View Full Version : hiking in various weather
jasongolf1
03-09-2003, 12:16
whats the deal with hiking in rain and snow, etc?
i mean, what are the safety ad health risks? what are the avantages...if there are any? how about cooking in the rain? or setting up shelter?
i know this is off topic from my post,but this has been bothering me: what typpe ofshelter is th most advantageus? tents, tarps,hamocks, or simply builiding you schedue around hostel and other inns an motels?
JAson, on a thru-hike you will need to hike in all kinds of weather. Rain, probably snow, heat & humidity, etc. Safety risks? In cold rain & snow you need to keep your trunk warm. Many times I hiked in shorts in cold rain, and as long as I had layers on and kept moving, I was OK. When you stop hiking, tyou should probably change out of your wet clothes and get into your shelter and/or your sleeping bag to stay warm. A warm beverage never hurts either.
Another safety issue is being aware of your surroundings during an electrical storm. Don't hike up onto an exposed ridge if it;s boomin' & crashin'.
Regarding your shelter question, some people are fond of tarps, others tents. There are also several hammock lovers on this forum. I am partial to tents myself.
You need to carry some kind of shelter with you on a hike. Try and rent a tent from EMS or REI and test it out. Maybe you can borrow a tarp and try that out too. Only you can answer those questions.
Good luck.
Little Bear
GA-ME 2000
Redbeard
03-09-2003, 17:14
2002 I got sleat in the Grayson Highlands in late April. I like the hammock, almost anywhere you can whip it up and get out of the weather, without sitting in the mud.
Cooking in the rain is a heck of a lot more doable if you have a tarp to cook under. I often carry a 5x6 silnylon tarp for this. If you use a hammock or tarp for shelter, you'll already have a tarp. If you use a tent, the easiest ones to put up in the rain are the type where the fly can either go up first or with the tent. Some tents have continuous pole sleeves so that you can pack them with the fly attached, then just slide in the poles and erect the tent, with the tent body always protected. If the tent has clips, you may have to set it up first and then put the fly on.
Just to be abundantly clear, over 6 months on the trail, and especially above treeline, you need to be prepared for all kinds of weather. Hot, humid, snow, maybe ice, lightning, and rain. So, carry the gear needed so you can stay warm and dry. If you don't carry adequate gear because you are trying to go lightweight, then bring along very good judgement. When conditions are nasty, stop, maybe turn back, and seek shelter so that you can stay warm and dry.
Myself, I turned back 2 miles from the summit of Katahdin to wait out the weather. And Harley died of hypolthermia on the trail last September.
Blue Jay
03-10-2003, 09:46
No matter what type of shelter you bring, practice setting it up as fast as you can. Once your speed is up, practice setting it up in the dark, by just feel. Just in case you get caught in a cold rain and you're cold, wet, tired and hungry. You want to be able to get inside and warm, quick, without letting much water in. Also make sure you always have some type of high calorie food that you don't need to cook to suck down in a emergency.
To add something that hasn't been mentionned yet, I'd say that the worst thing about hiking in the rain is that breaks really suck. Sitting in the rain trying to eat some cheese or roll a smoke is not much fun at all. Consequently, when it rains, I tend to hike long and without much rest, which is depressing. But, that really is the worst part of hiking in the rain. At least during spring, summer, and early fall.
And the rocks are slippery when wet.
Surprisingly so.
Always try to have a set of dry clothes in
your pack.
Most people try to stay at or near
shelters.
If it's really bad weather the shelters
fill up, but there's usually room for one
more. The exception is in GA where the
swarms of wanna bees overflow shelters.
Once the hiker shake-out occurs, you
won't have trouble finding a spot.
When the rain lets up while at an
overcrowded shelter, then set up your
tent.
Deal with things as they come along.
Adapt and survive.
Scamp
I was racing the The Whites to reach a campsite before dark in the rain. I stepped on a water bar doing about 3 MPH and next thing you know I'm body slammed to the trail. Ouch! The rocks & roots are indeed slippery when wet!
Advantages of hiking in the rain?
-I love the smell of the forest during the rain.
-Normally sunny meadows or great views distract me while hiking. When its raining, it is easy to put in some miles.
-Overheating isn't much of a problem.
-More solitude, most hikers are sitting inside whining about the rain.
-Some things that go on in the forest I have only observed when it is raining.
smokymtnsteve
03-10-2003, 15:23
i've done some climbing in the summer when it wished I would start raining...I would have been drier and cleaner!
scout005
12-07-2003, 19:14
whoa, who died of hypothermia? how'd it happen?
Just to be abundantly clear, over 6 months on the trail, and especially above treeline, you need to be prepared for all kinds of weather. Hot, humid, snow, maybe ice, lightning, and rain. So, carry the gear needed so you can stay warm and dry. If you don't carry adequate gear because you are trying to go lightweight, then bring along very good judgement. When conditions are nasty, stop, maybe turn back, and seek shelter so that you can stay warm and dry.
Myself, I turned back 2 miles from the summit of Katahdin to wait out the weather. And Harley died of hypolthermia on the trail last September.