The Montbell Rain Trekker Jacket is a 2-layer Gore-Tex Infinium rain shell that’s loaded with options however nonetheless exceptionally light-weight and inexpensive. Weighing simply 7.8 oz in a males’s XL (6.9 oz in a measurement medium), it’s an ideal seam-taped jacket for 3+ season climate with a three-way adjustable hood, entrance brim, velcro wrist-cuffs, a water resistant entrance zipper, and two hipbelt appropriate zippered chest pockets. Those chest pockets are a fairly uncommon factor on rain jackets designed for hotter climate use, however they’re extraordinarily precious should you prefer to deal with your rain jacket pockets as an extension of your packing system.
Specs at a Glance
- Weight: 6.9 (Men’s M) – Women’s sizes obtainable
- Weight Tested: 7.8 oz Men’s XL
- Type: 2-layer, waterproof/breathable
- Membrane: Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper
- Outer Fabric: 20D Nylon Ripstop with DWR end
- Helmet Compatible: Yes
- Hydrostatic Head: 30,000 mm
- MVTR: 43,000 g/ m²/ 24hrs
The Montbell Rain Trekker is a light-weight however fully-featured seam-taped rain jacket. I’ve been utilizing it since this spring for rain and for wind safety in cooler climate, often layered over a fleece midlayer. While the Rain Trekker is billed as a water-resistant/breathable jacket, I haven’t been blown away by its skill to vent water vapor. It’s ample so far as this stuff go. I actually accumulate perspiration when sporting it, however when you’ve got low expectations about waterproof/breathable materials, you’ll by no means be disillusioned.
The foremost motive to get a water-resistant/breathable jacket as an alternative of a silpoly or silnylon one boils all the way down to the match, options, and seam taping that are often far superior for mountaineering in mountainous terrain. If you know the way to handle wet-out with midlayers, so it doesn’t chill you, otherwise you solely use a water-resistant/breathable jacket as a hardshell in winter when the precipitation is stable, then a water-resistant/breathable jacket is smart to put on.
Besides its low weight, the options on this jacket that basically rock my boat are the hood and its three-way adjustability, the velcro wrist cuffs, the seam-taped development, and the outside cloth which is quiet to put on and doesn’t have a shiny floor that you simply discover on a few of Montbell’s different rain jackets just like the Versalite. If the Rain Trekker had pit zips, it’d be an much more fascinating jacket.
The Hood
Good hoods are arduous to seek out on rain jackets. This one is outstanding as a result of it may be adjusted in 3 ways.
- The measurement of the face opening might be adjusted to dam wind from coming into round your face. This is finished with elastic cords which Montbell tunnels via the higher chest in order that they are often adjusted whereas sporting gloves. They use the identical system on different jackets and it’s sensible.
- There is a velcro tab within the again than can be utilized to lift or decrease the entrance brim. The brim shouldn’t be bendable however does stop the entrance of the hood from flopping down over the eyes.
- A rear cordlock allows you to regulate the hood quantity to assist cut back flapping within the wind.
While the Rain Trekker hood is helmet appropriate, these changes additionally allow you to tailor it simply for non-helmet use. I’ve a small hat measurement and I don’t have any drawback shrinking the hood to a extra formfitting measurement.
Hipbelt Compatible Pockets
The Rain Trekker has two chest pockets that may be simply accessed whereas sporting a backpack. I like preserving hats and gloves in these pockets in order that they’re simple to placed on or take off once I’m mountaineering. But they’re additionally massive sufficient to carry a folded map, compass, cellphone, or snacks.
Most rain jackets don’t have chest pockets like these, as a result of they’re really not designed for hikers who put on hip belts. I like these pockets as a result of I can entry or put away regularly used gadgets that you simply actually can’t simply put into backpack shoulder strap or hip belt pockets. Both of those pockets are fairly massive and now have water resistant zippers with zipper garages on high to forestall water streaming down your chest from leaking in.
Wrist Cuffs
The jacket additionally comes with wrist cuffs, that are half elastic and half velcro, so that you stop wind and water from leaking up the arms or wrap the sleeve round glove/mitten gauntlets. I’ve additionally discovered them simple to make use of once I pull the jacket sleeves as much as vent my wrists since it is a good option to regulate physique warmth.
Recommendation
The Montbell Rain Trekker Jacket is a really light-weight 2-layer Gore-Tex Infinium rain jacket that’s good for 3+ season use. I prefer it as a result of it’s so light-weight, however nonetheless fairly “technical”, with a extremely adjustable hood and hipbelt-compatible pockets that complement my fashion of mountaineering. I fee it as a 3+ season jacket as a result of I’ve discovered it a bit too cool to put on in winter and like a thicker and hotter arduous shell for winter use.
If you’re questioning how this jacket compares to the Montbell Versalite Rain Jacket (hyperlink to evaluation) which I additionally suggest, they’re really fairly related, besides that the Versalite has a shiny exterior cloth and lengthy pit zips, that are fascinating for venting physique warmth so that you perspire much less. That stated, they’re each excellent rain jackets and actually are best-in-class.
Disclosure: Montbell donated a jacket for this evaluation.
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