What is Red Ledge doing that competitors aren’t? How do they continue to make the best rain gear? The company doesn’t have a flashy website or hundreds of different products, instead it spends its time intensely focused on keeping customers happy and dry. With a line of quality rain pants and several top selling rain jackets, their business model is helping outdoor enthusiasts repel water during every type of adventure.

How Red Ledge Makes The Best Rain Gear

The best rain gear uses high quality materials and manufacturing processes. When it comes to rain gear, there has been an evolutionary leap in recent years in both the quality of materials and the features offered. In some cases, better materials lead directly to more features, such as breathability in a lightweight package. In other cases, the best rain gear is simply better designed due to customer feedback and the need to gain a competitive market edge.

In the case of Red Ledge, their Thunderbolt jacket comes in well below $100, yet it is a lifetime purchase offering a remarkably durable and feature-rich rain jacket. Their gear also retails at a wide range of outlets, so prices vary from Walmart to REI to Amazon, but quality stays consistent.

Rain gear comes in three basic descriptors: water resistant, waterproof and breathable, and waterproof and non-breathable. Non-breathable rain gear is usually limited to cheap ponchos or heavy old-fashioned rain slickers.

Breathable & Wind-Proof Rain Gear

The breathable feature is not the same thing as venting; a vent is an actual opening either under armpits or in the back. Breathability, on the other hand, is a feature of the material itself. Breathable materials make a huge difference when engaging in any type of strenuous outdoor activity. Or if you find yourself caught in one of those oddly warm, humid downpours that are common in places like Florida and Hawaii.

It stands to reason that the more breathable a fabric is, the more likely it is to let air in. For this reason, fabrics with higher breathability (and there is no industry standard or rating system) will require wearing a thicker base layer to stay dry and warm at the same time.

Red Ledge, like other competitive rain gear manufacturers and retailers, sells only breathable rain jackets and pants. To gain breathability, the best rain gear uses a thin laminate or coating for water resistance. Laminates provide better breathability and therefore higher quality jackets and pants, and this is the route Red Ledge has chosen. 

Nearly all rain gear carries a wind rating to indicate whether it only resists wind or keeps it out altogether.  There is a big difference between windproof and wind-resistant, as the latter equates to nothing more than the protection you get from a cheap polyester/nylon “windbreaker”.

Red Ledge never skimps on any of the features found in great rain gear. These days, the list of features are quite extensive: versatile hood design, multiple pockets, packing or “stowability”, zippers and snaps, seam taping, adjustable cinch or other straps, and vents. When these features are combined with high quality breathable fabrics and a water resistant laminate coating, the gap between old school rain gear and today’s jackets and pants is mind-boggling. For a very reasonable price, consumers can own a jacket and pants for any rainy day you’ll encounter.