Any suggestions on rain gear? I have been looking at everything from Northface to Walmart, need some direction.
Thanks.
JimmyP
JimmyP
Rain Gear - Appalachian Trail
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#3
Most hikers including me find rain gear much too hot to hike in. We generate way too much heat while hiking and rain gear (even to my knowledge the breathable stuff) doesn’t let in enough air so that we can get rid of all the heat we are generating. So many hikers perfer to hike in the rain and get wet.
The best I’ve come up with is a good raincoat to throw over your head and to hike under. This keeps you dry and since you’re not in it, the heat from your body can escape. The raincoat used like this also serves as a pack cover too. Also it can be used to wear in camp and on breaks to keep you warm (hold the heat in).
Anyway just my thoughts on this. Whatever works for you is however best for you. See you out there. :cheers
Maintain
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#6
I agree on some points, raingear, even breathable styles and fabrics, are just too hot to hike in. It works well as a windbreaker in rain, but you will sweat so much you will remain wet anyways.
I now leave my rainpants at home, and wear the jacket (Marmot Precip) only at camp.
If anything, I get more use of my Precip now here in Michigan, it has been raining so much lately.
-xtn
airferret
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#7
The best cheap answer is Frogg Toggs (although I prefer Rainshield’s www.rainshield.com). About $70 for a suit, and about 1 lb.
The expensive answer is Integral Design Event Jacket and Montebell torrent fliers. Jacket is 8 oz medium (my XL is 10 oz) and the torrent fliers are 6 oz medium. Or you could go with the golite Reed pants at 5 oz without ankle zips.
Both these solutions is breath MUCH better than just about anything out there. Amazing different between event or the paper suits and the precips. Precips feel almost unbreathable in comparision.
Gravity
Gravity
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#8
Frogg Toggs worked well for me. I had a Red Ledge thunder light jacket for the first 1200 miles. Cheap, light but not very waterproof! The Precip seems to be most popular among thru-hikers, but most thru-hikers were cursing them in the north.
I would strongly suggest staying away from North Face. Seriouly their gear isn’t needed for the AT or thru-hiking. I wouldn’t want you to throw ur money away.
Realize nothing is completely waterproof and everything will eventually loose wicking ability. Thats why I go cheapest and lightest
A-Train
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#9
Like A-Train says, Frogg Toggs work for many. Their advantage is light weight and cheap. However, they do tear easily. Conventional wisdom is to bring along duct tape.
For me, Frogg Toggs pants are the only long pants I backpack with in warm weather. And, that assumes that I’m staying on the trails. If I am doing any off trail hiking, then I bring along a sturdier pair of pants.
Likewise, I carry the Marmot PreCip for a rain jacket. Red Ledge is a good alternate for the PreCip.
Peaks
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#10
The new way ultralite way they do it in Europe is bring both now. A coated rain suit. And a wind suit. They say it saves weight. But they got silny all over Europe. Something is fishy.
hikerdude
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#12
I didn’t carry or need to use raingear from Hotsprings to Glencliff. It was simply to warm during June, July, August to warrant its use. Just always make sure you have a dry change of clothes.
Rowboat
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#13
Chose your posion, wet from the rain or wet from sweat. Save your money and buy a decent windbreaker for the time you spend in a shelter or in your tent AFTER your hike (Plus you can use it for your pillow) Rain gear is for people who stand out in the rain but don’t move around very much. If you hike in it you will become wet through sweat. But these are just my thoughts
SweetAss 03
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#14
Frogg Toggs - lightweight, waterproof and windproof. Nothing is “beathable” if worn when hiking. I very seldom wore anything (maybe during a hellacious rainstorm) while hiking but these things played double duty in the cold as an outer layer. Jacket goes everywhere. Durability – with a bit of attention to detail they’ll last a long time to come. Do need to be careful around campfires though – they are paper. Aloha!
Aloha!
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#15
I like Frogg Toggs… I put 3,500 miles on mine. Had to ditch the jacket after this year because it was too worn… I am still using the pants. Nothing really works as the companies would have you believe. They simply aren’t built for the abuse of 2,100 miles…
Aswah in Red Rock Country
aswah
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#16
In line with everyone else, Frogg Toggs work great! Rain is less of a concern in warm weather but being wet in cold weather is a bad idea. Mine are hunter orange so I don’t get shot by some drunk guy with an itchy finger. :lol
Prospector
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#17
I don’t like to be disagreeable, but I have to disagree strongly with two posters above who seem to advise carrying NO raingear for large sections of the trail. I consider this DANGEROUS advice.
(Perhaps I’m misinterpreting. Neither of these guys is being at all “pushy”, and I’m not trying to provoke a debate or attack anyone here.)
Hypothermia is one of the few things that can actually kill you on the Appalachian Trail. Yes, most summer days in the Appalachians are warm enough that getting rained on feels good. But over the course of the summer, you’re not unlikely to run into a nasty combination of moderate cold (40F, say) and rain-- maybe with some wind mixed in. In these conditions, you’ve got limited survival time if you can’t keep somewhat dry. If you happen to slip on that muddy trail-- or if you run into someone else who needs help-- you’re pretty much hosed. Alternatively, if you “bonk” because you don’t stop to eat a snack in the cold rain, then you’ll rapidly lose the ability to generate body heat through exercise-- again, you’re toast.
If you’re really concerned about money, make a trash-bag poncho. There are also some 5-6 oz silnylon jackets on the market (Dancing Light, Equinox). And both Frogg Toggs and the O2 Rainshield work well (but tear easily). In any case, upper-body rain protection is potentially a life-saver.
Eric
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#20
When ya walking summer or winter? That may make a diffrance on how people answer the ? Sometimes aroung DEC- FEB near Springer it may be 10-20 and raining like Pe out a bucket…
Joel