I spent ages looking for a good rainproof jacket to wear when fossiling. As the best time to go out is in the winter I was struggling to find something tough enough that would stand out to hours of horizontal rain lashing in off the English Channel, or walking up in the wild and woolly areas of the Peak District.

After trying Sprayways, Berghaus etc I eventually podded out £300 on a Norwegian Norrona Recon jacket from Ray Mears' website. It's no thrills (you'll need layers underneath as it's unlined) but is extremely practical, loads of pockets, Goretex Xtreme, is a great shade of green so you don't impose yourself on the landscape, has a brilliant hood plus zipped vents underneath the arms (invaluable in summer) and it has never let a drop in after around four years of use.

I can't recommend it highly enough as it's as tough as old boots and built to last.