keeping dry and lightweight in the rain...?

[jrnj5k]

So this past weekend I was hiking in harriman near fingerboard shelter. It was snowing when we left the shelter but as we dropped in elevation it turned to rain and I put on my sea to summit poncho/tarp/pack cover all-in-one thingie to protect my new golite pinnacle pack from getting soaked. Unfortunately the pinnacle packs water resistant rating is very optimistic. It became lunch time and I had to make lunch and couldn't decide how to keep the pack dry and myself dry both at the same time while cooking lunch. Any suggestions?

[KG4FAM]

get a pack cover or not cook and just eat debbie cakes for lunch

[JAK]

I've never had trouble with my Golite Jam2. Is it made of the same material? But the only thing in there that ever needs to be dry is the sleeping bag, and I keep that in my gortex bivy. My wool stays on. The other stuff is synthetics. Everything always comes out as dry as it went in. The real question is whether the pack should be waterproof to begin with, or if it should be breathable, to dry stuff out. If it was breathable I would use my poncho to keep it reasonably dry while hiking. The sleeping bag would be in its bivy. I don't carry plastics garbage bags anymore. I used to swear by them.

[Bare Bear]

Stop in a shelter for lunch. I wouldn't know about 'light' as I am always overweight.

[JAK]

I got my feet wet in the snow a week ago. 15km in just 3 inches of snow. My feet just melted the snow right though the trail runners and thin wool socks. My feet weren't cold as it was a short trip, but if it were a longer trip it would have bothered me, having to keep wringing out those wool socks. I went through 3 pair as I was testing them, but I was just as well to have one pair and keep wringing them out. It wasn't the socks that bothered me so much as the trail runners. I couldn't wring those out, and they held alot of water.

[Feral Bill]

Stop in a shelter for lunch. I wouldn't know about 'light' as I am always overweight.

There are at least 3 shelters within a couple hours of Letterock, in different directions. That would be my first choice. A liner would solve the wet pack problem, but still leave you eating in the rain. Of course, you could set up a small tarp to eat under if you like.

[russb]

Another option is to use natural "shelters". When you stop to eat, put your pack, or sit yourself (or both) in an area that is naturally sheltered from the rain. Certain tree species provide excellent coverage especially when they are covered in snow/ice (think evergreens), so do rock some formations and fallen trees, some shrubberies make excellent hollows. Now these sheltered areas may not be bone dry, but in all but the heaviest downpour you will stay dry enough and your pack is small enough that it will be quite protected from the rain while you snack. You are out in nature, convene with it and look to it for the answers.

[Wags]

how about a large garbage bag stuffed into the pack. use to cover pack during rain stops and overnight? you can lie to yourself and say it doubles as an emergency water bladder/sleeping bag/shelter to justify the weight if need be

[Egads]

Carry a tarp. It takes 60 sec or less to set up a tarp. I like the MacCat.

[NICKTHEGREEK]

I got my feet wet in the snow a week ago. 15km in just 3 inches of snow. My feet just melted the snow right though the trail runners and thin wool socks. My feet weren't cold as it was a short trip, but if it were a longer trip it would have bothered me, having to keep wringing out those wool socks. I went through 3 pair as I was testing them, but I was just as well to have one pair and keep wringing them out. It wasn't the socks that bothered me so much as the trail runners. I couldn't wring those out, and they held alot of water.

So was that the first time you ever encountered snow? You seem surprised to discover it melts and makes your shoes wet.
What does all of that that have to do with keeping a pack dry?

[mudhead]

Another option is to use natural "shelters". When you stop to eat, put your pack, or sit yourself (or both) in an area that is naturally sheltered from the rain. Certain tree species provide excellent coverage especially when they are covered in snow/ice (think evergreens), .

Just watch for snow covered trees when it warms up. Hard to learn, easy to remember.

[JAK]

So was that the first time you ever encountered snow? You seem surprised to discover it melts and makes your shoes wet.
What does all of that that have to do with keeping a pack dry?

Take this for what its worth, but not all trail runners are equal for hiking in snow. Rather like those silly wool gloves with suede palms. My point was that keeping you pack dry is not so important as managing the wetness of your feet and socks and other clothing, which is going to get wet no matter what. You just have to be able to manage the wetness, mostly by avoiding stuff like wool gloves with suede palms, and trail runners that keep your wool socks wetter than they should be.

As for the pack. I just don't see the point of keeping a pack dry. Your going to have to put wet stuff in it. If anything it should breathe and drain is all I'm trying top say. What's in a pack besides the sleeping bag that can't get wet? Nothing. Maybe a few layers and socks that haven't been used yet, but its mostly about managing wetness, and allowing stuff to dry out naturally, not keeping all the water out at all costs. Just saying as much as I like my Jam2 I think its too waterproof. Its great that it doesn't absorb water but it would be better if it breathed and drained, and I put a pack cover or poncho over it when it rained.

[NICKTHEGREEK]

Take this for what its worth, but not all trail runners are equal for hiking in snow. Rather like those silly wool gloves with suede palms. My point was that keeping you pack dry is not so important as managing the wetness of your feet and socks and other clothing, which is going to get wet no matter what. You just have to be able to manage the wetness, mostly by avoiding stuff like wool gloves with suede palms, and trail runners that keep your wool socks wetter than they should be.

As for the pack. I just don't see the point of keeping a pack dry. Your going to have to put wet stuff in it. If anything it should breathe and drain is all I'm trying top say. What's in a pack besides the sleeping bag that can't get wet? Nothing. Maybe a few layers and socks that haven't been used yet, but its mostly about managing wetness, and allowing stuff to dry out naturally, not keeping all the water out at all costs. Just saying as much as I like my Jam2 I think its too waterproof. Its great that it doesn't absorb water but it would be better if it breathed and drained, and I put a pack cover or poncho over it when it rained.

I'm glad I asked, I'd never have figured that was your point without your explanation

[BrianLe]

I think that hiking style comes into this one (as IMO it so-often does). If you're into a slower paced & more comfortable experience, you can use that poncho as an overhead tarp and eat lunch with both yourself and your pack under it. If you're more interested in on-trail efficiency and don't take a long time for lunch, I like hikingPA's black garbage sack approach --- very light and fast to use. It would definitely take me more than 60 seconds to put up a tarp, and then there's taking it down again afterwards ...

Since you're talking about cooking lunch (I personally cook just once a day), my sense is that putting up the poncho might be the way to go for you.

Note that a second black plastic garbage bag as a pack liner is a nice accompaniement to the "don't worry if the pack itself gets wet" philosophy.


Brian Lewis
http://postholer.com/brianle

[Tinker]

When hiking in warmer weather with a poncho, several times I just took off the pack under the poncho, turned it around, ducked my head in to see what I was doing, unpacked a cold lunch, stuck my head back out and ate the lunch. If you want to cook lunch, you could stake out the front of the poncho after you unsnap the sides, duck your head in, tie off the hood with the draw cord, put a hiking pole (or poles) in the middle of the poncho, stake out the back corners, and cook your lunch under the poncho.

[JAK]

I'm glad I asked, I'd never have figured that was your point without your explanation

My first answer was pretty obtuse. Sorry about that.