Signing up for an ultra trail, like the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc®, the Diagonale des Fous®, or the UT4M®, often means discovering for the first time the demands of race organizations. Among the mandatory gear, the waterproof jacket with a hood, capable of guaranteeing protection of 10,000 Schmerber and a minimum of 10,000 breathability. At Raidlight, we know this choice can be confusing – who hasn’t hesitated in front of their first jacket? As a gear specialist and ultra expert, we support you with a complete collection of jackets approved for ultra trails. Discover our innovations and get ready to tackle the trails with full confidence!
Main features to choose your waterproof jacket
To choose a waterproof jacket suited to your needs, it’s important to consider several essential criteria:
Waterproofness: a good waterproof jacket must effectively protect you from the elements (rain, snow, wind). The waterproofness of a product is measured in Schmerber; it is considered waterproof from 10,000 Schmerber.
Breathability: a breathable trail jacket allows moisture produced by effort to escape, thus avoiding condensation and discomfort, while maintaining an optimal body temperature for lasting performance. There are several ways to measure a product’s breathability; the two most used measurements are:
- MVP (Moisture Vapour Permeability) calculates the amount of water vapor the fabric lets pass in 24 hours. The higher the value, the better the breathability.
- RET (Resistance Evaporative Transfer) measures a fabric’s ability to let water vapor generated by the body (sweat) escape. It is a resistance index; the lower it is, the more breathable the garment is.
Lightness and compactness: The jacket must be light so it doesn’t weigh you down more. The more compact it is, the easier it will be to pack in your trail bag.
Comfort: for maximum comfort, favor a jacket with drawstrings, pockets with waterproof zippers, a hood with a visor, and a gusset to protect your trail bag.
Reflective details: for more safety when you run at night.
Our Waterproof Jackets
At Raidlight, we design waterproof jackets that integrate unique technical features to improve your trail experience. Discover the innovations you’ll find on our models:
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Watch window: Our jackets are equipped with a watch window on the wrist allowing you to check your watch without having to remove the sleeve.
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Anti-slip print: Our trail jackets include an anti-slip print on the shoulders to prevent your trail bag from sliding.
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Thumb holes: Integrated thumb holes on the sleeves of our Ultralight MP+ jacket keep the sleeves firmly in place during effort, prevent wind and rain infiltration, and keep your hands warm.
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Store your jacket in its pocket or hood: Our jackets are designed to be compact and can fold into their pocket or hood, making them easy to pack once the weather stabilizes.
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Hood with visor: All our waterproof jackets have a hood to effectively protect your head and neck from rain. An integrated visor on the hood of our trail jackets protects not only from rain but also from wind, ensuring better visibility without water running down your face.
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Fit: For optimal fit, the hood, sleeves, and bottom of our waterproof jackets are equipped with elastics.
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Reflective details: The reflective details on our waterproof jackets are specially designed to improve your safety during low-light activities.
- Gusset: We equipped our Ultralight 3.0 and Top Extreme Ultra jackets with a gusset to accommodate a hydration pack up to 12L, effectively protecting your gear from bad weather.
Our MP+ membrane
The MP+® membrane is a technology specially designed to protect users from rain and all bad weather. The features of the MP+® Membrane are:
- High level of waterproofness (from 10,000 to 25,000 Schmerber)
- High level of breathability (from 10,000 to 50,000 MVP)
- Windproof
- Cold resistance
- Durability
The MP+® membrane is a solid, non-microporous membrane. As such, it is completely waterproof, breathable, and windproof. It is made of a hydrophilic polyurethane film with exceptional characteristics: thanks to its physico-chemical properties, it offers you perfect comfort during your outings.
👉 Want to know more about waterproof clothing and get help choosing your trail jacket? We have dedicated several articles on this topic:
Discover our range of waterproof jackets and other waterproof gear.
