Women's Waterproof Jackets

Women's Waterproof Jackets: An essential garment for your mountain getaways!

Escaping into nature will reveal different landscapes, all equally beautiful. You may transition from colourful valleys to lunar landscapes encountered at altitude. One thing is certain, you will face various types of weather. Therefore, it is essential to wear a women's waterproof jacket to stay dry. Whether for your alpine ascents, Sunday strolls, or climbing sessions on cliffs, taking a women's waterproof jacket is the right thing to do. Waterproof, windproof, and breathable, the women's waterproof jacket will undoubtedly be your ideal companion for your various excursions. Indeed, the women's waterproof jacket will be very effective against rain and wind, as well as in managing perspiration. So, it is unnecessary to remind you that the women's waterproof jacket is the indispensable garment for embarking on an adventure.

What is a women's waterproof jacket?

The women's waterproof jacket has been specially designed to keep you dry regardless of the weather conditions you encounter. Consequently, the women's waterproof jacket will stand up against wind, rain, snow, or even hail. No matter the season in which you set off, you should not hesitate when it comes time to prepare your hiking backpack. Among the essential clothing items to bring for ensuring unforgettable moments, the women's waterproof jacket is one of the garments you must absolutely take to wander in nature. Thus, wearing a women's waterproof jacket guarantees that you will not get wet, even if Mother Nature plays tricks. This is undoubtedly a very appreciated comfort when you are moving along alpine paths, for example. To ensure your rain jacket is as effective as possible, whether you are traversing the Great Crossing of the Alps or the Tour of the Annapurnas, it is crucial that you wear your women's waterproof jacket as the outer layer so that your fleece jacket and breathable t-shirt remain dry. Once you wear your women's waterproof jacket, you can walk for hours without the humidity reaching you. The women's waterproof jacket is undoubtedly the sine qua non condition for a successful adventure.

Women's waterproof jackets: how does the membrane work?

The effectiveness of the women's waterproof jacket is achieved through its waterproof-breathable membrane. This is what makes the women's waterproof jacket so sought after and appreciated by female hikers and climbers. Indeed, the membrane of a women's rain jacket aims to prevent water from seeping into your clothing. Generally, women's waterproof jackets are lightweight jackets that offer a very good balance between waterproofness and breathability to prevent you from overheating, which can quickly become a hindrance during prolonged exertion. To elaborate a bit more on the composition of the membrane of a women's waterproof jacket, it is equipped with pores that are too narrow for water to pass through, ensuring you stay dry while walking. Furthermore, these pores are wide enough for perspiration to escape without issue, preventing humidity from bothering you during your adventure.

This special membrane is located between the inner protection and the outer fabric of a women's waterproof jacket. Therefore, this relatively fragile membrane is well protected to prevent it from getting damaged.

Thus, if the Ascent of the Matterhorn is on your calendar, choosing a women's Gore-Tex jacket is undoubtedly an excellent choice. It must be said that this type of women's water-repellent jacket features a Gore-Tex membrane, particularly effective in keeping you dry, even in the rain. Additionally, among the multitude of women's waterproof jackets you will find, Patagonia women's jackets will ensure you are well protected from raindrops wherever you are.

Women's waterproof jackets: protection without thermal insulation

When the time comes to choose your women's waterproof jacket, you should keep in mind that a women's waterproof jacket is very effective against rain, but it will not provide thermal protection. Therefore, if you wish to be protected from the cold, it will be essential to wear a breathable t-shirt as the first layer under your women's waterproof jacket, as well as a women's fleece as the second layer.

It is crucial that the first layer is lightweight and breathable to manage perspiration evacuation effectively. Regarding the second layer, it will be useful for keeping you warm in cold weather.

Ultimately, the third layer, which is the women's waterproof jacket, will be responsible solely for keeping you dry in all circumstances. Thus, if walking the Camino de Santiago is on your list of hikes to do, it is essential that you understand that the choice of your hiking waterproof jacket is very important for experiencing unforgettable moments.

Women's waterproof jackets: garment construction

You will find a good number of women's waterproof jackets on the market. Different brands stand out from one another in terms of colours and also in terms of garment construction. Therefore, you can find women's waterproof jackets made of 2 layers, 2.5 layers, or even 3 layers.

The women's water-repellent jacket made of 2 layers is the one that was first developed by various brands in the outdoor sports market. These two layers are the membrane we mentioned earlier and the outer fabric of the women's waterproof jacket. The inner lining is relatively loose, and this type of women's waterproof jacket, like the LD Grands Montets GTX, generally offers a lot of storage space thanks to the numerous pockets this women's jacket has. With a less complex construction than women's waterproof jackets with 2.5 and 3 layers, women's waterproof jackets with 2 layers will be more financially accessible.

A women's waterproof jacket with 3 layers, unlike a women's waterproof jacket with 2 layers, has an inner lining. The waterproof membrane is therefore located between the lining and the outer fabric of the women's waterproof jacket. The cut will fit your shape perfectly for better freedom of movement. In most cases, these women's waterproof jackets with 3 layers, like the Masao Light HS Hooded Jacket, are the most durable you will find on the market. They are perfect for hiking or climbing.

Finally, women's waterproof jackets with 2.5 layers are made almost like women's waterproof jackets with 3 layers with one small exception. This type of women's waterproof jacket is not equipped with a lining but rather a thin protective film. This film is located on the membrane. The women's waterproof jackets with 2.5 layers are relatively lightweight and also interesting in terms of compactness. However, women's waterproof jackets with 2.5 layers remain more fragile than women's waterproof jackets with 3 layers. Special care is therefore required when walking on hiking paths.

Women's waterproof jackets: waterproofness

The primary function of a women's waterproof jacket is to protect you from the elements. Thus, whenever you need to choose between different women's waterproof jackets, you should pay attention to the level of waterproofness, so that your women's waterproof jacket is suitable for your type of adventure. For this, the Schmerber is the unit that measures the waterproofness level of a garment. To measure this level of waterproofness, the women's waterproof jacket must be placed under a column of water. The measurement is taken at the height of water at which the first drops penetrate the garment. Therefore, the greater this height, the more waterproof your garment will be. 

Thus, 1 Schmerber unit is equal to a column of water of 1 mm. A level of 1,000 Schmerber is equal to a column of water of 1,000 mm, 5,000 Schmerber to 5,000 mm, etc.

A women's waterproof jacket with a level of 2,000 Schmerber is useful if you are facing light rain. In the case of slightly heavier rain, a women's waterproof jacket of 10,000 Schmerber will be more suitable. At a level of 20,000 Schmerber, your women's waterproof jacket has a very interesting level of waterproofness. Finally, women's waterproof jackets with a level of 30,000 Schmerber will be top choices for extreme excursions such as the ascent of Kilimanjaro or the Everest.

Women's waterproof jackets: breathability

Even though women's waterproof jackets are excellent for protecting you from the whims of Mother Nature, they remain breathable. Generally, if your women's waterproof jacket has a high level of waterproofness, it should not be very breathable. This is why you need to take your time to choose your women's waterproof jacket so that it is perfectly suited to the adventure you are about to undertake. When it comes to choice, two units of measurement: RET and MVTR will provide you with information regarding the breathability level of your garment.

The Resistance Evaporative Transfer is a unit that measures a garment's resistance concerning moisture evacuation. This is mainly used by American manufacturers such as Gore-Tex or Patagonia, to name a few. If your women's waterproof jacket has an index below 3, it means it is ultra-breathable. Very breathable jackets have an index below 6. These types of jackets will be very useful if your excursion is intense. Moreover, if your women's waterproof jacket has an index of 12, it means that your women's waterproof jacket is breathable, which will be quite interesting for moderate efforts. In cases where women's waterproof jackets have an index above 12, it would mean they are not breathable and thus not very interesting for moderate and intense efforts.

The Moisture Vapour Transmission Rate, or moisture vapour transmission rate, is also used to measure the breathability level of your women's waterproof jacket. This rate measures the amount of water (in grams) that evaporates from one square meter of fabric in 24 hours. Therefore, the higher this rate, the more your women's waterproof jacket is considered breathable. A women's waterproof jacket is classified as breathable when its rate is equal to 10,000 g/m2/24h. A women's waterproof jacket is ultra-breathable when it displays a rate of 30,000 g/m2/24h. This unit of measurement is mainly used by most European brands such as Millet, Mammut, or Eider.

Find your women's waterproof jacket on Hardloop.co.uk

Thus, whatever your outdoor activity, such as climbing, Nordic walking, or mountaineering, you will undoubtedly find the women's waterproof jacket that is made for you. You can take advantage of the various membranes and technologies developed over the years by experienced manufacturers in the outdoor sports field, such as Patagonia, Mammut, or Millet, to stay dry in all circumstances.

Discover a wide selection of women's waterproof jackets on hardloop.co.uk. You will surely find the women's waterproof jacket that meets your expectations!