Jackets, Coats and Ponchos, Oh My!

Jackets are the biggest, bulkiest, most annoying thing a one-bag traveler has to think about.. and the good news is that most of the time you don't have to. I'm a fair-weather traveler, so my outer layer is usually a t-shirt. But when the weather (or the itinerary) doesn't cooperate, here's how I think about it.

What's the one rule for outer layers?

Pack for the weather you'll actually be standing in, not the weather that exists somewhere on your route. If you're traveling long-term, you'll spend most rainy days indoors and most freezing days in a taxi, a cafe or a hostel; the outer layer only needs to cover the gaps in between. I make the full argument in The Case for Fair Weather Travel and Handling Inclement Weather, but the short version is: you're traveling, not camping.

With that out of the way, here are the options, roughly in order of how often I actually pack them.

Packable puffer: synthetic or down?

Synthetic. This is the one jacket I carry when I'm expecting cooler weather (a Nano Puff, in my case), and it's the closest thing to a do-it-all layer that exists. It stuffs down into its own pocket, weighs next to nothing, and it's warm enough for a chilly evening or a fall day when worn over a long-sleeve shirt.

Down is warmer for the weight and packs smaller, and if you're headed somewhere properly cold, that matters. But down stops insulating when it gets wet, it's fussier to wash, and it's usually more expensive, which is a bad combination for something that will live at the bottom of a backpack and get dripped on, sat on and occasionally left on a bus. Synthetic insulation keeps working damp, dries fast (which matters if you're washing every day), and doesn't cost enough to cry over.

Two tips: 1) keep a bottle of clear nail polish handy to seal up nicks and snags before the insulation starts leaking out, and 2) don't bring your favorite one. On my last winter trip I packed a cheap compressible puffer and left the Patagonia at home, because I didn't want to worry about losing or damaging it.

Rain shell or reusable poncho?

Poncho, for most travelers, and here's why: a poncho covers your backpack. A rain shell keeps your torso dry while your bag (and the laptop inside it) soaks, and the bag is the part you can't replace at the next corner shop.

Ponchos are also cheap, packable, and for sale on every corner the moment it starts raining, so you don't even have to bring one. If you'd rather not throw away a plastic sheet every time it rains, a reusable poncho takes up about as much space as a rolled-up t-shirt and often doubles as a picnic blanket or ground sheet. I carry one occasionally, mostly when I know I'm heading into a rainy season.

A rain shell earns its space if you'll be hiking in the rain (a poncho in wind is a kite), or if you want a windproof layer over the puffer for real cold. If you go that route, look for the lightest, most packable one you can find, and accept that it will never feel as nice as it did in the store. They're all a little clammy.

Do soft shells earn their space?

Usually not. A soft shell is a jacket that's a bit warm, a bit water resistant and a bit windproof, and it does none of those things as well as a puffer, a poncho or a long-sleeve shirt. It also doesn't pack down; most soft shells take up as much room as the puffer and the poncho combined. If you already have one you love and you're going somewhere mild and drizzly, fine, wear it on the plane. I wouldn't buy one for a trip.

Same goes for the "travel jacket" with seventeen hidden pockets. It's a soft shell with marketing.

Why layer instead of packing one heavy coat?

Because three thin layers cover more weather than one thick one, and they pack smaller. The formula is simple:

• Base: the same quick-dry t-shirt (or long-sleeve, or thermal top) you wear every day. This is the layer that gets washed.
• Mid: a light hoodie or the puffer. Warmth lives here.
• Shell: a poncho or rain jacket. Wind and water live here.

Cool morning? Base and mid. Rainy afternoon? Base and shell. Cold and wet? All three. Warm again by lunch? Everything comes off and stuffs into a corner of the bag. A heavy winter coat can only do one of those things, and it does it while taking up a third of your backpack for the entire trip. This is also why I keep saying you can pack for cold weather without packing much more; the details are in Cold Weather Travel.

What about just buying a jacket when you get there?

This is my favorite option, and the one most people don't consider. If your trip goes from winter in Europe to summer in Southeast Asia, you don't need to carry a winter jacket for five months to use it for one. Buy something cheap and warm when you land, wear it constantly while it's cold (it takes up zero bag space on your back), and donate it when the weather turns. Most hostels have a freebie box; if not, ask at the front desk where to drop it.

It's cheaper than buying a travel-specific jacket at home, you're supporting a local shop, and someone who actually needs a warm coat gets one. Thrift stores work in the other direction too, if the weather turns cold on you unexpectedly.

What should you look for in a travel jacket?

If you do buy one before you go, here's the short checklist. The general rules are in Travel Clothes (What To Look For), but for jackets specifically:

• Packed size: the only spec that really matters. If it doesn't stuff into its own pocket or a small sack, it's too big.
• Weight: lighter is better, obviously, but mostly because light jackets are the ones you'll actually keep in the bag instead of "forgetting" at a hostel.
• DWR finish: a durable water repellent coating means a light drizzle beads off instead of soaking in. It's not waterproof, but it buys you time to find cover.
• Hood: optional on a puffer, mandatory on a shell. A hood replaces a hat, which is one less thing to lose.
• Pit zips: on a rain shell, these are the difference between "a little clammy" and "sweating through my shirt." Worth the small weight penalty if you'll be walking a lot.
• Zippered pockets: a traveler's best friend, on jackets as much as on pants.

Final thoughts

For most trips, the answer is a packable synthetic puffer as your warm layer, a cheap or reusable poncho as your wet layer, and a long-sleeve shirt underneath both. That's a complete weather system that fits in the space of a pair of shoes. For anything colder than that, buy it there and leave it there. And for anything warmer than that.. congratulations, you're doing it right.

Read Next: Cold Weather Travel