Field note
Why rain jacket pit zips matter
Updated October 5, 2026
Budget shells skip them
Many inexpensive jackets are a sealed bag with a hood. They are fine for a trailhead storm. They are clammy on a climb. The Foray is an example of paying for the vents.
Use them early
Open the vents before you are soaked from the inside. Close them when you stop and get cold.
Gear that shows the point
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Full-featured rain shell
Outdoor Research Foray
The Foray is the step up from a Torrentshell when you are actually in rain for hours. It is still not an alpine hardshell. Re-proof the DWR when water soaks the face fabric instead of beading. Size it over a fleece.
Who should buy it. Hikers who wear a shell while moving, not only at camp.
Pros
- Pit zips
- Good hood
- Packs smaller than a budget shell
Cons
- Price
- Membrane needs care
Check current price on the listing.
Best packable rain shell
Outdoor Research Helium
Helium is the packable rain layer for backpackers who carry a shell more days than they wear it. The face fabric is thin. Brush, granite, and a week of bushwhacking will show. Seam tape matters more than the logo, and a shell with no way to dump heat fails on a climb even when the fabric is waterproof. Check whether the year you are buying has pit zips. It is not a bushwhacking jacket and it is not insulation. The REI Rainier is the neighbour you try on in a shop when you want a sturdier trail cut and a return. The Marmot PreCip Eco is a separate budget shell in this catalog, with its own listing. The standard Outdoor Research Helium isn't sold on Amazon US right now. The button below opens the closest match there, the Marmot PreCip Eco, which is a different jacket and not our pick.
Who should buy it. Backpackers who carry rain more days than they wear it.
Pros
- Stuffs small
- Light
- A usable hood
Cons
- Thin fabric
- Not a durable trail jacket
Not sold on Amazon US.
Closest on Amazon: Marmot PreCip Eco Rain Jacket (men's). A lightweight waterproof rain shell in the same price band as the Helium. The standard Helium is not listed on amazon.com, and the Helium UL that is listed costs more.
Check current price on the listing.
Best recycled budget shell
Marmot PreCip Eco
The PreCip Eco is a long-running budget shell for trail and travel, and it is its own jacket in this catalog, not a stand-in for the Helium. Wetting out means the face fabric has lost its water-repellent finish, so rain soaks the outside. That is not the same as a seam leaking. Re-proof it when water stops beading. It will not breathe like a more expensive membrane on a humid climb, and the fabric is not a bushwhacking shell. Next to the Helium, this is the packable budget shell you can buy on Amazon US when the Helium isn't sold there. Next to the REI Rainier, it is the lighter budget option rather than the jacket you try on in a shop. Size it over a fleece. The price cap on the rain-jackets page is a band that moves. This page does not print a live price.
Who should buy it. Hikers who need a known shell without a premium price.
Pros
- Often on sale under the cap
- Packable
- Widely reviewed
Cons
- Average breathability
- Needs DWR care
Check current price on the listing.
FAQ
Do all good shells have them?
The ones aimed at hikers usually do. Emergency ponchos do not.
Are two-way zippers the same?
A two-way front zipper helps. It is not a pit zip.
