The Best Packable Rain Gear for Women

Why are rain jackets always in such dreary colors?

Brighten up a stormy day with a water resistant or waterproof jacket in a fun color, like bright pink or emerald green. 

That said - if your jacket is for outdoor activities where camouflage is important, an earth tone, such as olive green, might be a better pick. 

For example, if you’ll be out photographing wildlife (from a safe distance), camouflaging yourself is a good idea so you can avoid scaring the animals away. 

On the other hand, if you’re out hiking, a bright jacket can help you be seen if you get lost or hurt. 

If you're traveling during rainy season or to a destination that is known for stormy weather, I highly recommend bringing along a packable rain jacket to keep yourself dry.

Yes, it's an extra item taking up space in your suitcase. But no one likes to wander around feeling like a drowned rat!

My top pick goes to Columbia's Arcadia II Rain Jacket, which comes in a variety of fun colors, good range of sizes, and is pretty dang affordable.

The best part, though, is that it is so compact that it can be folded and compressed down to fit into a pants pocket!

TIP: This jacket runs small, so size up for a comfortable fit.

Rain pants are perfect when hiking in drizzly weather or in unpredictable weather conditions that often result in wetness. In addition, if you need extra warm, ski pants are perfect to cover both needs.

For example, if you’re planning to go hiking in Iceland, ski or rain pants are a must-have item to pack to help keep yourself warm and dry.

The best kind will also keep you warm while still being breathable.

My pick goes to Outdoor Ventures lightweight, breathable rain pants. The elastic waistband makes them easy to throw on over leggings or shorts.

Plus, they come with a compression sack, making them easy to throw in your backpack or suitcase.

I live in Boston, which tends to be quite windy on stormy days, especially in the Back Bay area.

All of the compact umbrellas I've had to date have broken very easily due to wind. That is, until I tried Repel Umbrella!

While it's not as compact as other brands, it has held up in plenty of windy, rainy weather for a year now and it's still going strong.

It's also Teflon coated, so the rain will bead up and roll right off, rather than try to gather on top and drip through.

Keep your head dry and your good hair day intact with a waterproof hat.

If you're looking for a rain hat specifically for when you travel, aim for something that is compact so that it can be packed easily and won’t weigh down your day pack.

I like the vinyl waterproof bucket hat from CC. It comes in a variety of colors, both bright and neutral, so you can find one that matches your style.

If you'll be walking outside in wet weather for more than a few steps, rain boots or rain flats are a must. 

Hunter is a well-known brand that makes a durable, yet cute, pair of packable rain boots.

If you'll be outside a lot and the weather calls for storms, these are well worth the investment.

I've had my rain boots from Hunter for nearly 20 years. They still look like new despite the many times I've worn them over the years.

I sometimes carry a tote or backpack when out and about during the day. And there’s nothing worse than everything in your backpack getting wet from the rain! 

A simple and super compact solution is to get a rain cover for backpacks. 

A rain cover, or fly as it is sometimes called, is a simple waterproof cover that stretches around the outer shell of your backpack.

You shouldn't need to spend more than $20 for a good waterproof backpack cover.

My top pick goes to trusty outdoors brand, The North Face. Their rain cover comes in a variety of sizes to cover mini backpacks all the way through larger backpacking packs, as well as 2 colors (black and red).

If you're traveling with expensive or sentimental items that you can't risk getting wet, a dry bag is a must-have.

Dry bags are waterproof bags that can carry you through any wet situation, like hiking in the rain, falling off a boat, getting splashed by a puddle, and so on.

Smaller dry bags are great for storing wet items inside regular bags so nothing gets wet, too.

My go-to brand for dry bags is Sea to Summit. They come in a variety of sizes, from 1 Liter to 20 Liters, as well as a range of colors.

I recommend going with a bright color like yellow, red, or orange, to make it easier to spot in case it falls in water (ex: falls out of a boat or kayak).