Arc'teryx Beta Jacket
Gore-Tex three-layer, helmet-compatible hood
Keeps working after six hours of rain when lighter shells have wetted through; you carry the extra weight every dry day too, and the price is genuinely hard to justify for one trek.
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Do not buy this if: An October or November trek in the Khumbu, when it barely rains. The Helium is the better buy for that season.
Not every route needs it. These are the ones where our guides would put it on your list.
Everything else we recommend in waterproof & wind shells, including the ones we think suit a different trekker.
Best overallOutdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket
Light enough that you actually carry it, which is the only property that matters in a shell — the trade is a thin fabric that will not survive being dragged across rock.
