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Hiking in rain/storms

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    • Hiking in rain/storms

      If the long range forecast holds steady, looks like I'll get acquainted to hiking in storms very quickly. Random tips about hiking/camping in the rain and storms?

      Pack is lined with a trash compactor bag. I also have a rain cover. Food in waterproof stuff sack and clothes in gallon ziplocs. Most items in ziploc bags or cuban fiber sacks. Sleeping bag in bottom of pack.

      My rain jacket sucks. :( It's an O2, but there are no vents and it's miserably hot.
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • I try to wear as little clothing as possible when it's raining. I'll hike without a rain jacket just wearing a t-shirt until I get cold enough to put the jacket on to warm up. I'm fairly comfortable hiking in the rain during the warmer months without rain gear on. You keep cool, get a bath and wash your clothing all at the same time.
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • twistwrist wrote:

      If the long range forecast holds steady, looks like I'll get acquainted to hiking in storms very quickly. Random tips about hiking/camping in the rain and storms?

      Pack is lined with a trash compactor bag. I also have a rain cover. Food in waterproof stuff sack and clothes in gallon ziplocs. Most items in ziploc bags or cuban fiber sacks. Sleeping bag in bottom of pack.

      My rain jacket sucks. :( It's an O2, but there are no vents and it's miserably hot.
      Suck it up and keep walking 'til it stops. Under no circumstances let your sleeping bag get wet, it's your refuge from the storm. If you've been hiking all day in rain and cold you want that bag to crawl into at night and get warmed.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Keep your geese (sleeping bag) dry at all costs and you'll be fine. If it's warm and raining, I'll often hike without a jacket much like Rasty said. Or I will just wear the jacket with everthing unzipped, which doesn't sound like an option for you, but is a nice way of doing things.

      Rain is also great if you like solitude since a lot of people are convinced that they will melt if they hike when it's raining. There are a few very popular day hiking trails in my area that I will only go to if it is raining, most of the times I have the place to myself!
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    • All rainwear sucks. Your waterproofs are really more for wind protection than for rain protection. In summer, you do better just getting wet. You will, anyway, but if you put on your waterproofs, you'll get overheated doing it. (Winter is another story - winter hiking is all about moisture management - but you're not going in winter.)

      Figure out a way to carry a wet tent on the outside of your pack. (Failing that, put it outside the compactor bag.)

      Dont bother with those Ziplocs for the clothes. When you stuff clothes tightly like that, it's like packing rocks in your pack. It's easier to stuff the clothes in around things. And what else do you have in Ziplocs? Except for freezer bag cooking and food storage, the only Ziploc I carry is the one bag that serves me for a map case (map, protractor/map measurer, guidebook pages if I'm carrying them, notebook, pencil).

      The pack cover + liner really works well. I've found myself unexpectedly swimming at least once and not had any gear inside the pack come to grief.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      Dont bother with those Ziplocs for the clothes. When you stuff clothes tightly like that, it's like packing rocks in your pack. It's easier to stuff the clothes in around things. And what else do you have in Ziplocs? Except for freezer bag cooking and food storage, the only Ziploc I carry is the one bag that serves me for a map case (map, protractor/map measurer, guidebook pages if I'm carrying them, notebook, pencil).
      But what about staying organized? :P ;)

      socks wrote:

      I stick my arms out of the pit zips. So basically I'm wear a rain vest.
      I don't have pit zips. Dammit. I wish I did.

      I like the idea of embracing the rain and walking in simply a tshirt and shorts. At this point in my life, I've always enjoyed walking in the rain. I imagine after days of it at a time, that will change pretty quickly. lol
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      All rainwear sucks. Your waterproofs are really more for wind protection than for rain protection. In summer, you do better just getting wet. You will, anyway, but if you put on your waterproofs, you'll get overheated doing it. (Winter is another story - winter hiking is all about moisture management - but you're not going in winter.)

      Figure out a way to carry a wet tent on the outside of your pack. (Failing that, put it outside the compactor bag.)

      Dont bother with those Ziplocs for the clothes. When you stuff clothes tightly like that, it's like packing rocks in your pack. It's easier to stuff the clothes in around things. And what else do you have in Ziplocs? Except for freezer bag cooking and food storage, the only Ziploc I carry is the one bag that serves me for a map case (map, protractor/map measurer, guidebook pages if I'm carrying them, notebook, pencil).

      The pack cover + liner really works well. I've found myself unexpectedly swimming at least once and not had any gear inside the pack come to grief.
      I'll have to disagree with that. I have a $200 North Face, $169 Cabelas Goretex, $19.95 Academy jackets...guess which one I love and always take, even for just a walk around the block in the rain.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • It's liberating to hike in rain and not care if you are wet.

      In the summer, I don't hike in my rain jacket because it's too hot and humid. Putting on wet clothes in the morning is uncomfortable but your body heat quickly warms them up. Mountain Mike says to put your wet clothes under your sleeping pad at night and they will dry some over night so that's what I do. I tried hanging them in a shelter once and they were still sopping wet and freezing the next morning.

      I don't like ball caps but always take one to keep the water off my glasses.

      I get very cold after hiking in rain, even in summer. I take off every piece of clothing and put on dry stuff as soon as I can. If it's raining, I put my tent up first. I use Ziploc bags because I'm super paranoid about my dry stuff getting wet.

      I've hiked in lightning storms a few times and was scared sh**less but I kept going because I just wanted to reach my destination. Someone posted a good video about what to do in lightning...I'll try to find it.

      When it stops raining and the sun comes out, use your breaks to spread your tent on the ground to dry. Take your socks off and slide them over your hiking poles.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • twistwrist wrote:

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      Dont bother with those Ziplocs for the clothes. When you stuff clothes tightly like that, it's like packing rocks in your pack. It's easier to stuff the clothes in around things. And what else do you have in Ziplocs? Except for freezer bag cooking and food storage, the only Ziploc I carry is the one bag that serves me for a map case (map, protractor/map measurer, guidebook pages if I'm carrying them, notebook, pencil).
      But what about staying organized? :P ;)

      socks wrote:

      I stick my arms out of the pit zips. So basically I'm wear a rain vest.
      I don't have pit zips. Dammit. I wish I did.
      I like the idea of embracing the rain and walking in simply a tshirt and shorts. At this point in my life, I've always enjoyed walking in the rain. I imagine after days of it at a time, that will change pretty quickly. lol
      If I'm not organized I leave gear on the trail. I normally have 4-5 dry bags I put everything into and I pack the same way every time, this keeps me from losing stuff. Dry bag for bag, jacket, food, extra clothes, and one for small items like light, TP, etc...and one very small one for my phone. Each dry bag goes in the same place each time I pack my pack.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Drybones wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      Dont bother with those Ziplocs for the clothes. When you stuff clothes tightly like that, it's like packing rocks in your pack. It's easier to stuff the clothes in around things. And what else do you have in Ziplocs? Except for freezer bag cooking and food storage, the only Ziploc I carry is the one bag that serves me for a map case (map, protractor/map measurer, guidebook pages if I'm carrying them, notebook, pencil).
      But what about staying organized? :P ;)

      socks wrote:

      I stick my arms out of the pit zips. So basically I'm wear a rain vest.
      I don't have pit zips. Dammit. I wish I did.I like the idea of embracing the rain and walking in simply a tshirt and shorts. At this point in my life, I've always enjoyed walking in the rain. I imagine after days of it at a time, that will change pretty quickly. lol
      If I'm not organized I leave gear on the trail. I normally have 4-5 dry bags I put everything into and I pack the same way every time, this keeps me from losing stuff. Dry bag for bag, jacket, food, extra clothes, and one for small items like light, TP, etc...and one very small one for my phone. Each dry bag goes in the same place each time I pack my pack.
      One other thing, one of the main reasons I take a ground cloth is to put stuff on while packing and unpacking...I started this after leaving my tent stakes in the leaves once.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Drybones wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      Dont bother with those Ziplocs for the clothes. When you stuff clothes tightly like that, it's like packing rocks in your pack. It's easier to stuff the clothes in around things. And what else do you have in Ziplocs? Except for freezer bag cooking and food storage, the only Ziploc I carry is the one bag that serves me for a map case (map, protractor/map measurer, guidebook pages if I'm carrying them, notebook, pencil).
      But what about staying organized? :P ;)

      socks wrote:

      I stick my arms out of the pit zips. So basically I'm wear a rain vest.
      I don't have pit zips. Dammit. I wish I did.I like the idea of embracing the rain and walking in simply a tshirt and shorts. At this point in my life, I've always enjoyed walking in the rain. I imagine after days of it at a time, that will change pretty quickly. lol
      If I'm not organized I leave gear on the trail. I normally have 4-5 dry bags I put everything into and I pack the same way every time, this keeps me from losing stuff. Dry bag for bag, jacket, food, extra clothes, and one for small items like light, TP, etc...and one very small one for my phone. Each dry bag goes in the same place each time I pack my pack.

      I do the exact same thing and love it. I can blindly reach into my pack and pick out an exact bag/item. It's how I roll.

      Drybones wrote:

      Drybones wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      Dont bother with those Ziplocs for the clothes. When you stuff clothes tightly like that, it's like packing rocks in your pack. It's easier to stuff the clothes in around things. And what else do you have in Ziplocs? Except for freezer bag cooking and food storage, the only Ziploc I carry is the one bag that serves me for a map case (map, protractor/map measurer, guidebook pages if I'm carrying them, notebook, pencil).
      But what about staying organized? :P ;)

      socks wrote:

      I stick my arms out of the pit zips. So basically I'm wear a rain vest.
      I don't have pit zips. Dammit. I wish I did.I like the idea of embracing the rain and walking in simply a tshirt and shorts. At this point in my life, I've always enjoyed walking in the rain. I imagine after days of it at a time, that will change pretty quickly. lol
      If I'm not organized I leave gear on the trail. I normally have 4-5 dry bags I put everything into and I pack the same way every time, this keeps me from losing stuff. Dry bag for bag, jacket, food, extra clothes, and one for small items like light, TP, etc...and one very small one for my phone. Each dry bag goes in the same place each time I pack my pack.
      One other thing, one of the main reasons I take a ground cloth is to put stuff on while packing and unpacking...I started this after leaving my tent stakes in the leaves once.
      Good point. There's a lot "at stake" in forgetting your tent stakes. ;)
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • keep your sleeping clothes in the trash bag or liner with your sleeping bag. Good luck twisty! Keep an eye on the water. I typically drink a liter every 5 miles if hot I drink more. The marginal springs are running dry but there have been a few showers. We should hit Connecticut later this weekend
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • twistwrist wrote:

      How many liters are you carrying at a time?

      I was planning 2 liters plus a qt of gatorade.
      that depends on your water sources.2 liters is normally more than enough, but in summer a third is sometimes necessary. if you're using awol, any water sources marked intermittent are gonna be dry. but there'll be days you find water every few miles. and remember to hydrate well in the morning, especially on hot days.
      its all good

    • If you have a knife (or even better - scissors), you can have pit zips ;)

      Packing and unpacking in the rain sucks. Sitting in the rain sucks. So hiking in the rain seems to be the default choice.

      However on my first day out last summer, I slipped on a wet rock in the rain and took a good stumble. Elbow landed on a rock and took most of the force. First thought = I was really mad at myself. Second thought = was there anyone around to see me fall (lest I get an unfortunate trail name). Third thought = Is my pack OK? Fourth thought = am I OK? I got up, elbow a bit sore, but otherwise everything seemed ok, so I kept walking. In a bit the rain let up so I stopped to take off my jacket. My arm and the inside of my rain jacket sleeve was a bloody mess as I had a nice gash on my elbow. The interesting thing was the jacket was not ripped or damaged at all, which was nice as the wound got no dirt in it. Since then I've been a lot more careful where I plant my feet in the rain.

    • hikerboy wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      How many liters are you carrying at a time?

      I was planning 2 liters plus a qt of gatorade.
      that depends on your water sources.2 liters is normally more than enough, but in summer a third is sometimes necessary. if you're using awol, any water sources marked intermittent are gonna be dry. but there'll be days you find water every few miles. and remember to hydrate well in the morning, especially on hot days.
      In some areas a trail will follow a long ridge for miles and miles. I've been known in that sort of terrain to carry even a fourth litre in order to postpone the inevitable climb down a side trail to a water source. I'd rather carry an extra couple of pounds of water for a few hours than lose a thousand feet of elevation.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • Like Max Patch said we hiked in a bad drought in 88 & even then I normally got by with two liters. But at that time I was well into my hike & well seasoned. You will soon find out whqt you need but I normally plan aliter for 5 miles & adjust depending on weather.

      hikers are always willing to share water info when it get scarce, so ask Sobos about it. Many places on the trail 1 liter is enough. YOU WILL LEARN SOOM.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Mountain-Mike ().

    • odd man out wrote:

      If you have a knife (or even better - scissors), you can have pit zips ;-)

      Packing and unpacking in the rain sucks. Sitting in the rain sucks. So hiking in the rain seems to be the default choice.

      However on my first day out last summer, I slipped on a wet rock in the rain and took a good stumble. Elbow landed on a rock and took most of the force. First thought = I was really mad at myself. Second thought = was there anyone around to see me fall (lest I get an unfortunate trail name). Third thought = Is my pack OK? Fourth thought = am I OK? I got up, elbow a bit sore, but otherwise everything seemed ok, so I kept walking. In a bit the rain let up so I stopped to take off my jacket. My arm and the inside of my rain jacket sleeve was a bloody mess as I had a nice gash on my elbow. The interesting thing was the jacket was not ripped or damaged at all, which was nice as the wound got no dirt in it. Since then I've been a lot more careful where I plant my feet in the rain.
      not a bad idea, mine are unzipped most always anyway.

    • hiking in the rain sucks. Slingshot and I hiked in the rain all yesterday. We have pulled into town just short of Connecticut to dry out do laundry and get the first real shower in over a week. Can you say funky?:-)
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • Dmax wrote:

      I seem to be the only umbrella user here. Here's my set up ... Long rain pants spring, fall, winter. In the summer I have some Frogg togg pants that I cut the legs off. I stay dry except for my feet. I'm thinking of adding a hood less wind jacket to this setup.
      Used an umbrella last week when on the Arkansas River Trail. But I closed it up when crossing the Big Dam Bridge. No telling what the wind up there would have done to it.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      hiking in the rain sucks. Slingshot and I hiked in the rain all yesterday. We have pulled into town just short of Connecticut to dry out do laundry and get the first real shower in over a week. Can you say funky?:-)
      That's nothing a towel and a bottle of liquor can't fix for ya...hope your feet don't get to stink as bad as mine last time out, I had 11 straight wet days....but I had 11 straight beautiful days after that.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.