Best Backpack Rain Covers That Stay Put in Wind and Rain
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The wind picks up on an open ridge, and your rain cover fills with air like a sail. A minute later it’s flapping off one corner of the pack, and you’re stopped in the rain wrestling it back on.
If that’s happened to you, it wasn’t bad luck or clumsiness. Most covers that blow off are the wrong size for the pack, or they have nothing holding them on except an elastic hem.
You came here for the best backpack rain covers, and more to the point, the one that fits your pack and stays on when the weather turns.
Below are five covers matched to different packs, trails and budgets, each with its honest catch, so you can buy the right one once.
TL;DR: Best Backpack Rain Covers
- Size: match the cover to your pack’s liters, and size up only for bulky gear strapped outside or a pack at the top of a range.
- Hold: look for something that ties the cover to the pack (a strap, hip belt loops or a harness hook) and a drain hole at the bottom.
- Picks: for a 30 to 110 liter pack, I’d start with the Osprey Ultralight Raincover. The table matches the other four to lighter, tougher, cheaper and bigger needs.
- Limits: no cover turns a pack into a dry bag, so add a liner in steady rain.
Product Name
Best For
Key Strength
Main Tradeoff
Price Tier
Most hikers with 30 to 110 liter packs
Taped seams, a draw cord, packs into itself
Osprey lists only a draw cord, no strap
$
Counting ounces, and daypacks from 15 liters
Very light, keeper strap, drain hole
Thinnest fabric here; no strap on the XS
$
Wet, brushy trails
70D ripstop, hip belt loops, harness hook, drain hole
A little heavier; fewer owner reviews
$
Tight budgets and commutes
Buckle strap, five sizes, lowest price
Owner feedback on sizing is split
$
Big packs from 45 to 90 liters
One size, taped seams, reflective detailing
Draw cord only; extra slack on smaller packs
$
Osprey Ultralight Raincover
Best For: Most hikers with 30 to 110 liter packs
Key Strength: Taped seams, a draw cord, packs into itself
Main Tradeoff: Osprey lists only a draw cord, no strap
Price Tier: $
Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Pack Cover
Best For: Counting ounces, and daypacks from 15 liters
Key Strength: Very light, keeper strap, drain hole
Main Tradeoff: Thinnest fabric here; no strap on the XS
Price Tier: $
Gregory Raincover
Best For: Wet, brushy trails
Key Strength: 70D ripstop, hip belt loops, harness hook, drain hole
Main Tradeoff: A little heavier; fewer owner reviews
Price Tier: $
Joy Walker Waterproof Backpack Rain Cover
Best For: Tight budgets and commutes
Key Strength: Buckle strap, five sizes, lowest price
Main Tradeoff: Owner feedback on sizing is split
Price Tier: $
Deuter Rain Cover III
Best For: Big packs from 45 to 90 liters
Key Strength: One size, taped seams, reflective detailing
Main Tradeoff: Draw cord only; extra slack on smaller packs
Price Tier: $
Price tiers: $ under $100 | $$ $100 to $249 | $$$ $250 and up
How to Choose a Backpack Rain Cover That Actually Works
Most rain cover regrets come down to three things: the wrong size, nothing tying the cover to the pack, and no way for trapped water to drain. Fabric weight matters too, mostly for how long the cover lasts.
My guide to backpack rain covers covers sizing and use step by step. Here’s what matters when you’re choosing one.
The Parachute Effect: Why Fit Is Everything
A cover that’s too big for your pack leaves slack fabric, and slack fabric catches wind like a sail. That’s when a cover balloons, slides off a corner or tugs at you in a gust.
Brands size covers by pack volume in liters. Osprey’s Ultralight Raincover, for example, comes in Medium for 30 to 50 liter packs, Large for 50 to 75 and Extra Large for 75 to 110.
So buy the size made for your pack’s liters, and take the next size up in only two cases: your pack sits at the top of a range, or you strap a pad, tent or other bulky gear outside. Past that, a bigger cover brings the slack back.
To check the fit at home, load the pack the way you’d carry it, or stuff it with pillows, and put the cover on. It should hug the corners without pulling, with no loose fabric you can grab.
Then look at what holds it on. A strap across the harness, loops around the hip belt or a hook over the shoulder straps ties the cover to the pack. An elastic hem on its own is what lets go in a gust.
Denier and Fabric Weight
Denier (D) is the weight of the yarn in a fabric. Deuter puts it simply: the higher the number, the more robust the fabric, and often the heavier.
A 30D cover like Sea to Summit’s packs smallest and weighs least, but thin fabric scuffs faster on rock and brush. The 70D covers from Gregory and Deuter trade a little weight for a heavier, more robust fabric.
Drain Holes: The Detail Most Buyers Miss
Water that gets under a cover ends up at its lowest point, the bottom. With no way out, it sits against the base of the pack and soaks in, or wicks into the hip belt padding.
A small drain hole at the bottom lets it out. Sea to Summit and Gregory list one. Osprey and Deuter don’t, which is one more reason to carry a liner inside the pack in steady rain.
What a Rain Cover Can’t Do
No rain cover turns a pack into a dry bag. Sea to Summit says it plainly: wind-driven rain can still get in through the space between your back and the harness.
So if the back of a covered pack has come home damp, the cover didn’t fail. It’s the outer shell, and in steady rain a liner inside the pack, or dry bags for your sleeping bag and spare clothes, keeps those dry.
If rain is the norm where you hike, a waterproof backpack is the other route, at the cost of some weight and easy access to your gear.
The Best Backpack Rain Covers
All five sit in the lowest price tier, under $100.
1. Osprey Ultralight Raincover
Key Specs
- Material: bluesign-approved, 100% recycled 40D high-tenacity nylon, with a water-repellent finish made without PFAS
- Sizes: Medium (30 to 50 L), Large (50 to 75 L), Extra Large (75 to 110 L)
- Weight: 4.0 oz (112 g) for Medium to 4.9 oz (138 g) for Extra Large
- Standout: taped seams and a draw cord, and it packs into itself
Osprey Ultralight Raincover
A light, seam-taped cover in three sizes for 30 to 110 liter packs. A draw cord pulls it snug, and it packs into its own pocket.
Pros
Packs into its own pocket, so there’s nothing to lose
Fully recycled, bluesign-approved main fabric with a finish made without PFAS
Amazon owners who mention fit are overwhelmingly positive
Cons
Osprey lists only a draw cord, with no strap, hip belt loop or harness hook
No size under 30 liters, and owner reports on durability are mixed
Best For: day hikers and backpackers with 30 to 110 liter packs who want a light, well-sealed cover in a size matched to their pack.
The Details
Osprey builds this cover from 40D recycled nylon with taped seams, meaning tape is sealed over the stitching so water can’t seep through the needle holes.
The fit comes from a draw cord that runs around the edge, so you can pull the cover snug against a full or half-full pack. Amazon’s review summary, and at least one owner, point out that the cord loops over the hip belt through an opening on each side.
On Amazon, where the cover has more than 1,900 ratings, most owners who mention rain say it kept their pack dry. Durability is where opinions split.
The Verdict
It’s the cover I’d start with for a 30 to 110 liter pack, because it’s light, sealed at the seams and sized for most backpacking packs. Looping the cord over the hip belt gives it an anchor, but for exposed ridges the Gregory is the better fit.
2. Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Pack Cover
Key Specs
- Material: 30D Ultra-Sil siliconized CORDURA nylon, no-seam construction
- Sizes: XS (15 to 30 L), S (30 to 50 L), M (50 to 70 L), L (70 to 95 L)
- Weight: 2.0 oz (57 g) for XS to 4.6 oz (130 g) for L
- Standout: a keeper strap across the harness on sizes S to L
Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Pack Cover
A very light 30D siliconized nylon cover with a keeper strap across the harness and a drain hole, in four sizes from 15 liters.
Pros
Lighter than the Osprey size for size, at 2.0 oz (57 g) for the XS
Four sizes, from daypacks at 15 liters up to 95 liter packs
A drain hole in the base lets trapped water out
Cons
30D is the thinnest fabric here, better suited to trails than to scrambles through brush
The XS has no keeper strap, and there are fewer owner reviews than for the Osprey or the Joy Walker
Best For: hikers who count ounces, and day hikers with packs from 15 liters up.
The Details
Sea to Summit uses a no-seam construction, so there’s no stitching for water to get through. The 30D siliconized nylon packs into a small stuff sack that stays attached to the cover.
The keeper strap is the detail I’d pay attention to. On sizes S to L it pulls the cover tight across the pack harness, so the cover is tied to the pack instead of resting on it.
Owners on Sea to Summit’s own site rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 35 reviews. One describes four days of heavy rain on the West Coast Trail with a dry pack, while another found it not fully waterproof through a full day of drizzle.
The Verdict
If weight matters to you, this is the one to get, because it saves ounces without giving up a way to tie it to the pack. If your trails are rough and brushy, the Gregory is the safer bet.
3. Gregory Raincover
Key Specs
- Material: 40% recycled 70D polyester ripstop, with a C0 DWR designed without PFAS
- Sizes: under 30 L, 30 to 50 L, 50 to 80 L, 80 to 110 L
- Weight: 3.0 oz (86 g) for the under-30 liter size, 4.8 oz (136 g) for 50 to 80 L
- Standout: hip belt loops and a hook that clips above the harness
Gregory Raincover
A tougher 70D ripstop cover that clips over the harness and loops around the hip belt, with a drain hole, for wet, brushy trails.
Pros
70D ripstop, tied with the Deuter for the heaviest fabric here
Seam-taped, with a drain hole in the base
Four sizes, from under 30 liters to 110 liters
Cons
A little heavier than the Sea to Summit in a similar size
Fewer owner reviews to go on than the Osprey or the Joy Walker
Best For: hikers on wet, brushy trails who want the cover tied to the pack at more than one point.
The Details
Gregory uses a 40% recycled 70D polyester ripstop with taped seams and a C0 DWR, a water-repellent finish Gregory says is designed without PFAS. Ripstop is a weave with a reinforcing grid that stops small tears from spreading.
What sets it apart is how it attaches. An elastic draw cord goes around the pack, loops slip over the hip belt, and an adjustable hook clips above the harness, so wind has three points to work against instead of one.
The large reflective logo is a small bonus: Gregory says it makes your pack easy to spot in the dark.
The 50 to 80 liter size weighs 4.8 oz (136 g), against 4.0 oz (113 g) for Sea to Summit’s 50 to 70 liter cover.
There are fewer owner reviews for this cover than for the others, and the ratings that exist are high: 4.6 out of 5 across 15 reviews of the 50 to 80 liter size at Backcountry.
The Verdict
For wet, brushy trails, this is my pick, because the tougher fabric and three attachment points address both blowing off and tearing. If every ounce counts, the Sea to Summit does the job lighter.
4. Joy Walker Waterproof Backpack Rain Cover
Key Specs
- Material: 210T taffeta with two waterproof coatings on the inside (Joy Walker calls it 4-layer)
- Sizes: Small (15 to 25 L), Middle (30 to 40 L), Large (40 to 50 L), XL (50 to 70 L), XXL (70 to 90 L)
- Standout: a buckle strap that keeps the cover from sliding off
Joy Walker Waterproof Backpack Rain Cover
A low-cost cover with a buckle strap that keeps it from sliding off, in five sizes from 15 to 90 liters. Check your pack's liters before you order.
Pros
The lowest price here by a wide margin
Five sizes, from 15 to 90 liters
Most owners who mention rain say it kept their pack dry
Cons
Owner feedback on sizing is split almost evenly
Some owners report water getting through or rips, and no drain hole is listed
Best For: day hikers, commuters and travelers who want a cover for the occasional wet day without spending much.
The Details
Joy Walker describes this as a 4-layer cover: a rip-resistant outer fabric with two waterproof coatings on the inside. In practice it’s one 210T taffeta fabric with coatings.
The buckle strap is the useful part. It holds the cover in position on the pack instead of leaving the job to an elastic hem, which matters most in wind.
With more than 9,000 Amazon ratings, this cover has the most owner feedback here, and most owners who mention fit say it fits their pack well.
Sizing is the catch. Among Amazon owners who mention size, the split is close to even, so check your pack’s liters against the size chart before you order. Joy Walker says it exchanges sizes for free.
The Verdict
On a tight budget, or for a commute and the odd wet hike, it’s a sensible buy, because the buckle strap does the job that matters most. For long days in steady rain, I’d spend more on the Gregory or the Osprey.
5. Deuter Rain Cover III
Key Specs
- Material: 70D polyamide (nylon) with a PU coating and taped seams, made without intentionally added PFAS
- Size: one size for 45 to 90 L packs
- Weight: 4.6 oz (130 g)
- Standout: reflective detailing and one cover for a wide range of large packs
Deuter Rain Cover III
One seam-taped 70D cover for 45 to 90 liter packs, with reflective detailing and a draw cord.
Pros
One cover fits a wide range of large packs
Taped seams and a PU coating keep moisture out
Reflective detailing helps you be seen in low light
Cons
Held on by a draw cord only, with no strap or hook listed
Easy to confuse with Deuter’s smaller Raincover I and II in store listings
Best For: backpackers with 45 to 90 liter packs who want one simple cover at a low price.
The Details
Deuter makes the Raincover III from 70D polyamide with a PU coating and taped seams, and it’s made without intentionally added PFAS. Reflective detailing adds a little visibility in low light.
One size covers packs from 45 to 90 liters, held on by a draw cord. That wide range is convenient, but a 45 liter pack leaves more fabric to cinch than a 90 liter one, so pull the cord snug.
Check the name and liter range before you buy. Deuter’s smaller Raincover II covers 30 to 50 liters, and one Amazon listing for the III carried the II’s details when I checked it.
The Verdict
If you carry a 45 to 90 liter pack and want a plain, well-sealed cover, it’s good value, because it’s simple and seam-taped at a low price. If wind on exposed ground is your worry, look at the Gregory instead.
Which Rain Cover Should You Buy?
Before you order, check one number: your pack’s capacity in liters, usually on the label inside or on the brand’s page. Then match it to the cover’s size range, and size up only if the pack sits at the top of a range or carries bulky gear outside.
On a daypack under 30 liters, note that the Sea to Summit XS has no strap. Gregory’s under-30 liter cover and the Joy Walker Small both tie to the pack, so start there if wind is the worry.
Once the cover arrives, put it on the loaded pack at home and cinch it, so any fit problem shows up in your living room and not on the trail.
If you’re still building your kit, my list of hiking essentials for beginners shows what else is worth carrying.
Founder & Gear Research Editor
Sonia Zannoni
I’m Sonia, the founder of Best Trail Backpacks. I don’t test gear myself. For every pack I cover, I read the manufacturer’s specs and sizing charts and look for what owners report again and again.
Fit comes first, because a pack that doesn’t match your torso and hips will hurt no matter what it cost. My goal is to help you choose a pack that suits your body, your trip and your budget.
About the Founder
