I have 4 solutions to rain that I use, depending on the time of year. I mostly hike in the South, and rain gear is very regionally dependent. This stuff might not work for you, and it won’t work for anything but hiking.
>umbrella (Euroschirm, I think it’s a Light Flex)
This is my main solution. It’s 100% waterproof and 100% breathable. Inb4 wind. We get most of our rain during warm weather, and it doesn’t cool off, so extra layers aren’t a good solution most of the time. And the rain falls straight down (it’s the nature of summer showers here).
>umbrella paired with a light jacket (Arctyrex Squamish)
In the spring, we can get rain showers that are part of frontal systems. The temps are already lower but may drop with rain.
>Cedar Tree Packa
It’s like a fitted poncho. This is a spring time solution when temps are lower and the umbrella and jacket aren’t enough. It’s also better in the wind. Lots of advantages over a traditional poncho. This is what I take when I go on destination hikes as well.
>Marmot hard shell w/ DIY rain chaps that my mom made for me
Winter is our dry season so this hasn’t seen much use, though I have used it on a few trips (twice in GSMNP and once around bf Mt. Hood in Oregon). It works just as a jacket in the dead of “winter” here, and those other trips would have been cancelled without it. I think the importance of rain shells are pretty over stated though. Most of the year is just too warm, even outside of the South.
I too have the Light Flex, it's a good one. My second one actually, forgot one innawoods.
I escalate to a regular tarp pocho, if it's cold i add the chaps.
Because conditions vary from place to place and season to season there’s no magic bullet. Most people are morons so the market matches the demand. It’s why you see rain pants instead of rain chaps, “waterproof breathable,” and people wearing full on shell jackets when it’s only like 60°.
Shug has a great video review of the Packa I mentioned above. It would probably cover like 90% of peoples hikes. It has the breathability benefits of a poncho while not being susceptible to wind. It also eliminates some of the extraneous material by being more fitted around a person and their pack (instead of just a rectangular piece of fabric), and has actual sleeves.
almost all hiking pants are objectively useless. i know some people like them, but you don't actually need them for hiking. bushcraft or hacking blackberry bushes with a machete sure, pants are worth it when abrasion resistance is needed but not for hiking. the only thing you actually need for 95% of 3 season weather is a pair of thin nylon shorts (almost all weather) and a pair of thin nylon wind pants (sun/bug protection, light rain protection.) maybe a fanny if its not enough pockets. >rain skirt, tarp skirt, packa, poncho w/ strap, poncho tarp, etc ALL superior to pants until deep winter negative temperatures >you can just let your legs get wet its not uncomfortable above freezing if you have enough body insulation
waterproof pants are only good for stuff like outdoor construction, motorcraft, fixed bushcraft things like that.
i live and mostly hike in cold, wet climates.
Wool + windbreaker for high intensity or ww2 rubberised poncho for low intensity. Anything that claims to be both waterproof AND breathable is a massive consumer meme. Goretex doesn’t work once your DWR fails.
there's a bunch of different kinds of frog toggs, they do that same rain jacket in 5 or 6 different fabrics from what i can tell. they have a rubbery set thats pretty much indestructible, except its clammy as frick. that one's great for almost everything except hiking, i leave a set in all my vehicles.
frog toggs vs hardshell decision, if you have both, usually comes down to "is it probably going to be in the backpack the whole time or am i going to be slogging through brush in the rain?" the toggs are a lot lighter and good for short trips.
Unironically the best jacket for higher temp waking as Goretex, Pertex and many others do not breef with similar exterior temps as the interior of the jacket. >t. Guy who worked for MacPac, Kathmandu and Pally Padin for a bit…
It is expensive though, but they do ship internationally.
$$$ hardshells, $$ rain shells, $ emergency rain gear.
hardshells and rain shells work just as good but hardshells are generally more abrasion resistant and last longer. rain shell membranes tend to tear after a while and the dwr doesn't last as long on the shoulders.
hardshells = whatevers good that i find at rei sales or used, hardshells are overpriced
rain shells = marmot precip or something like that
emergency = frog toggs ul2 suit or poncho
waterproof pants and shoes aren't really needed 3 seasons outside of some specific situations. a lot of people just opt to wear shoes and shorts that don't hold a lot of water, just worry about drying out easily. depends on the situation i guess but you don't really need full rain gear except winter sometimes, most of the time.
random tips:
if you use a poncho make a belt out of webbing for it and make it a length where you can wear it around your waist, or around your waist + pack.
umbrellas own, and if you're in bug country/season you can hang a body length bug net off of it (bug condom.) their limitation is obviously winds.
wash your stuff regularly and store it hanging it will make the dwr last longer. re-apply dwr when it wets out.
& i think taobao arcteryx hardshell reps might be pretty 1:1 i haven't tested it long term though. i paid like 60bux.
pmuch any shoe can be made waterproof with neoprene socks (works ok, breathes) or the bread bag trick (works great, clammy, self explanatory)
shit that sucks >ultralight rain gear
i don't like it. if you don't really need rain gear just bring frog toggs. if you need rain gear bring rain gear.
at least when it comes to jackets and ponchos. some ultralight pants are pretty good if you don't need abrasion resistance though. >rain gear that doesn't breathe
if you have sweat condensation its just as unpleasant >most waterproof footwear
unless you really need it, it sucks, and most of it out there on the market sucks
also after typing 2000 characters about rain gear i'll tell you probably for 85% of trips for most people, all you really need is a frog toggs jacket or a frog toggs poncho with a belt. only problem they have is long term durability, de-laminating in very heavy winds, and abrasion resistance. i maybe wouldn't thru hike in them but they're just fine for section hikes.
I have a Simms jacket that has been awesome for fishing in the rain. Combine that with some bibs and boots and you're damn near impervious to weather. Also hiking in bibs with just boxers underneath feels fricking fantastic.
Frog Toggs
I have 4 solutions to rain that I use, depending on the time of year. I mostly hike in the South, and rain gear is very regionally dependent. This stuff might not work for you, and it won’t work for anything but hiking.
>umbrella (Euroschirm, I think it’s a Light Flex)
This is my main solution. It’s 100% waterproof and 100% breathable. Inb4 wind. We get most of our rain during warm weather, and it doesn’t cool off, so extra layers aren’t a good solution most of the time. And the rain falls straight down (it’s the nature of summer showers here).
>umbrella paired with a light jacket (Arctyrex Squamish)
In the spring, we can get rain showers that are part of frontal systems. The temps are already lower but may drop with rain.
>Cedar Tree Packa
It’s like a fitted poncho. This is a spring time solution when temps are lower and the umbrella and jacket aren’t enough. It’s also better in the wind. Lots of advantages over a traditional poncho. This is what I take when I go on destination hikes as well.
>Marmot hard shell w/ DIY rain chaps that my mom made for me
Winter is our dry season so this hasn’t seen much use, though I have used it on a few trips (twice in GSMNP and once around bf Mt. Hood in Oregon). It works just as a jacket in the dead of “winter” here, and those other trips would have been cancelled without it. I think the importance of rain shells are pretty over stated though. Most of the year is just too warm, even outside of the South.
No.
>doesn't listen to manufacturers
>buys them to small
>rips
>how could they do this?
Yeah ok
Frogtroggs is chinaman bullshit. My buddy bought a rainjacket and it was paper thin and not breathable at all. I'd rather just get wet.
I too have the Light Flex, it's a good one. My second one actually, forgot one innawoods.
I escalate to a regular tarp pocho, if it's cold i add the chaps.
I have a TNF Goretex shell for innacity.
+ some comfy rubber boots
rain jacket/coat and pants
Because conditions vary from place to place and season to season there’s no magic bullet. Most people are morons so the market matches the demand. It’s why you see rain pants instead of rain chaps, “waterproof breathable,” and people wearing full on shell jackets when it’s only like 60°.
Shug has a great video review of the Packa I mentioned above. It would probably cover like 90% of peoples hikes. It has the breathability benefits of a poncho while not being susceptible to wind. It also eliminates some of the extraneous material by being more fitted around a person and their pack (instead of just a rectangular piece of fabric), and has actual sleeves.
Have fun hiking around in your assess chaps I’d rather not look like a gay lmao
Your opinion is feminine, as it places form over function. You’ve probably never even seen a pair of rain chaps.
>Your opinion is feminine, as it places form over function
moron
>i want to look fabulous in the woods, it's important to me
almost all hiking pants are objectively useless. i know some people like them, but you don't actually need them for hiking. bushcraft or hacking blackberry bushes with a machete sure, pants are worth it when abrasion resistance is needed but not for hiking. the only thing you actually need for 95% of 3 season weather is a pair of thin nylon shorts (almost all weather) and a pair of thin nylon wind pants (sun/bug protection, light rain protection.) maybe a fanny if its not enough pockets.
>rain skirt, tarp skirt, packa, poncho w/ strap, poncho tarp, etc ALL superior to pants until deep winter negative temperatures
>you can just let your legs get wet its not uncomfortable above freezing if you have enough body insulation
waterproof pants are only good for stuff like outdoor construction, motorcraft, fixed bushcraft things like that.
i live and mostly hike in cold, wet climates.
umbrella
Getting used to and having some head cover
rain coat, rain trousers, rain boots
I just wear canvas pants and a canvas jacket, one they get soaked they seal in all your body heat. Dry off with a towel before hopping into your bag
Ol Billy Pete roun down Spriggin Creek over here. Do you have a pipe and a tinder kit too?
>get wet
>put on coat
So what kinda coat? An emergency blanket?
Stop being a b***h. Just get wet. If it’s cold you put on a coat and it covers the rain
I eat the rain. You should too.
Wool + windbreaker for high intensity or ww2 rubberised poncho for low intensity. Anything that claims to be both waterproof AND breathable is a massive consumer meme. Goretex doesn’t work once your DWR fails.
These answers are cancer and anyone listening to them deserves hypothermia.
Froggies are pretty sweet. I like using the thinnest one as a rain jacket whenever I’m riding my dirtbike in the rain, keeps me dry just fine
They’re basically disposable, but because they’re cheap and readily available (Walmart) everyone knows about them. Scroll up and get what you pay for.
there's a bunch of different kinds of frog toggs, they do that same rain jacket in 5 or 6 different fabrics from what i can tell. they have a rubbery set thats pretty much indestructible, except its clammy as frick. that one's great for almost everything except hiking, i leave a set in all my vehicles.
frog toggs vs hardshell decision, if you have both, usually comes down to "is it probably going to be in the backpack the whole time or am i going to be slogging through brush in the rain?" the toggs are a lot lighter and good for short trips.
uhhhh I'm cooold omg i'm such a pussy gayboy
read wild sports in the far west gayboy
Weak bait. Go outside.
my tarp as a poncho. for my feet and sleeves just let them get wet
Never found a solution that was breathable enough. Might try an umbrella.
goretex will destroy your sperm and testosterone
https://www.mont.com.au/collections/rainwear/products/supersonic-jacket-men
Unironically the best jacket for higher temp waking as Goretex, Pertex and many others do not breef with similar exterior temps as the interior of the jacket.
>t. Guy who worked for MacPac, Kathmandu and Pally Padin for a bit…
It is expensive though, but they do ship internationally.
$$$ hardshells, $$ rain shells, $ emergency rain gear.
hardshells and rain shells work just as good but hardshells are generally more abrasion resistant and last longer. rain shell membranes tend to tear after a while and the dwr doesn't last as long on the shoulders.
hardshells = whatevers good that i find at rei sales or used, hardshells are overpriced
rain shells = marmot precip or something like that
emergency = frog toggs ul2 suit or poncho
waterproof pants and shoes aren't really needed 3 seasons outside of some specific situations. a lot of people just opt to wear shoes and shorts that don't hold a lot of water, just worry about drying out easily. depends on the situation i guess but you don't really need full rain gear except winter sometimes, most of the time.
random tips:
if you use a poncho make a belt out of webbing for it and make it a length where you can wear it around your waist, or around your waist + pack.
umbrellas own, and if you're in bug country/season you can hang a body length bug net off of it (bug condom.) their limitation is obviously winds.
wash your stuff regularly and store it hanging it will make the dwr last longer. re-apply dwr when it wets out.
& i think taobao arcteryx hardshell reps might be pretty 1:1 i haven't tested it long term though. i paid like 60bux.
pmuch any shoe can be made waterproof with neoprene socks (works ok, breathes) or the bread bag trick (works great, clammy, self explanatory)
shit that sucks
>ultralight rain gear
i don't like it. if you don't really need rain gear just bring frog toggs. if you need rain gear bring rain gear.
at least when it comes to jackets and ponchos. some ultralight pants are pretty good if you don't need abrasion resistance though.
>rain gear that doesn't breathe
if you have sweat condensation its just as unpleasant
>most waterproof footwear
unless you really need it, it sucks, and most of it out there on the market sucks
Hard shells are for winter only. Otherwise you’re just sweating.
also after typing 2000 characters about rain gear i'll tell you probably for 85% of trips for most people, all you really need is a frog toggs jacket or a frog toggs poncho with a belt. only problem they have is long term durability, de-laminating in very heavy winds, and abrasion resistance. i maybe wouldn't thru hike in them but they're just fine for section hikes.
I have a Simms jacket that has been awesome for fishing in the rain. Combine that with some bibs and boots and you're damn near impervious to weather. Also hiking in bibs with just boxers underneath feels fricking fantastic.
four walls and a roof
thin oversized outer garment made of cotton, nylon or whatever the frick you want + https://youtu.be/z_R0gEDZhAI
Deserts.
climate change™
Beyond A6 Reinforced top and bottom in Multicam.
https://usgiindustries.com/products/usgi-industries-military-spec-poncho-emergency-tent-shelter-multi-use-rip-stop-camo-survival-rain-poncho
goretex has chemicals that make you infertile and lowers your testosterone
just get wet, what are you a sissy?
Motorbike gear, if it'll keep you dry at 100kms/h in rain it'll keep you dry anywhere
Great when you're sat still. Awful to walk around in because they make it to be cheap, heavy, and warm.
I wear my out waterproofs on the motorbike
Nah it's lightweight over suit no liner or padding
Scuba dry suit, if it'll keep you dry at 50 feet under the sea it'll keep you dry anywhere