthetic insulation underneath still performs. I walked through many light New Zealand rainstorms in the DAS Light Hoody and emerged unscathed. For that kind of weather—mist, drizzle, and damp alpine air—it handled the job surprisingly well.
While I opted against a windbreaker jacket for this trip, that’s another solid option for dealing with light moisture. Most wind jackets have a DWR finish that does a decent job of shedding brief rain showers. Would they hold up in a real downpour? Definitely not. But if you’re walking in and out of clouds or dealing with intermittent light rain, a wind jacket can offer just the slight barrier you might need from the elements.
3. A good base layer can go a long way
Rain jackets have the tricky job of being both waterproof and breathable—something that, let’s be honest, is nearly impossible. Because of that basic physics problem, most designs prioritize waterproofing over breathability, and for good reason. So while a rain jacket—even my high-output-focused Patagonia Storm Racer—will never be a standout in air-permeability, you can still manage comfort pretty effectively with the layers you wear underneath. The most important of those is your base layer.
Since you’ll almost certainly be sweating if you’re doing anything high-effort in a rain jacket, it helps to choose a base layer that manages moisture well. I’ve found that lightweight synthetic options like the Patagonia Capilene Lightweight do this best. They add minimal warmth and effectively transport sweat away from your skin. Unlike merino wool, which tends to absorb and hold moisture, thin synthetic fabrics spread sweat across the surface and help it evaporate more quickly. The result is a base layer that dries faster and feels less clammy when you’re working hard in damp conditions.
4. Choose your feature set wisely
The Patagonia Storm Racer I chose isn’t exactly a standout in terms of features. It has just one chest pocket—which was almost always covered by the sternum straps on my running pack—and a fairly trim-fitting hood. Of the three shells I was considering, I’m still glad I went with the Storm Racer for its comfort and stretch. But in a perfect world, I’d take the same material set and add two hand pockets and a helmet-compatible hood. Did that make or break the trip? Not at all. But it did serve as a reminder that features—along with protection, breathability, fit, and mobility—are worth weighing when you’re choosing the right rain layer.
5. Don't judge yourself if you wear your layers "wrong"
Most of us know the “proper” layering system: insulation as a midlayer, with your waterproof shell worn on top. Jackets are even designed this way—midlayers are trim, while shells are roomier and cut longer to fit over them. Yet somehow, I often find myself in the mountains with my insulated jacket worn over my rain or wind shell. It’s something the Better Trail founding team has given me plenty of grief for over the years, and only recently have I started to understand the method behind my madness.
The main reason is convenience (or maybe laziness). If I’m cold, the last thing I want to do is stop, peel off a layer, and expose myself to the elements just to rearrange my system. Another factor is that I’m often traveling with a minimal kit, so my rain jacket ends up pulling double duty as both weather protection and a warmth layer. And finally, many lightweight rain shells are cut pretty trim, which means they don’t always fit comfortably over a puffy jacket anyway. Of course, if the skies really open up, I’ll need to move quickly to reconfigure things and get the waterproof jacket back on the outside—but it’s surprising how often I find myself in this backwards setup.
The moral of the story: if you find yourself wearing your layers “out of order” and it’s working for you, great. One of the best things about the mountains is that there are no rules.
Better Trail's Rain Jacket Coverage
Whether you’re traversing the Southern Alps in a week’s time or heading out for a rainy weekend in the PNW, we’ve got you covered. Our guide to the best rain jackets includes everything from ultralight designs to casual models suited for everyday use, ranked by weather protection, comfort, breathability, weight and packability, durability, and sustainability. For more in-depth information, be sure to check out all of our rain jacket reviews. And when you find yourself out in the rain with your carefully selected waterproof jacket, just remember: She’ll be right.
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