The REI Teris GTX is a 2-layer waterproof/breathable rain jacket that’s loaded with efficiency options, together with pit zips, a two-way adjustable hood with a entrance brim, a chest pocket, two hipbelt-compatible hand hotter pockets, velcro rip-and-stick wrist cuffs, an adjustable hem, and waterproof entrance zipper. Whereas these options are interesting to hikers and backpackers, the jacket is method too heavy (24.2 oz in measurement massive) and heat for use year-round for mountaineering and is healthier suited as a winter snowboarding shell or for informal use.
- Gender: Males’s (Ladies’s obtainable)
- Waterproof/Breathable: Sure
- Weight: 24.2 oz in a males’s massive
- Membrane: Gore-Tex
- Seam-sealed: REI claims sure, however we see no proof that that is so.
- Breathability: N/A (REI doesn’t publish this spec)
- Helmet-compatible Hood: Sure
- Pockets: three – one chest and two handwarmer pockets, all zippered
- Packable: No
- Again size: Hip size
- Sizing: Runs Giant
- Professionals: Two-way adjustable hood, pit zips, velcro cuffs
- Cons: Heavy
Jacket Liner
The REI Teris is a 2-layer waterproof/breathable rain jacket that’s lined with a stable polyester taffeta liner. That is uncommon as a result of most 2-layer waterproof/breathable jackets are lined with mesh and never stable cloth, however it helps clarify why the Teris is so heavy, weighing in at 24 oz in a males’s massive. Rain jacket weight is essential as a result of it’s a garment that you just at all times wish to carry in your backpack on hikes, even when it’s not raining. Rain jackets and rain pants can assist maintain you heat in an emergency or in case you get misplaced and need to spend an sudden night time exterior.

The jacket’s stable liner additionally makes the Teris overly scorching to put on in heat and humid climate and is healthier fitted to winter and chilly climate use. When you’re useless set on utilizing a 2-layer rain jacket, we’d suggest utilizing the REI Trailmade Rain Jacket ($70) we reviewed lately, which weighs a half pound much less and prices lower than one-third of the worth of the Teris.
Hood
The Teris GTX hood is helmet-compatible, which suggests it’s fairly excessive quantity. Fortunately, it has a rear quantity management so you possibly can shrink it all the way down to human proportions. As well as, the hood has elastic cords in entrance, so you possibly can shrink the scale of the entrance opening to maintain wind and rain out. The hood additionally has a entrance brim, which is useful for conserving rain off your face or glasses.

Pit Zips
The Teris Jacket has 11.5 inch pit zips that begin on the higher arms and run down the edges of the jacket. Pit zips are designed that will help you shed physique warmth and perspire much less. It’s at all times a superb signal when jacket designers embrace pit zips on a water-resistant/breathable jacket as a result of they acknowledge the breathability limitations of a water-resistant/breathable membrane.
Pockets
The Teris GTX Jacket has three pockets: a lined zippered chest pocket that’s massive sufficient to suit a big smartphone and two lined handwarmer pockets that are additionally lined. Nonetheless, the jacket is just too massive to pack into these pockets. Whereas the handwarmer pockets will be hip belt-compatible, it is determined by how excessive you put on your backpack hipbelt. I discovered I used to be simply in a position to get my palms into the hand hotter pockets when sporting a pack within the rain, however your mileage might differ.
Wrist Cuffs
The Teris GTX jacket has rip-and-stick velcro wrist cuffs. These are good for conserving your wrists heat and allow you to slide gloves or mittens with wrist gauntlets up the arms to supply additional wrist insulation.


Gore-Tex Membrane
The Teris GTX Rain Jacket has a waterproof-breathable membrane made with Gore-Tex. Whereas that’s interesting to many customers, there are a lot of grades of Gore-Tex, some extra breathable than others. REI doesn’t publish waterproofing or breathable metrics for the jackets they make, which makes it difficult to judge the standard of the waterproof/breathable membrane within the Teris GTX. Nonetheless, historically, the membranes utilized in 2-layer waterproof/breathable jackets are usually decrease high quality than those in 2.5 layer or 3-layer waterproof/breathable rain jackets.
Comparability of layers, weight, and costs
Advice
The REI Teris GTX Rain Jacket is a 2-layer waterproof/breathable jacket that has a full liner which makes it heat and fairly heavy in comparison with different 2-layer rain jackets. Whereas it has glorious options, from a two-way adjustable hood and pit zips, it’s greatest utilized in colder climate as a ski jacket, a winter mountaineering shell, or a extra informal raincoat for commuting or strolling your canine in colder climate. Priced at $249, the Teris GTX is sort of costly in comparison with different 2-layer waterproof-breathable rain jackets. When you plan to spend that sort of cash for a rain jacket for mountaineering and backpacking, you’d be higher off getting a 2.5-layer or three-layer waterproof/breathable rain jacket that’s lighter-weight and gives higher efficiency.
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Disclosure: REI donated a jacket for evaluation.
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