Walking/hiking jacket

[ThanksDriver]

Sorry if this is the wrong section!

Can anyone recommend me a jacket for walking and hiking. I really can’t afford to spend loads and will probably buy on eBay but I don’t want to get the wrong thing.

Is a north face 3/1 a fail safe option?

Mountain warehouse own brand. Make sure it has a high hydrostatic rating mine is 10,000

in hiking world north face is seen as just a fashion brand now, not quality as it used to be. look for rab, mountain equipment, fjallraven, alpkit....

Craghoppers have supplied my last three walking jackets, by having the nicest kit at a decent price.

Get yourself to Mountain Warehouse and try on a few of their own brand jackets as a pp suggested. I know Mountain Warehouse often gets a bad name on these threads but I think they are good for the money. I hike/walk a lot and find their things affordable, comfortable and good quality (not their hiking boots though, they're rubbish!)

If you are on eBay and can find a second hand one. a Paramo jacket (££) is good because they last really well, whilst most other fabrics will lose their waterproofness even with treatment

What kind of jacket? Ideally you have two , a waterproof shell and a warm down or equivalent layer.

Don't expect a jacket to perform miracles. It should be part of a system of clothing to keep you dry and warm. I really like my soft shell - it's not very waterproof but it's much more breathable than a traditional waterproof. If you are going for a proper waterproof jacket then don't worry too much about all singing and dancing technology - goretex isn't that much better than a lot of manufacturer's own brands that are half the price. I'd say the fit of the coat is the main thing to get right. I'm also not a fan of 3 in 1 type coats, just use appropriate layers.