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#124141 - 11/21/09 10:51 AM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Jimshaw]
DJ2 Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 1348
Loc: Seattle, WA
I envy you.

I could carry fewer clothes and therefore less weight if I didn't sweat so much. For example, if my non-sweating friend and I stop on a windy ridge top for a lunch break he usually stays with the (dry) clothes he is wearing. I am soaking wet and the evaporative cooling from the wind and, say, 50 degree temps will chill me to the bone in a few minutes if I don't take action. So I either change clothes, add more clothes and/or crawl into a plastic emergency shelter during the stop....depending on how long we will be sitting there.


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#124149 - 11/21/09 05:56 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: DJ2]
Rich_M Offline
member

Registered: 01/04/02
Posts: 165
Loc: Southern Oregon
I went to the Marmot Precip after my TNF Mountain Light started leaking. I got about 7 or 8 years out of the Mt. Light so I figured I got my moneys worth out of it. After about five years my Precip jacket started flaking off near the neck area. The Mountain Light did not breath any better than the Precip. I found an Arc Teryx Theta AR on sale and now use it but do not have enough use with it yet the know how it will work for me. I like the Precip and may get another one but wished there was something out there that really did breathe. This is an interesting thread. Thanks all.

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#124158 - 11/21/09 10:29 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Rich_M]
Jimshaw Offline
member

Registered: 10/22/03
Posts: 3983
Loc: Bend, Oregon
Rich
I bought the original TNF mountain light when they came out - maybe 28 years ago? It gets washed and the water proofing replaced with the wash in stuff about every 5 years. It is still in use as my wife's main rain shell. The zippers and snaps are all original and still work fine as does the goretex shell. I believe I have gotten my moneys worth from it.

The only rain gear I have ever had trouble with was Sierra Design non breathable coated UL (for the time) gear. But then it is advertised as unbreathable - why should it?

Nope - I have never felt the need to return any of my "guaranteed to keep you dry in any conditions" goretex gear. What I have had is delamination problems, both jackets were expensive marmot jackets. They replaced one, but the other is irreplaceable at any price and I live with some small "measles" on the surface, since its a deep winter coat anyway, and it weighs 39 ounces with a full hood. The only even similar coat produced now by marmot would be a 8,000 meter parka.


Edited by Jimshaw (11/21/09 10:30 PM)
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.

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#124217 - 11/22/09 11:39 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Jimshaw]
Rich_M Offline
member

Registered: 01/04/02
Posts: 165
Loc: Southern Oregon
Jim
Thanks for the info on your wife's TNF Mountain Light jacket. Mine has been cleaned and the DWR from Nikwax has been applied on a regular basis (once a year) but it does not seem to work that well anymore. I went out today and got the Nikwax cleaner and DWR and have tried it one more time. I really hope it works because I like the jacket. Time will tell. Thanks again, Rich

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#124220 - 11/23/09 12:39 AM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Jim M]
Wolfeye Offline
member

Registered: 01/11/07
Posts: 413
Loc: Seattle, WA
Originally Posted By Pliny

Have you ever hiked for 4 hours with a pack (at least partly up hill) in pouring down rain?


I think it's safe to say I've hiked for 4 days in the pouring rain. You can put a raincover on your pack, put a garbage bag inside the pack, enclose all small items in ziplocks... eventually your crackers and toilet paper will get mushy anyway. My solution? Just deal with it.

I guess my answer makes me a "B", but I'm not trying to prove my manhood or anything. I just think it's silly when people complain about the weather. Since I've lived down here in WA, I've never seen a road get too washed out to cross, I've never had to dig my car out of the snow, and I've never had to stay indoors because the wind was gusting around 120 mph. The weather here is paradise! (I'm originally from Alaska; lower 48ers don't get my sympathy. :P )

But on a serious note. I don't really have a schedule open enough to only go hiking on the good days. It doesn't help that my job as a hospital worker will put me on call about a week out of every month. I'll hike when I can: If it's sunny, great. If it's cloudy, the sunsets are more colorful. If it rains, there aren't any mosquitoes to worry about. So long as my clothes keep me warm and I avoid trenchfoot, the weather's fine.


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#124223 - 11/23/09 01:07 AM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Jim M]
phat Offline
Moderator

Registered: 06/24/07
Posts: 4107
Loc: Alberta, Canada
Originally Posted By Pliny

Have you ever hiked for 4 hours with a pack (at least partly up hill) in pouring down rain?

Yes, quite a number of times..
Quote:

Did you stay dry (10,20,30....100%?)? What were you wearing? Do you think most of the water was from the outside (rain) or inside (sweat)?

When young and dumb - sweat. I'm now old and dumb, so usually a mix. I sweat a lot when exerting, but stay a fair bit drier with proper ventilation - poncho and windshirt - no goretex.

Quote:

From a strategy stand point you would:
A. Not go hiking if the forecast was 90% chance of rain.
B. Go hiking in spite of a bleak forecast because you are not .....a pantywaist.
C. Change plans to make the hike shorter.


I tend to B, because I don't have the luxury of rescheduling most of the time, and I'm confortable with my wet weather gear. Having said that I've certainly done A and C at various times.

Note that A is sometimes prudent. I bail on hikes walking down exposed mountain ridges if the forcast is that I will be doing it in thunderstorms.
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#124228 - 11/23/09 08:20 AM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Wolfeye]
Boomer Offline
member

Registered: 10/21/09
Posts: 98
Loc: Minnesota,USA
amen
_________________________
Modern civilized man, sated with artificialities and luxury, were wont, when he returns to the primeval mountains, to find among their caves his prehistoric brother, alive and unchanged. -Guido Rey

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#124230 - 11/23/09 09:40 AM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: OregonMouse]
ringtail Offline
member

Registered: 08/22/02
Posts: 2296
Loc: Colorado Rockies
Originally Posted By OregonMouse

Unless the visibility is too low for safe hiking, I'd far rather keep hiking than spend a whole day cooped up in my tent. So would my dog! With careful attention to keeping all my insulating clothing and sleeping bag dry, appropriate layering to avoid sweating when moving or getting chilled when stopped, and using fabrics that don't absorb water, I am a lot more comfortable hiking in nasty weather than sitting around.


It is easier to stay dry vertical than horizontal. You hike slower and the trail is slick, it takes a long time to pitch camp and break camp, but hiking is so much better than hanging around camp in the rain.
_________________________
"In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not."
Yogi Berra

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#124252 - 11/23/09 05:39 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Wolfeye]
Glenn Offline
member

Registered: 03/08/06
Posts: 2617
Loc: Ohio
I agree - it's silly to complain about it. I've never minded the rain walks particularly - it's just that I don't seek them out anymore. Since most of my trips are solo, and there are other things I enjoy equally, I'm blessed with the option of choosing - and at this stage in my life, it's no big deal to swap a rain-filled weekend for a sunny one.

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#124291 - 11/23/09 11:08 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Glenn]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
I have to admit that while I have no problems coping with rain, snow, hail, whatever during a trip, it takes a little more courage than I have to actually start a trip when such weather is going on. However, I missed a couple of good trips this past summer by believing the weather forecasts. Next time, I'm going! I might postpone the trip a day if there's an all-day rain going on when I get to the trailhead, but I'm not going to stay home any more just because the NWS claims it's going to rain!
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

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#124300 - 11/24/09 06:56 AM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: OregonMouse]
Glenn Offline
member

Registered: 03/08/06
Posts: 2617
Loc: Ohio
I definitely wouldn't rely on a long-range forecast, or cancel a week-long trip because of one - more than once, I've shoveled 6 or 8 inches of "no accumulation" off the driveway.

I've never cancelled a trip of more than a weekend because of rain - probably should have said that in one of my earlier posts. It's the short trips - and more reliable forecasts - that get moved around.

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#124313 - 11/24/09 10:35 AM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Jim M]
MrPhotographer06 Offline
member

Registered: 11/13/09
Posts: 75
Loc: Small Town, SC
After a rainy trip, what do you do with your gear when you get home? Do you set your gear up and let it air out so it dosent get stored soaked and molded

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#124317 - 11/24/09 10:49 AM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: MrPhotographer06]
oldranger Offline
member

Registered: 02/23/07
Posts: 1735
Loc: California (southern)
I like to do that after nearly every trip. There is always insensible moisture about, especially if I packed up early in the morning.

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#124318 - 11/24/09 11:28 AM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Jim M]
marla Offline
newbie

Registered: 11/23/09
Posts: 4
Loc: Germany

I wish I could be as adventurous and flexible as most of the users here! But rain is really something I can't stand. I have had to hike in it before, but I do not have positive memories of the experience. It compeltely changes my mood and I am grumpy for the rest of the trip. I don't feel that any amount of rain gear is really enough to protect me or make me forget about the rain

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#124325 - 11/24/09 12:48 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: oldranger]
MrPhotographer06 Offline
member

Registered: 11/13/09
Posts: 75
Loc: Small Town, SC
yeah true, i guess i'll get into the habit

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#124341 - 11/24/09 03:09 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: MrPhotographer06]
Glenn Offline
member

Registered: 03/08/06
Posts: 2617
Loc: Ohio
Likewise, I set mine up after every trip. If you're lucky enough to have a basement or unused portion of a garage, you can set it up and forget about it for 3 or 4 days, so it's good and dry. If you don't, you need to figure out what room to do this in, and how long the parent/spouse/roommate will allow it to clutter up the area.

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#124369 - 11/24/09 09:27 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: oldranger]
Jimshaw Offline
member

Registered: 10/22/03
Posts: 3983
Loc: Bend, Oregon
OR
I hate that insensible moisture, its just so insensitive... crazy

There was an article years ago in backpacker about how to buy all of your gear for $300 or less at Wally's place. grin It started out that some guys were at a TH heading in when it looked like a storm and met a guy hoofing it out to avoid the storm. The premise of the article was - if you only camp in nice weather, why carry expensive gear?

A corollary is - if you have good gear, why not go ahead on into bad weather? confused

The most memorable trips are done in memorable weather. When I lived in San Francisco we would wait for mountain storm warnings and head up just ahead of them. I love camping and cooking (if ya can) in blizzards. Just about anybody can do it in nice weather, what puts yer metal to the test is having to do it under very real dire circumstances. Course I'm a rock climber too and the two concepts are kinda similar.

I want to say that a very long time ago while hearing about people being rescued in the Sierras after big storms, I came to the conclusion that my primary strategy would be to carry and use equipment that would allow me to travel and function in the worst storm that the Sierras could throw at me. I think I have succeeded in that. It also means that when there's no storm, camping is a breeze.

Oh yeah, dry everything out - a drier is nice but hang the tent over a door and turn often, sleeping bags inside out over couch.

Jim YMMV - oh can you say "pit zips"? I do not even take anything without pit zips except my marmot technical tee.


Edited by Jimshaw (11/24/09 10:45 PM)
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.

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#124372 - 11/24/09 10:30 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Jim M]
MrPhotographer06 Offline
member

Registered: 11/13/09
Posts: 75
Loc: Small Town, SC
My grandparents would let me use my room at their house. so i'll start doing that.

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#124379 - 11/25/09 12:13 AM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: OregonMouse]
Howie Offline
member

Registered: 06/02/03
Posts: 481
Loc: Canora, SK, Canada
I will hike in the rain just because it is good practice. I feel it takes me to a different level of skill. I lived in the Queen Charlotte Islands for two years where it rained pretty much every day. After a while a guy didn’t even notice it. We even played tennis in the rain. In July of ‘75 the sun came out once. The communications boys sent a message to Ottawa: “UFO sighted. Big yellow ball in the sky”. They answered “Oh yes. That is the sun. We hear you don’t see much of that”. Back then I didn’t do much hiking. I road motorcycles. Looking back, I would much rather hike in the rain than ride a motorcycle.

Howie

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#124399 - 11/25/09 12:09 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: MrPhotographer06]
sabre11004 Offline
member

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 513
Loc: Tennessee
I have been able to go into the deepest thoughts walking in the rain, and I have walked in the pouring rain too !!! I can go to some far away places when I am walking in the rain... It all just seems so peaceful, walking in the rain I mean. The rain has never bothered me but I can tell you that I have had to "hunker" down under a real quick make-shift shelter for a couple of minutes until the worst of a very bad storm had the chance to blow over, but other than that. I usually do not wear "rain pants" any way, usually just a rain top. I guess I really don't care if my legs get wet unless it is very cold and then I will put on the bottoms...sabrer1004 goodjob
_________________________
The first step that you take will be one of those that get you there 1!!!!!

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#124617 - 12/02/09 11:17 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: sabre11004]
BrianLe Offline
member

Registered: 02/26/07
Posts: 1149
Loc: Washington State, King County
I don't find it difficult to have a day or two of rain on a trip; the tough times are when it rains day after day after day, or at least if the cloud cover remains such that the vegetation stays wet and it's overall wet and cold. Then you start thinking about using body heat in various ways to get things dry (or at least "less wet") and some careful thinking is in order for the backpacker that carries relatively little in the way of gear and spare clothing. It can indeed be a challenge, but hopefully one that's just a challenge in terms of comfort and happiness, and not so much of a safety issue.
_________________________
Brian Lewis
http://postholer.com/brianle

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#125027 - 12/11/09 12:51 PM Re: Rain gear and rain strategy [Re: Jim M]
Berserker Offline
member

Registered: 05/10/04
Posts: 493
Loc: Lynchburg, VA
Originally Posted By Pliny
Anyway, to start with a simple question:
Have you ever hiked for 4 hours with a pack (at least partly up hill) in pouring down rain?

Yes, I've hiked for multiple days in heavy rain.

Originally Posted By Pliny
Did you stay dry (10,20,30....100%?)??

No, I eventually got wet.

Originally Posted By Pliny
What were you wearing??

I've done a Gore Tex Jacket, Marmot Precip Jacket and a sil-nylon poncho. I prefer the poncho in warm weather (generally >50 F) and the precip in colder weather.

Originally Posted By Pliny
Do you think most of the water was from the outside (rain) or inside (sweat)??

The water was coming both from inside and out (sweat and leakage from openings).

Originally Posted By Pliny
From a strategy stand point you would:
A. Not go hiking if the forecast was 90% chance of rain.
B. Go hiking in spite of a bleak forecast because you are not .....a pantywaist.
C. Change plans to make the hike shorter.

I would only consider cancelling a trip if it were going to be longer than 3 days and it was definitely going to rain the entire time.

My main advice would be to make sure you keep everything in your pack dry (i.e. use a pack liner like a trash compactor bag, and a pack cover), keep yourself warm, and carry an "auxiliary" shelter. Whether this be an extra tarp or a tarp/poncho that you wear, it is worth the extra weight to have something to hangout under. This gives you an area to do things like cook in, and you are not relegated to your tent.

The other thing is to just get over the psychological part of being wet. The way I got over it was by doing my training hikes in the rain. I purposely going out when it sucks. After having done this several times, I finally got over it. This also gives me an opportunity to test my rain gear.



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