Rain Pants and Down Jacket

imported
#1

I’m working on my clothing list for a mid-July to mid-august thru hike. I’m having a hard time justifying rain pants and a down jacket.

I have my nylon convertible pants that I’ve been wearing forever. They dry incredibly fast and I’ve never been uncomfortable with my pant legs being wet as long as I keep the socks dry. In rain I could even be more inclined just wearing shorts. In cold, I have my thermal base layer and ample leg hair keeping me warm. Rain pants just seem like added weight for minimal comfort?

As for my upper body. I will wear a tshirt most of the time and I have a light weight polyester running jacket that I run in down to 20deg. I do have a rain shell and of course a poncho. I’m generally warm in a shirt and the running jacket, but will also have my thermal base layer. I figure if all those layers can’t keep me warm I’m best making camp until better conditions. Again a down jacket seems like a lot of weight for a little bit of comfort?

Matt

#2

How much water capacity is recommended? I have a 3L platypus. Should I carry an additional pouch for those few dry stretches? If so, how big?

Matt

#3

Ditch the 3L Platypus. Replace it with three 1L Platys and a 1L wide-mouthed plastic bottle (i.e. soda or Gatorade). The smaller Platys stay stored, rolled up, and empty until needed. The wide mouth bottle is easier to fill from many CT water sources.

With all your water in one container, a single hole or accident could cost you your entire water supply.

wandering Bob

#4

Ditch the 3L Platypus. Replace it with three 1L Platys and a 1L wide-mouthed plastic bottle (i.e. soda or Gatorade). The smaller Platys stay stored, rolled up, and empty until needed. The wide mouth bottle is easier to fill from many CT water sources.

With all your water in one container, a single hole or accident could cost you your entire water supply.

wandering Bob

#5

Thanks for the advice. That makes good sense. As far as capacity goes though. Is 3L a good amount?

Any opinion on my original down jacket/rain pants post?

Matt

#6

Depends, Last year I could not carry enough water, up to 7 liters at a time. Very dry year. The previous 2 years I got by with a 2L plus a 1 L Nalgine carrying capacity but rarely carried the full capacity. Usually I only carry 1/2 L of actual H2o, but during dry segments I camel up. Bottom line 3 L capacity is fine but don’t carry 3L unless you have too. This year is shaping up to be a normal water year. This year I will be doing the CT to the Rainbow Trail and finish at the Sand Dunes National Park

DaGha

#7

As DaGha said - “Depends”.

Only you know how much water you need to drink while carrying a pack in a given environment. If in doubt, start with one liter for every three miles between sources and adjust accordingly. Nirvana is to arrive at your next water source with an empty bottle and still feeling comfortable. It rarely works, but that’s the goal.

Does your water treatment plan allow for immediate consumption (i.e. Steripen or filter) or do you have to wait for some period (chemical treatments)? If immediate and there are reliable water sources about, you carry less; if not, you have to carry more. I use Aqua Mira so I keep my one liter wide mouth bottle full of water currently undergoing treatment while my one liter Platy bladder holds previously treated water ready to drink. If needed, at the next water source, I pour from the bottle to fill the Platy, refill and treat the bottle, and hike on.

Don’t fall into the “camel up” trap. It matters not where you carry the water - you stomach or a bottle - you are still carrying it; you just don’t have it on your pack.

Research the reliability of water sources, elevation changes, and weather forecast along the trail you will travel. Factor in your bodily needs and speed of treatment. Carry accordingly.

Personally, I always have at least 4 liters of carrying capacity with me. Except for in camp, I rarely use it all, but it’s there when I do. Empty Platypus bladders are light weight and, take up very little pack space.

Wandering Bob

#8

I’m in the market for a new water treatment system. I’m leaning towards the Sawyer filter with the inline adapter, and iodine tablets in my emergency kit.

I appreciate the water advice as it is certainly a weighty issue. I’m hoping someone can also touch on the jacket/pants question :slight_smile:

Matt

#9

I would ditch the down jacket as it is probably over kill but it all depends on how tolerant you are with cold. In your time frame the chance of extended cold weather is small but your rain gear is important. I never liked wearing rain pants as I found them uncomfortable and too hot but I would recommend carrying a trash bag with the tie straps built in. Cut the bottom out and use it as a rain skirt. It will keep your shorts dry, you cool and keep water from running down your legs into your socks.

Big B

#10

I HIGHLY reccomend you DO NOT rely on checmical filtration for such an extended time. I have emergency aqua mira but rely on filtration if out for more than an overnight.

As to “cameling up:” Carry abit more than you think you will need, know the stretches where you truly have to stock up. I’ve come across 3 people over the years with broken bladders. I carry 2 if not 3 liter bottles and a 2 liter dramadery bag when I know water might be a bit scarce from time to time.

Ditch the Nylon pants and have good, all weather “rain” pants that you may hardly ever use but like so many things gawd help you if you don’t have it when you need it. The small Patagonia type Down “sweaters” are a good thing to have but whatever you do BE PREPARED. I have base layers and fleece pants and top for dayhikes let alone extended time on the trail. However long the odds are you’ll ever need to pull some of that stuff out of your pack only you can decide whether you want to play roulette with your life.

John

#11

Matt,
Check out the Rocky Mountain gear list toward the back of “The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide” by Andrew Skurka.

About the only place on the CT that a water filter comes in handy are from the Cochetopa Hills to the Cochetopa Caldera (cattle country). Otherwise Aqua Mira is fine.

Enjoy your hike!

Bernard

#12

John - You must be responding to “Wandering Bob”'s comment about Aqua Mira. As I mentioned I plan on using the Sawyer filtration system, with iodine or similar product in my emergency kit.

I think you may also be exaggerating a bit when you talk about roulette with my life. Rain pants are purely a comfort item in my eyes. I’m trying to gauge how much that comfort will actually be worth. If they are something “I may not hardly use” then I will certainly not want to waste my money or add to my pack weight.

I like the idea of a garbage bag skirt. I would think that, my poncho, and possibly bringing my short gaiters would be plenty of rain protection. As I said with the down jacket. If things got that miserable I could always set up camp.

Has anyone used a homemade tent footprint as a rain skirt? Just a thought that popped into my head.

Bernard - I will check that list out. Thanks.

and thanks everyone for all the input.

Matt

#13

Sometimes you may want to carry a few extra liters a few extra miles up to a spectacular (dry) camp spot with a view or to put you in range of your next day’s destination.
I often used a plastic wine sack that was free after drinking the 4l or 5l of wine… it seemed to me to be more durable than the ridiculous & expensive platypus that broke on me… the wine sack only broke when I put it down on broken glass beneath the acqueduct pipeline in the PCT mojave ! Of course I always carried a couple light weight but durable plastic bottles that could take the chemicals or be filtered into… sometimes I have carried dirty water in the wine sack & just filtered when I needed it! Layers are usually better than one bulky jacket & if you lose one you still have a few more !

gingerbreadman