Do I need rain pants?

[AlyontheAT2016]

I'll be going nobo starting April 24 from Springer. Are rain pants necessary that late into spring in the mountains? Could I get away with just wearing running shorts + base layer on top + rain shell (and another mid layer on top in case of cooler temps? I have all of my clothing and gear other than I need new trail runners and I don't have rain pants, and I'd rather not spend the money if I don't need them.

[NoSew]

I'd say you will be fine without them as you are starting so late...if you do decide to get some, I would go with the $20 Frogg Toggs, mainly for wind protection in the higher elevations

[mattjv89]

For most of the AT I was happy with my rain kilt because I didn't want the weight of rain pants the whole way. Cheap, weighs hardly anything and packs down tiny. The ventilation is great though it doesn't handle high winds very well.

[Christoph]

I started last year April 19th. I only had a pair of shorts and some zip off hiking pants. But I hike hot, so when I relaxed at night it got a little chilly sometimes but not unbearable. Never used my zip off hiking pants the entire time. But people are different, I'd plan for a few cold temps some nights and you'll more than likely tweak your gear a little here and there as you go. As for rain and generally getting wet, well... you're gonna be wet some days. Just try to plan whats best for you and go for it.

[sparky2000]

That is a good question... I've carried rain pants and only used them once - in the sleeping bag at the Roan mtn.
shelter. That night I was glad that I had them... kept them in the bottom of the pack.

[rmitchell]

I'd say you will be fine without them as you are starting so late...if you do decide to get some, I would go with the $20 Frogg Toggs, mainly for wind protection in the higher elevations

+1 On this. Even as late as June you can encounter a cold rain with wind. Weather at 5000 feet can be much different than in the valley.

[ocourse]

You might consider gaiters to keep rain from running down bare legs into your footwear.

[Coffee]

I'd say you will be fine without them as you are starting so late...if you do decide to get some, I would go with the $20 Frogg Toggs, mainly for wind protection in the higher elevations

This is a good idea. I've never carried any rain pant other than FT. It is more useful when cold than in warmer rain of course.

[poopsy]

Rain pants are an abomination! Should you gird your loins with cling wrap? I think not. Get thee gone tool of evil.

[Bronk]

I never wear rain pants. My rain jacket goes well below my waist so the only part of my pants exposed is just above my knees to my ankles. I wear nylon jogging pants which don't soak up a lot of water and dry really fast...usually 20 minutes or so once you're out of the rain.

[AlyontheAT2016]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, it's super helpful! My main concern is with a rainstorm rolling through with cooler temps. I know a good reason for wearing rain pants is to keep in body heat, not necessarily to stay dry. I'll check into frogg toggs. Can't beat 20 bucks.

[Rain Man]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, it's super helpful! My main concern is with a rainstorm rolling through with cooler temps. I know a good reason for wearing rain pants is to keep in body heat, not necessarily to stay dry. I'll check into frogg toggs. Can't beat 20 bucks.

Yep. Rain pants are about 10% for rain and about 90% for wind and cold. Layering is the name of the game.

[nsherry61]

. . . Can't beat 20 bucks.

Obviously, I should be out hiking/skiing right now instead of being a trapped jerk at a computer . . .

But hey, you CAN "beat 20 bucks!" You beat it with free! And not carrying something is significantly lighter than carrying it, even it if is only an oz or two.

I generally travel with a light pair of nylon pants. If I'm expecting constant wet and cold (30-40 degrees), my light nylon pants will likely be waterproof over long underwear/tights. If I expect cold (always below freezing - so dry) or only intermittent wet, I use non-waterproof pants because they breath better, weigh less, drag less on my legs, have better pockets, and they dry fast enough I don't care if they get wet. In the end, I almost never carry or use rain pants.

[Del Q]

From my viewpoint, rain pants are possibly life saving / critical piece of gear. Light, packs small, in any outdoor situation you cannot let a set of clothes or your sleeping bag get wet. I often wear my rain pants "commando". Wet clothes also weigh more to carry.

April 24th, it can still get nasty through May. Higher altitudes, mountain temps.

A lesson that I learned the hard way, like most life lessons, ITS EASIER TO STAY WARM THAN GET WARM.

Don't get cold, rain pants rock when moving.........have been in 5 degree temps, 10 many times, 20's a lot, never cold on my legs.

[tiptoe]

I agree with Del Q. I tend to get cold easily, even in relatively warm temps (50-60), especially in drizzle, rain, and wind or when I'm not actually hiking. I carry rain pants and base layers even in summer and use them fairly often. But as others have pointed out, it's a highly individual matter. I'm female and a lot older than the OP. I'd much rather carry a little more weight than flirt with hypothermia.

[Busky2]

As someone that has been cold and I mean real cold and very wet to the point that ice needs to be hammered and chipped to get it off my gear just to remove it (firefighter) DRY IS KING. I will carry my rain pants along with my marmot precip jacket till summer an then switch to a poncho/tarp. Hypothermia sucks done it too many times and frostbite will forever effect my fingers so I carry a few plastic bags to slip on as protection for freezing cold that weight next to nothing. I have some plastic doggy cleanup bags along with two bagel bags for my feet for freezing temps. They work!

[Don H]

I carry a pair of Patagonia Houdini wind pants in cold weather, they weigh 3 ounces. They're not waterproof but are water resistant and really cut the wind.

[Harrison Bergeron]

What are you going to wear at the laundromat without any rain pants?

[nsherry61]

+1 on the Patagonia Houdini wind pants

[Whitewater2012]

No...on the rain pants.