ready for rain
The Pacific Northwest Hiking Kit
Everything you’ll need to enjoy verdant trails in this legendarily wet climate.
Few hiking regions are as well-known for their weather as the Pacific Northwest. You could probably call the PNW’s rain infamous: Dealing with precipitation, mud, and storms can be as much of a deterrent for hikers as it is a badge of honor for locals. Soggy conditions are no excuse for staying home, though, especially if you have the right gear for the job. And that’s exactly what this kit provides: a loadout for staying comfortable and dry (as much as you can, at least) as you traverse the spectacular old-growth forests and craggy peaks that make up this enchanting corner of the country.
Arc'teryx Beta SL ($500)
Patagonia Torrentshell ($139)
Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody ($345)
Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Hoody ($79)
Black Diamond Trail Vista 28 ($220)
La Sportiva TX Hike Mid Leather GTX ($219)
Outdoor Research Crocodile ($100)
Black Diamond Pursuit ($170)
The Beta SL is expensive, but a rain jacket is no place to skimp on quality in the Pacific Northwest. This is one of the very best lightweight shells available, offering fantastic waterproofing, above-average breathability, and enough durability to survive thick forest hiking.
Weather Protection
Comfort
Breathability
Weight & Packability
Durability
Sustainability
You might not think about rain pants often (or at all), but when you need them, you’ll be thankful you packed them. The Torrentshell is a classic of the genre, with a simple, effective design that’s easy to get on and off and will save your legs from becoming soaked.
Down insulation has its place in hiking gear, but that place is not the Pacific Northwest. Synthetic fill retains more warmth when it’s wet, making it the go-to for rainy environments. The Micro Puff’s impressive warmth-to-weight ratio is ideal for when every ounce counts.
Warmth
Comfort & Mobility
Breathability
Weight & Packability
Weather Resistance
Sustainability
Believe us: The PNW also has sunny days. The Crater Lake is perfectly designed for those, but it’s also a generally great hiking shirt that’s wonderfully soft and uber-breathable. Plus, long sleeves (even light ones) feel much better under a shell and can prevent chills from the rain.
Having a pack cover is a must on rainy hikes, and Black Diamond includes an integrated one with the Trail Vista. More importantly, though, this is simply a fantastic daypack, with an internal frame and padding that provide ample support and comfort, a smart storage layout, and a host of user-friendly features.
Comfort & Support
Organization
Weight
Durability
Water Resistance
Sustainability
Getting your feet soaked is one of the quickest ways to ruin a hike, so having adequately waterproof boots is paramount if the forecast calls for rain and mud. The TX Hike Mid leverages its leather upper and Gore-Tex insert to keep you dry and offers fantastic traction you’ll be thankful for on slippery roots and rocks.
Comfort
Support and Stability
Traction
Durability
Foot Protection
Sustainability
Sometimes, your boots and rain pants can only do so much. The Crocodile gaiters add an extra barrier against moisture and muck that comes in handy on puddle-filled paths or while traversing rain- or dew-soaked fields.
You might notice that we also picked the Pursuit for our Desert Hiking Kit, which covers a completely different environment. But we truly think it’s the most well-rounded pole on the market, and there’s no substitute for build quality and comfort when you’re looking for support on muddy trails.
Comfort
Durability
Weight
Packed Size
Features
Sustainability
How We Built the Pacific Northwest Hiking Kit
The guiding principle behind this kit is simple: There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. Every piece of gear here is designed with moisture management in mind—whether that’s full waterproof protection, traction and stability to keep you upright on slick trails, or enough breathability to prevent your layers from turning into a mobile sauna. That’s the reality of hiking in the Pacific Northwest: Once you dial in how you handle moisture, everything else falls into place, and the experience becomes far more enjoyable. While this gear performs well just about anywhere, it truly shines when the skies are gray and the trails are soaked.
As you might expect, two of the stars of this show are the pieces that provide the most coverage: a rain jacket and rain pants. Pretty much all hiking layering systems include the former, but in picking the best shell for PNW conditions, we zeroed in on some key traits. The rain gear had to be reliably, ruggedly waterproof—none of those ultralight jackets that shave ounces but struggle in consistent downpours. A healthy amount of breathability was also important, as the weather in the PNW is often milder and more humid than, say, the higher-and-drier Rockies. And finally, any prospective shell had to have a good degree of comfort (nobody wants to dread wearing their rain jacket).
The Arc’teryx Beta SL hits all those notes and is one of the best rain jackets you can buy. It’s superbly waterproof, courtesy of Gore-Tex’s updated 3-layer ePE membrane, but not so thick and uncompromising that you’ll swamp out in it. Sure, it’s not an ultralight, ultrabreathable shell made for moving quickly through intermittent storms, but it’s certainly airy enough for hiking at a normal pace. Add in Arc’teryx’s excellent construction quality, and the Beta SL is an easy pick—if admittedly an expensive one. If you want to save a little cash without compromising too much on protection, the more broadly appealing Arc’teryx Beta ($400) is also a 3-layer Gore-Tex standout, and the heavier Patagonia Torrentshell 3L ($189) gets the job done with proprietary (but still impressive) waterproofing.
Our rain pants pick shares the Torrentshell name as well, and is built with the same 3-layer H2No Performance Standard membrane. You might not need to protect your legs all the time—we usually find ourselves holding off while we’re hiking, especially if it’s warm out—but once at camp, you’ll be glad you packed rain pants. Full-length zippers are the Torrentshell’s’ highlight, allowing you to get them on and off without fussing with muddy boots or wet ground. There are plenty of functional competitors out there, too, with varying levels of quality based on their respective materials. The Zpacks Vertice is an ultralight favorite, while Arc’teryx also makes a super-premium Beta pant, and REI has a decent budget option in its Trailmade line.
Keeping your feet dry is perhaps even more important. We’ve all gotten our clothes soaked on one hike or another and soldiered on, but having squishy socks and standing water in your boots is a quick way to get blisters. Hiking shoes, even waterproof ones, are less protective than boots, so we went with a mid-cut design. The La Sportiva TX Hike Mid Leather GTX (whew, that’s a mouthful) brings category-leading Gore-Tex waterproofing to the table, and combines that with a leather upper that adds an extra dose of protection as well as abrasion resistance.
You won’t be thinking about your boot’s membrane if you slip and faceplant in the mud, though (or worse, twist an ankle), so the Vibram Ecostep Evo outsole is another major component of this boot’s appeal. Slick roots, midstream rocks, and talus were no match for the TX Hike during our testing, and deep lugs like the one on this outsole can seem like a blessing when things get sloppy. A leather workhorse like the Lowa Renegade Evo GTX is also proven in surviving wet conditions, or you could opt for something a little more comfortable (but still plenty waterproof) in the Hoka Kaha 3 GTX.
No matter which boot you choose, though, you might need to add gaiters if the trail takes a turn for the worse. Even the burliest footwear can be overcome by relentlessly deep mud or sheets of rain, so adding a high waterproof cuff on top (plus the protection of your rain pants) might be the difference between persevering forward or hightailing it back to the trailhead. The Outdoor Research Crocodile Gaiters have basically become synonymous with this gear category, and OR is a Seattle-based brand to boot—so it knows Pacific NorthWet conditions well. Crocodiles come in multiple heights, but for everyday hiking, the mid-cut model provides just the right amount of coverage.
What goes under your rain shell might not be top of mind when you’re putting a rainy day kit together, but remember: it’s not always raining in the PNW (despite what you may have heard), and comfortable clothing is always welcome, no matter the conditions. With that in mind, it’s hard to think of a hiking shirt that feels better on your skin than the Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Hoody. It’s incredibly soft and also incredibly light and breathable, which you’ll appreciate when you’re puffing uphill and the humidity refuses to break. Plus, its hood and long sleeves can keep you protected during brief drizzles that don’t warrant a shell, and its UPF 50+ material has you covered on bluebird days. We’re big fans of sun shirts for hiking in general, and the Patagonia Capilene Cool Sun Hoody and Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie are two other favorites, if a bit less silky than the Crater Lake.
And what if it’s not only rainy but also cold, you ask? There’s an easy answer to that: Don’t wear down. Even plumage that’s coated with water-repellent treatment loses its loft and insulating properties when it’s soaked, making down ill-suited to wet, chilly hikes. Synthetic insulation, on the other hand, retains warmth even when it’s wet, so that’s what you should look for in a midlayer for your Pacific Northwest outings.
The Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody is stuffed with a 65-gram synthetic fill that will keep you cozy even if some moisture sneaks through your shell or you get surprised by a cloudburst, and it’s one of the most packable puffies in the category. The slim cut will help it layer nicely under the Beta SL, and synthetic insulation also has down beat in terms of breathability if you hike for extended periods with that layering setup. If you’re looking for a more active synthetic midlayer, the Arc’teryx Atom is a bit more breathable, and hikers who want to ratchet up warmth and weather protection even more should check out Patagonia’s DAS Light Hoody.
A soaked pack might not be as uncomfortable as sodden underwear, per se, but you should still keep your food, extra layers, and emergency supplies dry. You can buy aftermarket pack covers, but we figured we’d save you the trouble and recommend a daypack that includes a cover. (Another solution would be a pack made with waterproof Dyneema or a similar material, but we also figured we’d save you some cash.)
The Black Diamond Trail Vista 28 has an integrated pack cover that stows away in its own external pocket, but that’s just one appealing trait out of many for this well-designed load-hauler. It’s about as full-featured as a pack this size gets, with a metal frame, lots of cushion, and a pocket-heavy design, including running-vest-like storage at the front. Its slim, tall build promotes speedy hiking and scrambling, if that’s how you roll. If you want a more traditional pack with a rain cover, the Osprey Manta will also work; it also comes with a 2.5-liter reservoir and a trampoline-style backpanel.
Moving fast or simply picking your way across wet talus and muddy, off-camber trails comes with increased possibility of a fall, and so it’s never a bad idea to pack some trekking poles. It’s likely they’ll get wet and dirty as well, so elevated build quality is mandatory, and that’s a good way to describe the Black Diamond Pursuit. Its locking mechanisms are reliable, and you can even fix them in the field with the handy integrated hex tool. The high-quality cork grips will mold to your hands over time and maintain their textured tackiness when wet, and we’re big fans of the pole’s replaceable tips. It may not be carbon, but the Pursuit’s aluminum is light enough, and it won’t snap as easily as carbon will if you do slip and jam it under a rock. If you’re an ultralight carbon fiend, though, consider the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z.
Is the Pacific Northwest Hiking Kit for You?
Before you get snarky and state the obvious, let us throw you a curveball: This kit is actually for any hiker who doesn’t want to let rain prevent them from getting out into nature. Yes, all of this gear will thrive in the Pacific Northwest, but you can use it wherever storm clouds gather and mud coats the bottom of your boots. That describes lots of regions during hiking season, so take your pick from this list and hit the trail.
If you’re looking for hiking gear that’s a bit less wet-weather-specific, check out our Editors’ Picks Hiking Kit. And if you want to go in the complete opposite direction conditions-wise, our Desert Hiking Kit has a whole new world for you to explore.
