Walking in the rain

imported
#1

I’m a Californian and spoiled by our (usually) dry hiking weather. How does one stay dry, or at least damp, while hiking in the rain? Ponchos, gore-tex parkas, rain pants? If it’s warm and humid do you just say f— it get soaked? I’ve heard stories of 7 to 10 continuous days of rain while hiking the AT. When that happens, do you keep going or hole up in a motel for a while? My personal wettest experience was 2 full days of hard rain while hiking the Florida Trail in winter. It was almost warm enough that we didn’t care about getting wet. Our single wall tents got pretty soggy the first night and were as wet inside as outside the second night.

bowlegs

#2

Once it warms enough, just get wet in the lightest gear possible. I tried to keep my torso “dry” with raingear, but the sweat just soaks you anyway. Keep the pack’s essentials well covered (sleeping bag in a plastic bag and stuff sack), and let it rain. I’ve had afew hurricanes peter out over me on the AT, and after the first ten minutes you arn’t going to get any more wet anyway. Happy splashing!

fishngame

#3

Agreed. A dry sleeping bag is critical. A plastic bag pack liner works well. Wear as little clothing as possible to stay warm, keep all other clothing dry with the sleeping bag. That often means putting cold wet clothing on in the morning, not fun right away but it’s the best option. Bailing out to town is sometimes an option, but not always, and it’s expensive and boring.

Garlic

#4

Pack an umbrella.

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#5

I used a poncho for the wonderland trail and it doubled as the ground sheet for my tent , nice and cool to.

The Hobo

#6

When it rains and its warm out I hike in just shorts and T-shirt and let the rain give me a free shower. Always keep a dry set of clothes with you and change immediately when you get to camp after drying off to the best of your abilities of course. I actually enjoy hiking occasionaly in the rain as it gives a whole new perpestive of the woods and can be quite beautiful. But a little goes a long way and after several days of being wet I can’t wait to get to town and dry everything out.

Big B

#7

On the AT hiking in the rain is more often uncomfortable in the mind, rather than in body. There are some exceptions, such as, hypothermia, wet feet becoming blistered, and other softened skin getting rubbed raw. We all have find ourselves in uncomfortable situations and, consequently, we change how we do things. We carry more socks, we get a different shelter, we carry a skin lubricant, and so on. I agree that walking in the least amount of clothing to stay comfortable is best practice. Since much of the “hiking season” is during warmer weather this allows for a minimum of clothes to have to be wet. I find I use my raincoat mostly to stay warm out on the trail and to stay dry in town, when walking easily without a pack. Rain is just part of the experience on the AT.

Flash

#8

If its a warm rain…just get wet… You might find this is the only time you get to freshen up:) if it’s a cold rain use the rain gear. When i tru hiked, i just wore shoes with super thin socks (those wick under socks) and super dupper wick EMS running shorts for clothing. They dried out preety quickly. Keeping the gear dry is really all that matters. And, there are plenty of shelters on the trail if you really get hammered.

hoof

#9

Personally, i loved a good rain. After a few days of rain, if I found myself down in the dumps I would just belt out the song “Unwritten” by Natasha bedingfield with my hiking partner. The chorus, “Feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in, no one else no one else…” you get the idea. anyway, it is so true and reminds you that really, this is the only time you’ll ever feel this rain, and only you can ever feel it. And isn’t that fantastic? If it sounds dumb now, so be it. However, please don’t take it for granted while you’re splashing around in the rivers that run down the trail during a nice soaking!

happy hiking!

Poppins

Poppins/Crash Into Things

#10

Being wet for an extended period can get demoralizing, not to mention uncomfortable, even if it isn’t hypothermia weather. The skin-clinging of clothes, the sopping hair, the thigh chafing, and soggy underwear that never dries out. No, just “going wet” is definitely not for everyone, and I suspect many of these go-wet types also likely practice hiking with a vengeance to the nearest shelter to dry out.

Instead, I recommend carrying a lightweight umbrella and a Rain Wrap, made by ULA Equipment. The umbrella will keep you reasonably dry from the waist-up, and the Rain Wrap - basically a “skirt” of sil-nylon - will keep your lower body dry to about the knees. That’s about all the coverage that’s really beneficial; full rain pants tend to be a lot warmer, as well as harder to put on and take off; besides, the lower legs and feet generally tolerate being continually wet quite well (lightweight breathable footwear and wool socks greatly assist in this regard).

Carrying an umbrella is actually no big deal on the AT. The trail corridor is wide and well manicured, so bumping into things with a brolly overhead isn’t too much of a problem. Usually you’re beneath tree cover where the hazards of wind and lightning tend to be reduced. Of course it’s also a good idea to carry an ultralight rain jacket or poncho as a backup, such as when you’re hiking above treeline or when the terrain is especially rough. You can also spread a poncho just over your backpack while hiking beneath an umbrella, for the extra protection it affords your gear.

If you use hiking poles, you can simply stash one of the poles when using the umbrella, then alternate your “umbrella” and “pole” hand throughout the day for comfort.

The GoLite Dome umbrella only weighs about 8 ounces, I believe. That may be 8 ounces of dead weight when not in use, but it can more than redeem itself when needed. Also keep in mind that even the “go wet” types should be carrying some type of rain gear for a colder rain storm, should one occur. A UL umbrella and jacket or poncho, as a system, can still weigh less than the Gore-tex jackets that almost all thru-hikers carried just a few years ago.

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#11

Nothing better to beat the humidity and heat of the mid atlantic states then an all day down pour. I may be the only person in america that enjoyed hurricanes Rita and Katrina.(I didn’t hear of the destruction until later) All pack covers leak. An inner liner made of a trash compactor sack is great. I only replaced it once on my thru. I don’t know about expensive umbrellas, my 2 dollar store umbrellas eventually were turned inside out to stay by the wind. These are good for shade to. You don’t need raingear for rain, you need it for wind. Hiking in light weight raingear is a good way to stay warm later in the season.

spider

#12

Want to read some hiking n the rain horror stories? Check any trailjournal from 2003… The second wettest year recorded… ever… You’ll figure it out, go earn yo rain badge:)

Ridgeunner

#13

I guess it does matter on the weight of your pack. I carried a dri duck rain jacket (modified light weight frogg togg jacket) that is super breathable and wore it only durring the cold rains. If it was a warm rain i didn’t wear anything. The “hiking comfortable person above” probably had a pack that weighed a ton ( that would be 25 pounds or more with food and water)…

hoof

#14

Hiking comfortable person here. Pack weight 12 lbs before food and water, which obviously vary and have nothing to do with the gear system.

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#15

In fact it makes no sense to even raise the point, hoof, if you’re convinced that going wet is the best approach for you. If you think the original poster might benefit from a diversity of opinions, let mine stand and I’ll let yours.

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#16

In a “typical” year, how many days of rain should be expected? 50%? 25%?

bowlegs

#17

You better get use to being wet sometimes, otherwise you ain’t gonna make it. Does not matter what gear you use to stay dry. Eventually you will have to deal with wet cloths and footwear if you are on a long range hike, unless ofcourse you are very, very lucky. Nobody can say what is best, only what is best and preffered by and for themselves.

yuk-yuk

#18

What point is bing raised? The weight issue? Anyone who thru hikes learns hopefully before starting by studying up and most certainly by the end that weight is an issue. Rain gear included. It’s all about whether or not to trade comfort for speed in the end with all gear to include rain gear. I don’t think that is arguable…is it?

hoof

#19

Bowlegs - Averaged out over the years of weather-keeping, maybe 1 day of rain in every 3 days of hiking down South in springtime. 1:4 to 1:6 in summer or early fall as you work north. But that’s just to offer a very very rough idea. Compare that to 1:30 or even 1:60 days on the PCT in California during the summer, and you start to get the idea.

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#20

How many days of rain? Good question. It’s hard to think about that if you’re at the end of a 21-day rainy streak. The next 40 days may be dry, but that doesn’t mean much right then. And does a 15-minute shower count just as much as a hurricane?

Last year, I think I had some rain or snow on less than 50%, but probably more than 25% of my days on trail. Definitely more than the West, but it’s green and lush on the AT and fire isn’t a daily concern.

Garlic