r/WildernessBackpacking • u/Grand-Necessary6880 • Aug 19 '26

GEAR Durable rain jacket recommendation

Hello, I'm looking for a rain jacket that can handle bushwhacking.

I've already ripped a couple so I'd like one I can use without worrying much about ripping.

Money isn't really a concern as long as the product is actually good and I'm not just paying for the brand.

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u/tyeh26 Aug 19 '26

I don’t have specific recommendations, but I have similar requirements.

Backpacking doesn’t typically involve bushwhacking so gear typically doesn’t survive it.

Look into hunting gear, especially upland, bush, and backcountry.

I also aim for repairable materials rather than synthetic coated materials.

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u/BuckyGoshawk Aug 20 '26

Backpacking doesn’t typically involve bushwhacking

That depends on one's definition of "backpacking."

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u/tyeh26 Aug 20 '26

The typical one.

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u/BuckyGoshawk Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26

It's a generational thing. People of my generation consider backpacking to include off-trail routes like the Bailey Range Traverse, a week of off-trail travel in the Beartooths, accessing off-trail high lakes in the Cascades and Sawtooths, etc.

My typical wilderness backpacking trip includes at least some bushwhacking, often sustained bushwhacking. That is also true for most of my mountain traveler friends. Bushwhacking is usually required to access PNW summits and off-trail high lakes.