Not all rain is equal! I have also come down to the grin and bear it method on coastal hiking where temperatures are moderate and vary only 5-10 degrees night and day and it is always and continually misty/humid. A dedicated dry layer for nights and daytime clothes that are easily wrung out. The miserable part is taking off the dry clothes in the morning and putting on the cold wet clothes. Makes you walk fast at first! I do take a wind shirt because the coast is always windy. The wind shirt acts like a wetsuit.

In high altitude mountains, I take rain gear. High altitude temperatures are just too cold to allow all your clothing to get wet. Needed also for wind protection. Storms come up suddenly and you cannot always stop and camp and must at times descend for hours to more sheltered spots and if soaked, you can easily drift into hypothermia in a very short time. My rain gear is pretty simple. I actually use REI kids rain pants because it is made without frills. I am lucky that it fits me. My rain jacket is also very simple, Montbell, and it also doubles as a warmth layer.

I have been experimenting with an umbrella. It also can be used to provide needed shade when you have to walk along a hot, south facing slope of granite without a tree in sight. Jury is out on it yet. If I take the umbrella, it has to be my rain gear, since I will not take it as an extra.

The other method is the "weather forecast" method! Just stay home if rain is forecast. This actually often works in the Sierra in mid to late summer if you are only doing a 2-3 day trip.