Hiking jacket

Hiking jackets, one job per layer

A hiking jacket is not one garment but four. A shell keeps rain out, a windbreaker cuts moving air without the weight, a softshell handles cold dry days at walking pace, and an insulated or padded jacket holds warmth when the walking stops. The range covers all four, from summer weights that fold into a lid pocket to winter builds for snow, with the women's patterns grouped in hiking jacket woman. Working out which of the four is missing counts for more than comparing two jackets from the same family, and the rain-proof end of it lives in the waterproof jacket range.

Which jacket for which season?

British spring and autumn ask for a shell over a fleece, since the weather changes faster than clothing can. Summer usually needs no more than a windbreaker that packs into its own pocket. Winter is the season where insulation earns its keep on the body rather than in the sack, and for still, cold conditions the warmth-per-gram of a down jacket is difficult to match, provided it stays dry.

Why does walking pace change the jacket?

Because a body climbing a hill generates heat, and a jacket that felt right in the car park is too warm ten minutes later. The habit worth building is starting out slightly cool: the first minutes are uncomfortable, the next two hours are not. That is why insulation belongs in the rucksack during the climb and on the shoulders at the summit, and why a softshell jacket suits steady cold-weather movement better than a sealed shell, which traps vapour faster than it can pass it out.

What does a rucksack demand from a jacket?

More than most jackets are designed for. Shoulder straps rub along the seam line, so a smooth shoulder lasts longer than a heavily panelled one. Hand pockets vanish under a hip belt, leaving chest pockets the only ones usable while walking. A hood has to clear the pack lid and turn with the head. The hem needs to sit below the belt without riding up, or every step drags cold air across the back. A cut drafted on a men's block gives the body length that keeps a hem in place under a pack, and those sit in mens hiking jacket.

Which hiking jacket details are worth checking?

• Hood: adjustable at the back and sides, with a peak that holds its shape rather than collapsing onto the face.
• Pockets: at least one set high enough to clear a hip belt, and a zipped one for a phone or map.
• Cuffs: adjustable tabs seal against a glove, elasticated cuffs are simpler and warmer but slower to vent.
• Packability: a jacket that stuffs into its own pocket is the one carried on a doubtful day.

Can one jacket cover the whole year?

Close, but not quite. A good shell over changing layers comes nearest, because the insulation swaps with the season while the outer stays the same. A single waterproof-and-insulated jacket looks tidy and is warm in deep winter, though it removes the ability to shed warmth and keep the protection, the adjustment a long walk keeps asking for. Two lighter pieces usually beat one heavy one across a British year.