Beyond staying indoors, that is…
I’m pretty much convinced there is no such thing as a “breathable waterproof” outer shell, though perhaps there are miracle products out there I haven’t been apprised of. For my money there’s no substitute for an impermeable layer — which, of course, locks in body heat and perspiration and ends up making you as wet on the inside as you’d have been with no protection at all.
I’m leaning closer to getting a cheap waterproof poncho. It lets air in from the sides and keeps water off the places where it concentrates — the head and shoulders. It can also double as a shelter in a pinch. I realize this is not exactly a bolt of insight to those of you who’ve already gone this route, but I like to toss out something for the beginners now and again.
I’d like to hear how the rest of you stay dry when the rains come.
I have a goretex parka and rain pants (got them on sale plus a discount while working at LL Bean). I’m more used to hiking in the northeast where spring rains are not exactly warm, so these layers are quite useful.
Since I haven’t done any long-distance treks that require a tight time schedule, I will often wait out heavy rain in the shelter or in my tent.
Waterproof breathable fabric doesn’t really breathe. It migrates moisture from the high-humidity side to the low-humidity side. You can guess how effective that is when the outside is wet with rainwater. Ventilation is your only hope.
BackpackingLight.com has an excellent article on waterproof-breathable fabric (subscription required).
Event fabric seems to actually breathe a bit, but it is extremely expensive right now ($300 for a jacket).
Ponchos are OK rainwear as long as there isn’t wind. They become a sail if you are hiking along a ridge. They are also a hassle to get on — where is the danged hood and which way is it facing?
Don’t get a plastic poncho. They are either two heavy or too fragile. Instead, get one made of silnylon. Equinox makes one for $50 (also available for $40 as a house-brand Campmor, look for “Ultralite Poncho/Shelter”). If you ever plan to pitch it for shelter, the Integral Designs poncho has more tie-outs for $75. Or sew some tie-outs on your Equinox poncho.
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/accessdetail.cfm/EQ1200
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=9996339
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/accessdetail.cfm/IN1310
Another option is a lightweight rain jacket with plenty of ventilation, like a Marmot Precip, paired with rain pants (which don’t breathe much) or wet legs and gaiters (OK if it isn’t really cold) or a rain wrap (rain skirt).
http://www.ula-equipment.com/rain_wrap.htm
I haven’t tried the rain wrap, but it looks like it would be great, ventilation like a poncho, but without most of the bother.
For this climate, I have a fairly standard waterproof anorak and pants. They do make me sweat though, especially if I have some uphill to do. But my back usually sweats anyway. I only use them if it really starts to downpour. I also have a soft-shell which breaths well and is good for light rain especially in wooded areas where you don’t get direct rainfall, and it’s very good at blocking wind. We also have some lightweight umbrellas that we carry sometimes. I’m sure that would be highly impractical for backpacking though. The most important thing for me is to keep my feet as dry as possible. My boots are waterproof and I condition them twice a year. If it rains hard there is really no such thing as staying totally dry outdoors.
When I was a high-mileage cyclist “back in the day,” we used to say, “Once you’re wet, you’re wet.” In other words, being wet was only a problem when you were concerned that you would get wet. Once you were wet – and as long as you could manage temperature with layers – it was all good.
I’ll occasionally follow this approach while hiking, but not often.
In general, today I go the Gore-Tex (or equivalent) route, though I have various levels of rain protection that I’ll employ in different conditions. It also matters a lot whether I’ll end up back at my warm and dry house at the end of the day or crawling into a bivy sack as the rain continues.
Dan
What Walt said.
Ventilated rain jacket paired with rain pants.
Wide brim waterproof hat.
The only time I’ll use a poncho would be to fit over a backpack during a downpour.
If you walk all day in the rain you will get wet. I have not found a way to stay dry. I am not sure it is possible. As Dan said once your wet your wet. Then you have to deal with it. I have not tried a poncho. Who knows it may work.
I have the same approach as Randy. A light rain jacket and pants for when it starts to come down solidly, but a breathable, water resistant jacket it when it’s just misting or drizzling.
In a downpour, nothing really helps, although a poncho is good to keep the pack dry if you don’t have a pack cover already.
Warm is more important than dry so as long as you’re moving a little water (or a lot for that matter) isn’t going to kill you. I do however put on a well-vented raincoat-sans-hood when it starts to pour just to help keep my sanity. My Tilley LT5 keeps the water off my head.
Duh, wide-brimmed hat, of course. A hood kills the ventilation.
When hiking with a backpack in heavy rain, a poncho-over-backpack setup can pool water behind your neck and dump it unexpectedly. Or just funnel it straight down your neck, though you tend to spot that quickly. I learned that one growing up in Louisiana.
My crazed cycling buddy is now a convert to wool after staying nearly warm in the cold rain on the Paris-Brest-Paris ride.
Some people (i’ve never tried it) have found success with a hiking umbrella.
We had to hike out of Baxter State Park a couple weekends ago in light rain. Temps were supposed to be high 30s, low 40s. Wonderful hypothermia weather.
Some people wore ponchos but were hot. My OR rain hat was wonderful. It kept a lot of rain off me. My Marmot Precip over a light long-sleeve shirt and synthetic T-shirt was the ticket. Since we hiked into the Park in single digit temps, I was wearing snow pants. A bit warm but the side vents helped. I also was wearing plastic boots. Overkill but dry.
I was pretty comfortable the whole trip. We were lucky the rain didn’t get worse.
Generally, the rain hat and waterproof gaiters are my best defense in the rain. The Marmot does well in most rain. Mostly I depend on body heat to keep me from getting soaked. That also requires keeping my layers dry in the pack.
Also, dry socks will come in handy during long hikes.
There is a school of thought that allows the hiker to shed rain gear and hike wet. I’ve gone that route during the warmest months. Again, dry layers are key.
I where this rain hat. It’s water proof nylon so I doubt it really breaths, but it keeps the head and neck dry and doesn’t stick to my face like a hood. To keep the head dry on the inside i just place a breathable layer like a small hand towel and that’s worked for me though I don’t try running in it or anything.
Frogg Toggs are hard to beat for staying cool and dry. If you have never heard of them, here is the site: http://www.froggtoggsraingear.com