> This doesn't make any sense. Going going to a random shop to buy a rain jacket is inevitably going to be worse than doing careful research and ordering from the cheapest retailer. Moreover after you bought your first rain jacket, then what? Buy another next time it rains? If not, why not just buy it ahead of your trip and pack it?

That means constantly planning for every eventuality, which means always carrying an over-sized/over-stuffed piece of luggage. If you travel enough, you want to minimize that. Weight adds up, especially jeans and pants.

No, I don't always go and buy a rain jacket. Most of the time the forecasts are decent enough for most trips that I'll buy a cheap umbrella, wait it out, or something if things go sideways. But it did cause me to browse through some stores I'd never have bothered go into. For me, unexpected things can sometimes result in delights like that.

I saw a jacket that felt very nicely made, had nice materials, had a lot of high-quality seams (my wife's friend was a seamstress and taught us what to look for in quality clothing), and was a perfect fit and colour.

I'm far more willing to buy sweaters or other things that keep you warm, though.

I don't think they have the same definition of "best" that you do.

A rainy day in Utrecht and a spontaneous visit to Bever introduced me to the Arc'teryx Beta SL. Incredible jacket.

The difference is that the stuff you buy “on the spot” is tested by locals in that environment. In my experience, I got my favourite rain gear from a local store in a place where it rains a lot, and the best mountain gear in a town that’s actually in the mountains. Online shopping, even with lots of research, can only take you so far.

Also, these things make great souvenirs. Every time I wear my merino wind buff, I think of that little Irish town on the Atlantic coast where I bought it, and how wet and windy it was.