I learned how to choose a rain jacket for hiking the hard way. My first "waterproof" shell left me soaked through on a four-hour ridge walk in the Pacific Northwest, not from rain leaking in, but from sweat I could not push out. After that trip I spent three months researching membranes, hydrostatic head ratings, […]

I've been testing hiking backpack rain covers for the last four hiking seasons, and the difference between a dry sleeping bag and a soaked one almost always comes down to this one piece of gear. On a wet section of the Pacific Crest Trail in early summer, my pack went through a 14-hour downpour with […]

I'll be honest with you. I have three kids ages 4, 7, and 10, and I have spent the last 90 days testing six of the top-selling kids rain jackets through actual downpours, puddle-jumping sessions, and cold Pacific Northwest school walks. Two jackets leaked within a week. One jacket zipped up beautifully but felt like […]