Hiking in the Rain.

I don’t wear rain gear that much while hiking; I usually get too hot and sweaty in it. However when it gets cold, windy and wet, it is essential. Mostly I wear my rain gear when I get cold or when in town doing laundry. When my hiking clothes are wet, I wear my rain gear to bed. If it is warm out, rain gear will just make you as wet as the rain will. When it’s warm, I hike with just the umbrella and get wet. If it stops raining, I’ll be dry in a bit, if it doesn’t then I take off my wet stuff when I make camp and wear my dry rain gear to bed. In the morning I put on my wet hiking clothes and hike on.

The one ounce hiking rain skirt:Cut the bottom out of at cinch strap garbage bag, put it on and tie around your waist. This hiking rain skirt will keep you dry and offers great ventilation. Just scrunch up your pant legs to the knee so they don’t wick water and put on your hiking skirt. It’s also nice to have on when you want to sit down and take a break but everything is wet. When in camp, if you hang your food, you can use the hiking skirt as a rain cover for your food bag. Just get the regular garbage bags, not the heavy duty contractor’s bags: some of them weigh 5 ounces a piece!

EuroSchirm liteflex swing trekking umbrella, . I like this one because it’s light, durable and doesn’t have any logos on it. You can order it with a silver metallic coating to reflect the sun, providing you with portable shade. It also is made with minimal metal because of lighting. An umbrella offers protection from, wind, rain, snow, sleet, and sun. It is nice to have when standing in a monsoon-like rain storm and you need to look at your map or get something out of your pack. I find life is more pleasant with out rain, snow and hail falling on my head. If it is windy and you are trying to cook dinner it can offer a wind break … I deploy mine in my tent to poof out the back wall more. It weighs 7.80 ounces. They also make a compact one that weighs a little more that would probably be better for International travel. Update: After putting carrying this umbrella for 3200 miles It has a few small holes in it and the silver is wearing off. I thought about just patching it and repainting in with silver paint but I decided to purchase another one. 3200 miles is 2700 more miles than I have ever gotten out of an umbrella. This is a really good umbrella.

Drop stopper rain gear The Jacket weighs 6.35 ounces . It has pockets and a hood and a zip front. It’s cheap; cost twenty dollars for the jacket and pants. A pair of rains pants is nice to have for when you are in town, washing your clothes. Drop Stoppers rain pants weigh 4.30 ounces. The pants could be improved if they had elastic cuffs and a drawstring waist. The way they are they just drag in the mud. But, like I said, they are seldom worn for hiking. Frogg Toggs are slightly heavier, a lot better looking and cost more. The pants have a drawstring waist, elastic cuffs and side zips on them. Update: My Drop Stopers started to disintegrate after about 1500 miles. They also are not very warm.

Pack liner I always line my pack with a plastic bag. A clear one or a white one are the best choices since a black garbage bag will make it hard to hard to find your gear. Even if it isn’t raining at least have your sleeping bag always in the plastic bag in case you fall in a creek or something. The pack liner can be used as a vapor barrier, inside your sleeping bag, if it gets really cold. Again, don’t buy the really heavy trash bags, they can weigh over 5 ounces a piece.