What do you need from your waterproof jacket?

Firstly the garment needs to be waterproof. All of the Up and Under range have been selected for the performance of the materials and attention to seam sealing and zips.Secondly they need to be comfortable in their selected use. This means that they need to be well tailored for non-restricted movement (articulated at the elbows, for example). Walkers tend to be suited to longer jackets for good bum coverage, where mountaineers require shorter cut options with chest pockets so that there is no bulk to restrict access to harnesses and gear. A good level of breathability is also important to keep your body dry and comfortable in humid conditions when you are carrying out a high-energy level activity- it's no good keeping the rain out but getting wet with sweat instead!

Thirdly they need to be durable. That is durably waterproof and also capable of dealing with the rigours of wear in highly abraisive activities. To suit this end you will see that many of the selected garments have higher denier fabrics on the shoulders and sleeves.

A further consideration is the weight of the garment. This is tied in with durability as generally speaking the lighter weight the less durable, however, in certain circumstances lightness of weight and therefore low bulk and speedier movement is more important.

The much admired Crux Plasma Jacket, a fully waterproof, breathable down duvet jacket, lives on the Down Clothing page. It is shelled with eVent, which is discussed more below.

Breathability (materials, coatings and technologies)

Whilst breathability is not always the most important issue the majority of people tend to gauge the suitability of a jacket by it. Essentially, more breathability means a less sweaty, drier and more comfortable jacket. It is especially important for high intensity activities like hill walking, running and climbing.

The new leader in terms of breathability is eVent. This fabric appears in Up & Under in the form of mountaineering jackets and trousers. The finest mountaineering jackets around are made with eVent fabrics- the much admired Rab Latok II, Montane Superfly XT and supremely efficient Crux Flak Jacket. Lovers of GoreTex mountaineering jackets should check out the innovative Marmot Spire jacket too. If you are looking for a jacket for serious Alpinism and lightweight mountaineering, the Rab Latok Alpine is a brilliantly light and functional eVent choice.

Recently the use of eVent has spread from the top end jackets for technical mountaineers into jackets for general walking, backpacking and travel, where it is ideal due to the excellent comfort levels provided by the higher levels of breathability. The Rab Bergen for men and Vidda for women are among the finest examples, along with the Montane Superfly, which comes in a men's and a women's cut. All of those are excellent options suitable for mountain and hill use, with a little bit of alpinism thrown in.

It is worth noting that a highly breathable material like eVent will feel cooler than a less breathably fabric. A good layering combination would be a microfibre and Pertex top with an eVent jacket, as this will keep you a bit warmer than a fleece.

Other good hill jackets are the Sprayway Santiago for men, and the Tarn IA or Isis jackets for women. These are slightly heavier and, but still pretty breathable and quite suitable for hill walking and high level outdoor use.

At the other end of the weight scale, we have the ultra-light jackets. Lightweight backpacking and Alpinism are examples of where such jackets excel, but models made of these materials are also very useful as travel garments and summer walking jackets as they weigh so little and pack up small. There are two sacrifices that come with light weight- breathability and durability. These are often less important, as you may be buying lightweight mainly to sit in your rucksack (in case of a sudden unexpected downpour) or for hard speed mountaineering where rigorous use of such a jacket will kill it quickly and therefore cheap and light is good.

In many cases the amount of time spent in your waterproofs is becoming less and less as the use of softshell or Pertex shelled microfibre or pile garments increases. These garments provide great breathability and comfort combined with good levels of shower resistance and quick drying. This means that you only need to take out the waterproof when it gets really bad and then it may only be for a short period of time, so more and more people (especially those doing single day adventures) are looking towards lower lighter materials. See the Marmot Precip range and the Montane Atomic and Quattro DT jackets for good examples of incredibly lightweight waterproofs. The explosion of mountain marathons and trail running has also led to the development of the OMM Kamleika jacket and Kamleika trousers. These are super-light, breathable and stretchy (and fully waterproof!), and you can find them in our Fell Running section.

If it's a poncho you're after, see the range from Tatonka.

Whilst breathability is still important in a pair of waterproof over-trousers, most users feel that the quality of trousers is less important than a good waterproof jacket, because the trousers usually only come out when it rains heavily. If the shower is only light and quick and you can rely on the quick drying nature of your non-cotton walking trousers (check out the Troll Omni Pants, Kiwi range from Craghoppers and Montane TerraPants in particular). As a result of we offer a range of lower level breathability and lower cost garments which still perform well, as well as some of the most advanced technical waterproof trousers and salopettes available.

Kids waterproof trousers and jackets can be found in the Childrens Gear section.

For general walking purposes a pair of trousers with features such as an elasticated and drawcorded waist, knee length storm flapped zips and ankle adjustment is important. A good starting point for many peope is the Scanda Dolomite or Sprayway Walking Rainpant. A lightweight and packable option is the Marmot Precip Pant, which comes in a full and half zip options and a men's and ladies' cut. We can also get these in long and short leg lengths- just ask us!

The lightest waterproof over-trouser around is the Montane Atomic DT, which packs down to around the size of an apple and weighs an incredible 170g. The Atomic DT jacket can be found here as well. Runners of all sorts will definitely want to head over to the Fell Running section to have a look at the amazingly light, stretchy and breathable (yet fully waterproof) OMM Kamleika pants, jacket and smock.

Another feature that makes wearing waterproof trousers a little more pleasurable is articulated knees. Not only does this feature increase the life of your trouser around the knee, it also gives you more freedom of movement and generally stops the trouser working its way down as you walk. Trousers with braces or higher waists are also useful, as getting the waistband tight above your hips will stop your trousers falling down when they are wet.

For winter walkers and climbers, a full-length zip might prove useful when crampons come into the equation. These zips should again be fully covered by a sealable storm flap. Other useful features are a scuff guard on the lower inner leg to protect the trouser when worn with abraisive winter boots and crampons. Look at the Montane Venture Pants, and the Rab Bergen and Vidda for men and women or the Latok Saltopette. These are all fully featured, breathable choices for use in all seasons, and the Rab and Montane options are very light for the high level of protection you get, but the finest trouser for hard or expedition use is the excellent and rugged Crux Flak Pant. We also stock the top of the range Torq Pant, which is lighter and has incredibly good waterproof zips.