Rain gear in GA AT in July!!?!?!?

[SunnyWalker]

Please help me decide-I am startimg from Amicola on July 16th for just a week on the At. I have a poncho but I read somewhere here someone said don't worry about raingear if hiking in July in Ga on At. I am from the Pacific NW and there it is: rain = cold. Not so in Ga in July?? Talk to me. I bought a poncho on Campmoor I thought it would be good-"breathable" and inexpensive. This is Friday(7/13/07) and I leave town here to drive to GA on Sunday morning (7/15/07). Thanks.

-SunnyWalker :sun

[thestin]

Most people will walk through the rain without rain gear if the temp is mild. Carry the poncho as a backup in case you get chilled.

[Johnny Swank]

We're in the same boat, as my wife and I are getting ready to do a stretch in NC/TN. I've made silnylon rainjackets and rain kilts to play with and am hoping that it rains a little just to try them out, but otherwise we just hike without actually wearing raingear this time of year. We always have something in our packs for rain though, be it rain jackets, or cheap .99 ponchos just for emergencies. This time of year you could probably get away with just wrapping up in your groundcloth if things got chilly though.

[modiyooch]

Getting wet and getting cold is my biggest fear. You can get hypothermia in the summer easily. Just carry a $1 emergency poncho and if it rains, then decide whether you want to get wet or not. Rain and 95 degrees = shower. Rain and 65 degrees = cold. be prepared. I got chilly on July 4th in NJ, if I had gotten wet I would have been miserable. It was below 70 degrees and after hiking in 90 degrees; that was cold. The emergency poncho doesn't weigh that much. IMO always carry rain gear; leave the poles behind.

[FatMan]

I always carry my Frogg Toggs top even in the summer. I use it only for warmth when necessary. I have seen the temp drop 25-30 degrees during a summer thunderstorm with very strong winds. It can be very unpleasant if you don't have something to warm you up. I don't use it to hike in the rain though. I only use it for the extreme storm where hypothermia can be a real concern.

[Marta]

Last weekend near Erwin it was chilly enough at night that I put on my fleece jacket. The only reason I had brought it was because I was carrying almost everything I'm taking on the JMT. I would have been SOL if I hadn't had some sort of jacket to put on. I'd definitely bring a rain jacket for warmth at night, or in case of rain. Not for hiking in, but for wearing afterwards and at night.

Marta/Five-Leaf

[Passionphish]

Just thought I'd chime in here. I have lived near the north Georgia mountains my entire life. Spent most of my childhood in them actually. In july, take rain gear. The showers come up fast in those hills. Most times they don't last long. Usually, during the day you could sweat through the showers they are so warm. Toward evening it can get just a tad chilly. For me, chilly is 68 F. A warm sunny day here in Georgia is in the ninties. I don't even think in winter our rains get as cold as they do in the Pacific North west. But then, I rarely ever wear rain gear period. Hiking or otherwise. I take it. I just don't use it unless the rains set in for a long day or more.

[SunnyWalker]

Thanks for the quick replies everyone. I will go prepared for rain, etc. I appreciate it. Thanks again. -SunnyWalker

[Monkeyboy]

Carry the emergency poncho.

Just did the GA section last week. Rained half the time.

But be forwarned....it's very humid up there this time of year and you will get just as wet from sweat not evaporating as wearing the poncho, but at least you won't get cold.

It rained on us at Muskrat Shelter, NC and I swear the temperature dropped twenty degrees in 30 minutes. So when that happens, you're glad to have the poncho, because you will be more than likely wearing shorts, and the extra body heat comes in handy.

[Monkeyboy]

Also, the emergency poncho, when you're done using it, folds up nicely to place in your backpack fly compartment under your pack, if you have one.

That way, when it rains again, you can get both out at the same time without having to open your pack.

[SunnyWalker]

I returned from hiking the AT in GA this July. I did take my lightweight poncho with me, also a pack cover. Used the pack cover, not the poncho. It rained every day and I found it very pleasant to hike in the rain for its cooling affect. At any rate, I was not going to sit around waiting for it to stop raining. It never occurred to me to use the poncho as you are carrying a "heavy" pack, sweating, hot, (I mean SWEATING and HOT) and the pack cover is on and so you already are wet and the rain feels great and so that was it. One day it did really drop in temp from high 80 or low 90 to high 60s and rained. I didn't even think about it then as I was still hiking hot and sweaty. However, I began to monitor my "surface temp" and etc., until the "storm" rolled away and the sun came out again. I think I would return with the poncho in the future. Had a great time. On the way up Blood Mtn here came two older fellows. They were trail maintainers (God bless em!!) and one of them stopped to talk. He said he had recently retired and now lived here and worked on the AT. He was from Pampa, TX and he asked where was I from?? I was so surprised as I am from Pampa, TX!! Ha, ha, we had a good time. -SunnyWalker

[scope]

Thanks for letting us know how it went. I don't take rain gear, because as you mentioned, you end up not using it. Its very refreshing to hike in the rain, and even a cool rain in GA is not going to chill you to any degree of danger when you're hiking. It will when you stop, though, which is why you always want a dry set of clothes. The only reason I can see for taking a poncho is for camp when you have to move around to get water, cook, etc. so that you keep dry. Otherwise, hiking in rain gear in GA is insane.