Rab Kangri GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus Jacket Review

Featherweight rain jacket in men’s and women’s styles. 

During the winter months, it rains almost all the time in Seattle. This year the rain isn’t getting me down because I’ve been wearing the Rab Kangri GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus Jacket for urban hikes, long walks, and everything in between. 

Weatherproof

Made out of a 2.5-layer water proof material, 40D Recycled GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus, this jacket does an amazing job of keeping me dry and warm. I wear it over a wicking tee shirt and a merino hoodie in 40-45 degree F temperatures. All of the seams are sealed, and all of the YKK brand zippers, even the underarm zippers, are waterproof. I stay protected whether I’m out running errands or spending a few hours outside. 

I can easily adjust the hood with a toggle on the back and with nylon cords on either side of the main zipper. The release toggles are hidden inside the material. The front part of the hood has some backing material in it, giving it enough stiffness to function as a brim. I appreciate this design because I still need to see, and if the hood can maintain a bit of a shape then I don’t feel like I’m losing visibility by wearing it. 

The main zipper, a double zipper with a large contrast-colored zipper pull loop, has a wide weather flap underneath it for extra protection. There’s a zipper garage on the top of the zipper, and the jacket snaps shut on the bottom of the zipper. There are toggles on each side of the jacket’s bottom hem that allow me to cinch it tighter when it’s windy. Both side pockets have contrast colored nylon zipper pulls and are generous and tall, allowing me to stash maps and other odd-sized items in them. When not in use, the Rab Kangri GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus Jacket can be folded into one of the pockets for easy packing. 

Designed for Action

In addition to these basic features, there are several thoughtful design details that make this jacket one of my favorites. First, the articulated sleeves. They are so comfortable; they allow me more freedom of movement when I am active than most of my other rain shells. I never feel like I’m stretching against the material when I move or reach my arms.

Second, the pit zips. I love them. The Rab Kangri GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus Jacket is pretty breathable, which I need because I heat up like crazy when I move, but the double-zipper pit zips are critical for the type of ventilation I need. They came in very handy on a stormy night when I decided to walk a mile and a half to the pharmacy. On the way home I was too warm but didn’t want to unzip the jacket because of the pouring rain. I was able to quickly find the nylon cord zipper pulls and open up the pit zips. Then I walked home feeling exactly the right temperature while also staying 100% dry.

Third, adjustable sleeve hems. I like the wrap-around Velcro flaps that make it easy to tighten or loosen the sleeve openings depending on the weather and on my activities.

I have worn the Rab Kangri GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus Jacket on many walks and hikes, and it has always kept me dry, with so many adjustment options. More than keeping me dry, I’ve been impressed at the stellar wind protection. It’s like the wind isn’t even a factor. I literally don’t feel it, and it doesn’t make me cold. 

Having the ability to ventilate quickly is probably the most important feature for me. I am always too hot, but when I wear the Rab Kangri GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus Jacket I feel like the fabric’s breathability, along with the pit zips, really helps me stay comfortable. 

Bottom Line

I love this lightweight jacket because it excels in protecting me from wind and rain and because it is easy to ventilate when I heat up from activity. It has also proved to be quite durable. I tend to wad it up and toss it into my pack, walk into bushes, and generally not take great care of it, and so far the Rab Kangri GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus Jacket has held up very well to wear and abuse. The 40D Recycled GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus still looks good, never makes that old-school-rain-jacket crinkly noise, and hasn’t torn or broken down.

Details

I tested a men’s size large Rab Kangri GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus Jacket because I’m six feet tall and have very long arms. I wanted a jacket that was long through the torso and had extra long sleeves. I found a great fit.

The back hem of the jacket covers my bum, and the sleeves are nice and long. They might be a wee bit too long, but not really because I like to have my wrists and the tops of hands covered when extending my arms. Extra room is ideal for giving me more room for layering, too. For me the men’s long, straight cut worked very well. The other reason I chose a men’s jacket: I wasn’t sure about the women’s sizing since I have never worn a Rab jacket before. By the Rab chart, I appear to be a size 18 in UK sizing, but the women’s Kangri GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus Jacket only goes up to a 16. I didn’t want to risk the 16 (or US size XL) being too small.

Men’s Rab Kangri GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus Jacket is available in sizes S-XXL in three colors, Deep Ink, Footprint, and Orion Blue.

Women’s Rab Kangri GORE-TEX PACLITE® Plus Jacket is available in sizes 6-16 UK sizing (XS-XL US sizing), in four bold colors, Marmalade, Orion Blue, Eucalyptus, and Beluga. View Rab store at Amazon. See our review of waterproof pants.

$350 at Rab website

Images from Rab site.