Texapore Core or Pro? Buying Jack Wolfskin in Kenya for Rain, Wind and Summit Cold

A small paw print on a rain shell marks Jack Wolfskin, the German outdoor brand founded in Frankfurt in 1981. In Kenya, Jack Wolfskin is worth buying mainly for its Texapore waterproof jackets, which are rated at 10,000 mm or 20,000 mm and suit the long and short rains, Aberdares drizzle and windy Mt Kenya ridges.

Most Jack Wolfskin pieces in Nairobi turn up second-hand, which makes them affordable but also means nobody hands you the spec sheet. Below you will find what the labels mean, which items earn a place on Kenyan trails, how the sizes run, what to check on a used jacket, how to look after it, and where to find the brand in Nairobi.

What Is Jack Wolfskin Known For?

Jack Wolfskin is known for practical, weatherproof outdoor clothing at mid-range prices, led by its waterproof jackets. The brand also makes fleeces, insulated jackets, hiking shoes, rucksacks, sleeping bags and tents, so one label can cover most of a hiker’s kit.

Ulrich Dausien started the name in 1981 as a trademark of a Frankfurt company, and the paw logo was registered a year later. Ownership has changed hands several times since then, from Johnson Outdoors to private equity groups, then Callaway in 2019 and China’s Anta Sports in 2025. Through all of that, the core product has stayed the same: sensible jackets built for wet, windy European hills.

That background matters in Kenya. Our mountains above about 2,500 m behave a lot like a damp European upland: cold fog in the morning, drizzle that soaks through cotton by mid-morning, and wind on open ridges. Gear designed for the Scottish Highlands or the German Alps translates well to Kinangop, Satima and Mt Kenya’s moorland. Jack Wolfskin has also been a member of the Fair Wear Foundation since 2010, for buyers who care how their clothes are made.

How Waterproof Is Jack Wolfskin Texapore?

Jack Wolfskin Texapore comes in two published levels. Texapore Core is rated 10,000 mm waterproof with breathability above 6,000 g/m²/24h, and Texapore Pro is rated 20,000 mm with breathability above 15,000 g/m²/24h, according to Jack Wolfskin’s own comparison table.

Label	Waterproof rating	Breathability	Kenyan use
Texapore Core	10,000 mm	Over 6,000 g/m²/24h	Day hikes near Nairobi, commuting, Ngong Hills in the rains
Texapore Pro	20,000 mm	Over 15,000 g/m²/24h	Aberdares, Mt Kenya, Kilimanjaro, long wet days
Texapore Ecosphere Core	10,000 mm	Over 6,000 g/m²/24h	Same as Core
Texapore Ecosphere Pro	20,000 mm	Over 15,000 g/m²/24h	Same as Pro

You can see the full table on Jack Wolfskin’s Texapore page. A water column of 10,000 mm means the fabric held back a 10-metre column of water in a lab test. In practice that keeps steady rain out for several hours, while 20,000 mm copes better with the pressure of pack straps and kneeling on wet ground.

Is Texapore Core enough for day hikes near Nairobi?

Texapore Core is enough for most day hikes within three hours of Nairobi. On Ngong Hills, Ol Donyo Sabuk or Mt Longonot, rain usually comes as an afternoon storm that lasts an hour or two, and a Core shell handles that well. Jack Wolfskin itself pitches Core at short trips and day hikes. Its lower breathability matters less on short outings because you are only wearing it for part of the day.

When should you pay more for Texapore Pro?

Texapore Pro earns its extra cost when you wear the jacket all day in rain or under a heavy pack. The Aberdares can stay wet from the gate to the summit, and Mt Kenya’s moorland brings sleet and wind as well. Higher breathability also means less sweat building up inside on long climbs such as the Sirimon track up to Old Moses and beyond.

What does Ecosphere mean on a Jack Wolfskin label?

Ecosphere appears on some Jack Wolfskin Texapore jackets, and the brand lists Ecosphere Core and Ecosphere Pro with exactly the same ratings as the standard versions. For a Kenyan hiker the performance question is answered by the Core or Pro wording. Read the care label or hangtag if you want the fabric details of a particular jacket.

Which Jack Wolfskin Gear Suits Kenyan Trails?

Rain shells and 3-in-1 jackets are the Jack Wolfskin pieces that suit Kenyan trails best, followed by fleeces and insulated jackets for cold summits. The brand’s daypacks and hiking shoes are good too, but they compete with many other strong options in Nairobi.

Rain shells

A hooded Texapore shell is the most useful Jack Wolfskin item you can own here. Look for an adjustable hood with a stiffened peak, sealed seams, a storm flap over the zip and adjustable cuffs. Pit zips are a bonus on humid forest climbs. A shell this light also blocks wind, so on a dry but gusty day on the Ngong ridge it doubles as a windbreaker. For a wider look at shells, our guide to rain jackets for hiking in Nairobi compares the main types.

3-in-1 jackets

Jack Wolfskin is well known for its 3-in-1 System: a waterproof outer jacket with a fleece or insulated inner that zips in and out. Worn together they suit a cold, wet Mt Kenya morning; worn apart, the shell covers a rainy Nairobi afternoon and the fleece covers a dry evening at camp. The catch is weight and bulk, since the zip-in system adds material. For a strict layering approach, see our post on layering for cold weather hikes.

Fleeces and insulated jackets

Jack Wolfskin fleeces work as the warm middle layer under a shell. Its insulated jackets go further: the Jasper Insulated Jacket, for example, pairs Texapore Core with padding and weighs about 790 g, which suits a summit night on Point Lenana (4,985 m) more than a hot Hell’s Gate walk. Our fleece jackets in Nairobi post explains weights and fabrics.

Hiking shoes and daypacks

Jack Wolfskin also makes hiking shoes such as the Vojo 3 Texapore Mid, a waterproof mid-cut at roughly 1,030 g per pair, and daypacks such as the Crosstrail range in sizes like 22 and 28 litres. Both are decent, but in Nairobi you will usually find more choice from specialist footwear and pack brands. If you are comparing boots, our hiking boot brands guide for Kenya covers the main names, and for packs our 28L day hiking backpack is a simple, low-cost alternative.

How Do Jack Wolfskin Sizes Fit?

Jack Wolfskin men’s jackets follow a German size chart in which S equals 48, M equals 50 and L equals 52. Chest measurement is the best guide, so measure yours in centimetres before you shop, especially for second-hand jackets that may carry only the number.

Letter size	German size	Chest (cm)
S	48	96-100
M	50	100-104
L	52	104-108
XL	54/56	108-114
XXL	56/58	114-120
3XL	60	120-126

These figures come from a retailer’s published Jack Wolfskin men’s jacket chart; women’s sizes use a separate chart. When you try on a shell, wear the fleece you plan to hike in, raise both arms above your head and check the hem does not ride up past your belt. Then hug yourself as if gripping a pack strap: the back should not pull tight across your shoulder blades. A shell that fits over a fleece will also fit over a thin down jacket on summit night.

Buying Jack Wolfskin Second-Hand: What Should You Check?

Check the seams, the water beading, the zips and the inside lining before you buy a second-hand Jack Wolfskin jacket. A used shell can have years of life left, and the following checks take about five minutes at the rail.

1. Seam tape: Turn the jacket inside out and run a finger along the taped seams at the shoulders and hood. Lifting or peeling tape means leaks.
2. Inner lining: Look for flaking, sticky or bubbled patches on the inside of the fabric. That is delamination, and it cannot be fixed.
3. Water beading: Flick a few drops of water on the shoulder. Beads that roll off show a healthy water-repellent finish; dark, soaked patches mean it needs reproofing, which is fixable at home.
4. Zips: Run the main zip, pocket zips and any pit zips end to end. A stiff zip can be cleaned; a split or missing slider is a bigger job.
5. Hood and cuffs: Pull each drawcord and test the cuff tabs. Missing toggles are cheap to replace but worth knowing about.
6. Label: Read the care label for the Texapore Core or Pro wording, the size and the fabric details.

On authenticity, keep it simple and general. Genuine big-brand jackets usually have neat, even stitching, a clean sewn-in care label with fabric and washing details, a properly finished logo, and branded zip pulls that match the rest of the garment. Crooked stitching, misspelt labels or a logo that peels like a sticker are reasons for caution with any brand, Jack Wolfskin included. Our post on thrifted outdoor gear in Nairobi covers second-hand buying more widely.

Where Can You Find Jack Wolfskin in Nairobi?

You can look for Jack Wolfskin in Nairobi at our shop in Mountain Mall, 3rd Floor, Shop D39, on Thika Road. Most of our big-brand jackets are quality thrifted pieces, alongside some new gear, which keeps good waterproofs affordable.

Thrifted stock changes week to week, so we cannot promise a particular Jack Wolfskin model will be on the rail when you visit. The quickest way to find out is to WhatsApp us and ask what Jack Wolfskin pieces are in right now. If you would rather browse, call into the jacket section of our Nairobi store near Kasarani, Garden Estate and Thome; we are open Monday to Friday 8:30am-6:00pm, Saturday 9:00am-2:00pm, and Sunday by appointment.

When Jack Wolfskin is not in stock, other shells do the same job. Browse our rain jackets category or look at the Regatta waterproof hooded jacket, from a British hillwalking brand. Pair any shell with waterproof rain pants for the Aberdares, where wet grass soaks trousers long before the rain does.

How Do You Care for a Jack Wolfskin Texapore Jacket?

Wash a Texapore jacket gently with a technical cleaner, rinse it well, then restore the water repellency with a reproofing product. Dirt, sunscreen and body oils clog the fabric and stop rain beading, so a clean jacket stays drier as well as fresher.

Close every zip and Velcro tab, then machine-wash on a cool, gentle cycle with no fabric softener, which ruins water repellency. Hang the jacket to dry in the shade rather than on a hot Nairobi rooftop in direct sun. If water stops beading after washing, apply a spray-on or wash-in reproofer, following the product’s instructions. Jack Wolfskin publishes its own rain jacket care guide, and the care label inside your jacket has the final word on temperatures.

Storage matters in our climate too. During the dry months, hang the jacket loosely in a wardrobe instead of leaving it balled up at the bottom of a pack, which creases the membrane and traps damp. Before each rainy season, give it the water-bead test again so you are not finding out on the trail.

Which Months Will a Jack Wolfskin Shell Get the Most Use?

A Jack Wolfskin rain shell gets the most use in Kenya’s long rains (roughly March to May) and short rains (roughly October to December). On high mountains it is worth carrying in every month, because cloud, wind and drizzle can arrive in any season.

Months	Typical conditions	Which layer to carry
January-February	Mostly dry and warm; clear mornings on the big mountains	Light shell in the pack for wind and the odd storm
March-May	Long rains; muddy forest trails, afternoon downpours	Texapore Pro or Core plus rain pants
June-September	Cool and drier; cold, misty mornings in the highlands	Shell over fleece, or a 3-in-1 jacket
October-December	Short rains; storms build from late morning	Texapore Core for day hikes, Pro for multi-day trips

Whenever a rainy season is about to start, a shell is the first thing to sort out before your next weekend hike. For trips up Mt Kenya, our Mt Kenya hiking guide explains how weather changes through each altitude band.

How Does Jack Wolfskin Compare With Other Big Brands?

Jack Wolfskin sits in the practical middle of the big outdoor brands: solid waterproofing and sensible designs, with fewer specialist alpine pieces than some rivals. For Kenyan hiking, the rating on the label matters more than the logo.

When you are choosing between thrifted jackets from different brands, compare like with like. Check the waterproof rating, whether the seams are taped, how the hood adjusts and how the jacket fits over your fleece. A well-kept shell from any respected brand will outlast a neglected one with a famous name. Our posts on The North Face in Nairobi and Columbia hiking gear in Nairobi explain what to look for with those brands, so you can weigh up whichever jacket is on the rail that week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Jack Wolfskin a good brand or just a fashion label?

Jack Wolfskin is a genuine outdoor brand, founded in Germany in 1981, that designs weatherproof jackets, fleeces, packs and shoes for hiking. Many people wear it in cities too, which is why it can look like a fashion label. Its Texapore jackets carry published waterproof ratings of 10,000 mm or 20,000 mm, so check the label to see what a particular jacket is built for.

Can I wear a Jack Wolfskin jacket up Mt Kenya?

A Jack Wolfskin Texapore jacket works well on Mt Kenya as the outer waterproof layer. Choose Texapore Pro if possible for the wet moorland and the windy summit push, and wear it over a fleece and a down or insulated jacket on summit night. On its own, a thin shell is not warm enough near Point Lenana at 4,985 m, where temperatures drop below freezing.

Why are some Jack Wolfskin sizes written as 50 or 52?

Jack Wolfskin is a German brand, and many of its labels show German sizes alongside letters. On the men’s jacket chart, 48 equals S, 50 equals M and 52 equals L, with chest measurements of 96 to 108 cm across those three sizes. Second-hand jackets sometimes carry only the number, so measure your chest and compare before you buy.

My Jack Wolfskin jacket is leaking. Can it be fixed?

A leaking Jack Wolfskin jacket can often be fixed if the cause is a worn water-repellent finish. Wash it with a technical cleaner, then apply a reproofing treatment so rain beads again. Small seam leaks can be sealed with seam sealer. If the inner coating is flaking or peeling, though, the membrane has delaminated, and the jacket will not be fully waterproof again.

Do you sell new Jack Wolfskin jackets in Nairobi?

Jack Wolfskin pieces at our Nairobi shop are mostly quality thrifted items, and which ones we have changes often. WhatsApp us before you travel to Mountain Mall to ask what is in stock. If there is no Jack Wolfskin that week, we can show you other waterproof jackets in your size that do the same job.

Final Thoughts

Read the label before you read the logo. A Jack Wolfskin jacket marked Texapore Core is a dependable shell for rainy day hikes around Nairobi, while Texapore Pro is the one to take into the Aberdares or up Mt Kenya. Fit it over your fleece, check the seams and zips, and keep it clean so it keeps beading.

Sort out your waterproof layer before the next rains arrive, not on the morning of the hike. Ask us on WhatsApp what Jack Wolfskin pieces are in, or come and try a few shells on at Mountain Mall before your next hike.