Gear Tip - Rain Gear To this point I have been all over the map on different pieces of gear. Weight, cheap, budget, etc. really is a matter of sliding scale - it takes a lot of years and practice to master that balance. And as I harp and pounbd ad nauseum on the two pieces of gear you should never skimp on - footwear and your pack, many are surprised when I say rain gear is one of those things I am a penny pincher on. There are a few reasons - #1 Buying $400 worth of gortex rain gear and all it takes is one snag on a twig to rip the shell - even REI may turn back a return on that. I like gortex to a degree. While I think it is over hyped on its breathability factor, this makes it over priced. I like it in my boots. Ive yet to find another material that is as light but good at being water proof and long lasting, as gortex. With the right socks and intervals of rests to air out they stay dry from the inside - Now, where gortex lined shells and pants are concerned - I can speak only for me, winter or summer no matter, when I hike I sweat like Kentucky derby race horse. And no amount of breathability will keep dry from the inside which is why every piece of clothing I have down to my underwear is sweat wicking and fast dry. So my rain gear has to have two main functions for me (besides being water tight) - be VERY VERY light and be able to breath enough that my sweat wont utterly drench me. I use frog togs for this. Surprising, the material is pretty durable. It feels very flimsy, but it I have crashed through some thick brush even briars and it has yet to rip. Even if it does, $30 for a rain suit is not something I would shed tears over. It breaths better than gortex for its size. Where gortext has to be lined in a shell, this dri-pore stuff on the frogg toggs does not. It also packs down fairly well and best of all, it dries super fast. So it is a piece of gear that even if I look at a short trip and there seems to be no threat of a down pour, I dont mind carrying the frogg toggs. Just my take on what I use. Oh, it also is decent wind breaker. Warm, though, it will not keep you. But again my rain gear doesnt have to perform that function, I layer. And the frog toggs is the outmost layer for the function of keeping my other layers dry. Again, for me, that is what works. I have done the gortex shells, done ponchos (which frogg toggs do make), even did trashbags (which do work in a pinch but have ZERO breathability). You will need to figure out what works best for you but the most important things are to make sure the seams are sealed. You can have all of the gortex, thinsulate, etc. in the world, but sewed seams leaked. I have seen $600 Patagonia rain jackets $500 marmots, $400 mountain hardwares lined up on racks at REI garage sales and all with the same return reason - It leaked. Look inside and finding sewed seems with no seals. Check your rain gear and make sure all of the seams that are stitched are also sealed. Usually it is specially glued strip that seals off the seams. Also, you can buy seam sealer. Its about a $6 or $7 tube of stuff that you put on, it cures in a couple of hours and you can fold it. It doesnt last forever, but it works well for a bit. Secondly, make sure it is big enough to fit over your layers. You dont need to show off your physique when it rain, your rain gear should be loose fitting. Lets talk about other wet/rain gear items. Ponchos - I used to swear by them because I loved using them to also throw over my pack. Eventually though the noise they produced was too much for me. Meaning you walked and no matter what brushed against any part of the poncho went right up to my ears. Also, my forearms did get wet. I am getting older so I am getting more sensitive. :-) So rain suits work very good for me. I protect the pack of course, even with a poncho, always put a pack cover on it. Just make sure to weather guard the cover and seal off the seams. Gaiters - These are some items people love to death or hate to death. I am an tweener with them. Again, when I sweat, I get sensitive. So the rubbing of the gaiters over my pants can get a bit annoying,. It is a piece of gear I only use when the environment calls for it (tall wet grasses, wet fields, etc.). They do very well for helping keep trail debris out of your boots, but a half gaiter does fine for that. Gaiters take some time to get used to because of the feel they give you around your calves. And again, its one of those things that can rub you raw when the slide. In that case, a pair of knee high silk compression socks or calve sleeves works well for that. Once used to it all, they are worth their weight because during summer rains, a lot of hikers HATE putting on rain pants. Rain wets tops of socks which soak down into the boot. Gaiters will keep your lower legs totally dry. Also, no trail debris at all. And welts from slap backs and briar - no more. Umbrellas - the good old umbrella. For me, a big no. Why? If not for being flimsy in the wind, they add resistance. I want both of my hands on my trekking poles, not fidgeting with an umbrella. Also, it is a parachute. So when you hike and it is raining with wind, you will be adding resistance. So scrap it all together? If you have some space in your outer pockets on your pack and dont mind 6more ounces, get a backpacker umbrealla - they comne in handy for milling around about camp. Sitting down and not having to hunker in your shelter. Sitting by the campfire. Me? I wont carry one. But thats just me. Rainproofing. Boots - a no brainer. Before a backpack outing, you should be cleaning your boots and applying the proper conditioner anyway. Water should never seem to soak on your boats, it should bead up and repel. Contrary to popular believe, leather is permeable. Its skin. It has to be permeable to allow breathability. Use the proper water proofing depending on your material. Other Gear like tens, sleeping bags, etc. Use this conservatively. It does add ounces to your gear. The more surface space you spray this stuff on, the more weight. Ask yourself if you really need it. A good sleeping bag will have a shell that sheds water anyway so you shouldnt need to water proof it. Some do, some dont. Tents - eh. There is too muich surface area, so be conservative where you rain proof it. Really, just like jackets, seal the seams. Maybe proof the bottom part of your tent if it is not mesh. Rain Flys - to me, if your rain fly is crying - get a new one. They arent a huge budget buster but a very important piece of gear. It is equally unpleasant to wake up drenched as it is to walk arounf in fish bowls on your feet. Pack covers - yes. They dont have a lot of surface area and it doesnt hurt to proof them. Jackets - There are arguments that go on in forums about this. I am not a fan of water proofing jackets. If you have gortex, you should be cleaning the jacket properly and conditioning it with the proper fluids that keeps the gortex clean. Spraying a genera; water proof on any jacket pretty much seal it. While helping to shed water, you basically kill breathability. I know I typed a book here and want to close this out about jackets again. Your clothes are another form of shelter. SO I think of them like your tent/hammock. Should be light and functional. Where rain is concerned, the outmost layer is the only one that should be completely water repellent. Dont worry about the other layers for that - i.e. dont waterproof them. I know some argue the single point of failure philosophy here and that is fine. But my philosophies on gear has shifted in recent years to being a minimalist. Gadgets and gear are great, but really if you arent going to use it or dont need it, its just taking up space and adding weight. Redundancy is great in IT and in airplanes, and paddling, etc. But in backpacking, to me, is wasteful of energy. Sure, single points of failure in a minimalists pack and person are all over the place, but the challenge is - make sure those single points are all pretty solid. As I said earlier - it takes many years to master this. I, myself, have a ways to go :-)
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 00:56:01 +0000
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