Well, it has come down to the piddly details. Piddly?, maybe a word, maybe not. So I’m looking for opinions on taking rain pants. I have some, but will I use them? I have gaiters. I’m only inerested in the pants to keep my feet dry, and Oh yeah, I’m SOBO.
Dustin
Fasrsang
(you must be from the south…we all say “piddly” down here!..we made some very simple, lightweight breathable pants that probably were used more for warmth and protection from bugs and wind…nice to layer in camp, too, if it’s cold (which, if you’re sobo in may from maine, you should have ample opportunity to wear long pants)…for rain, we mostly carried umbrellas…what little got damp (shirts and shorts) were synthetics that dried quickly…i don’t think you really need rain pants for rain, if that makes sense…
maw-ee
I was packing for my upcoming trip yesterday and was wondering the exact same thing. On my last long hike I did have rain pants, and over a five-week period I only wore them twice, and the second time was mostly for warmth (it was late October coming down from Mt Rogers in a snow storm). The other time I could have done without.
This time I’m going to carry only a pair of pants and a pair of shorts, both lightweight nylon – not waterproof but quick-drying. But I will be in Virginia so cold won’t likely be an issue for me as it may be for you if you start in Maine, as Maw-ee said.
Enjoy your hike
Christian
SOBO section-hiker
Christian
I section hike in April or September & carry some very lightweight home made si-nylon rain pants. I’ve used them a couple of times in camp when it was chilly and very windy, but never needed them for rain. In fact, usually when in rain it was warm enough that the free shower was most enjoyable – just being careful to not get chilled.
dioko
I think if there is any chance you are going to be hiking in hypothermic conditions, you should have rain pants. They are also useful to wear while
you are washing everything else in the laundromat.
Farsang: rain pants won’t keep your feet dry. If you are hiking for any appreciable amount of time in the rain, your feet are going to get wet. Just
be sure to keep you wet shoes warm at night. It sucks to wake up and have
to stick your feet into two blocks of ice. 
radar
I would say in general, not needed, unless you have some like the above posters said, that are lightweight sil nylon types and take no room or weight. That’s all I carry now, and I use them more for the warmth and laundry than anything else. But it’s funny, as rain pants are inevitably my last decision on any backpack too…
Bluebearee
…well… there’s always a CHANCE for hypothermia…(even in summer!)…these are good posts…and the consensus seems to be, take something that’s lightweight and that will dry quickly…that’s why paw-ee and i also liked running shoes…radar is right…you and your feet are gonna get damp…but shoes (with some mesh) dry quicker…always save back a little something dry down in your pack for when you get into camp…THAT’S when you’ll tend to get chilled…we,ve also made sil-nylon pants, but switched to breathable…i guess it’s really “six-of-one-and-half-a-dozen-of-the-other”, because you get wet either from rain or sweat…i’m stickin’ with the umbrella thing…VERY comfortable hiking!..oh…and i keep meaning to ask…BLUEBEAREE …are you the same bluebearee who leaves blueberry-muffin-magic beside the trail up north?
maw-ee
Maybe if you knew a local you could borrow his silnylon rain pants from last year’s hike; black no less, so you won’t be arrested when that’s all you’re wearing in the laundromat. I’ll e-mail you after Trail Days.
Mango