Jacket Summary
Jackets are an essential piece of equipment when it comes to winter pursuits. However, there are many types of them, each specializing in different areas, making it difficult to know where to start. Jackets also have a barrage of features to choose from, so keep in mind what features you need in addition to features you want.

Jackets aren't simply waterproof or not, rather there is a wide array of different waterproof levels. Most jackets use a simple DWR spray-on waterproofing, which is great cheap protection. For a garment that will last a little longer and will be more waterproof, look for jackets that use a laminate-based waterproofing like Gore-Tex or Marmot's Membrane laminate.
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