Rain Gear Question

[Ksatterwhite]

I am doing a section of the CT this summer. I am considering taking a rain jacket, but no rain pants. Would this be a mistake? Should I take the pants too?


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[MuddyWaters]

Rain and hail can be quite cold.

I was sleeted on heavy once in july , blowing sideways at 45F. I was on a 14er, but you get the picture.

If you dont want to possibly sit out storms in shelter, bring them. If your ok with that, dont. Skurka didnt....and used it as example of stupid light. He needed more food due to it. He had to wait out storms every afternoon, losing progress.

[cmoulder]

Yep, take something like Frogg Togg pants. Not durable and they're ugly, but they're also cheap and light and easy to pull on over shoes.

[garlic08]

I did not carry rain pants during the summer on the AT, but I always carry them on Colorado high country hikes, for reasons mentioned already. I have a pair homemade from silnylon, which weigh only a few ounces and packs the size of a fist. That's plenty.

[saltysack]

I was glad I had my 3oz wind pants(ballet warm up pants)both in July and September.


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[powhound]

I grew up on the east coast and hiked a lot in the Appalachians, Catskills and Adirondacks. Moved west and have been playing in the Colorado mountains since 1982. The rain out here is not like back east, where it can be refreshing and enjoyable. In the Colorado mountains it's frigid cold, and I've even been snowed on every month of the year. Hypothermia is no joke. Bring some kind of rain pant to stay dry.

[Ksatterwhite]

Thanks for all the responses. I am from Texas and rain is just an inconvenience that time of year. I have a pair of Frog Toggs. I will bring the jacket and pants.


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[ndstephens]

Hopefully i'm not hijacking....

Anyone think replacing rain pants for a rain kilt would be ok?? Or stick with the pants?

[saltysack]

Hopefully i'm not hijacking....

Anyone think replacing rain pants for a rain kilt would be ok?? Or stick with the pants?

Most people use wind/rain pants more for add warmth...kilt doesn’t achieve that.


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[Dogwood]

I am doing a section of the CT this summer. I am considering taking a rain jacket, but no rain pants. Would this be a mistake? Should I take the pants too?


It depends. When in summer are you going? If you hike after the monsoon season that ends in mid Aug and before it gets colder in mid-late Oct than wind pants may suffice, and
2) if you can get/stay warm even if wet


I've taken GoLite Tumalo(no longer made) fully WP rain pants one CT Denver bound thru hike ending Oct 27. They weren't so much for rain although I did experience quick passing rain fronts twice, o1/2 day of constant rain, and lightly snowed on twice. They were part of my quilt sleep system and doubled as acceptably breathable enough wind pants.


On a Durango bound CT thru ending the last wk of Aug I used Montbell Dynamo non WP Wind pants with a newly applied high quality DWR. These are much like the nylon dancin' pants Saltysack mentioned but those don't have a DWR but are more breathable. Experienced more rain but it was always short duration but sometimes heavy and spotty missing me often. I never camped at the highest possible elevation. I did a bunch of 14ers fast and light peak bagging on the thru so wanted something more breathable. I had some silk wt synthetic long bottoms I put on under the wind pants a few times and used the bottoms under nylon running shorts. They were carried on the Oct thru as well.


Both thrus I had thin running gloves and a WP Montbell Versalite rain jacket.


People in Great Britain,...Ireland, Scotland, Wales... hike in kilts in cold wet temps regularly. They still stay warm without having their legs entirely covered.

[Ksatterwhite]

I am doing a section of the CT this summer. I am considering taking a rain jacket, but no rain pants. Would this be a mistake? Should I take the pants too?


It depends. When in summer are you going? If you hike after the monsoon season that ends in mid Aug and before it gets colder in mid-late Oct than wind pants may suffice, and
2) if you can get/stay warm even if wet


I've taken GoLite Tumalo(no longer made) fully WP rain pants one CT Denver bound thru hike ending Oct 27. They weren't so much for rain although I did experience quick passing rain fronts twice, o1/2 day of constant rain, and lightly snowed on twice. They were part of my quilt sleep system and doubled as acceptably breathable enough wind pants.


On a Durango bound CT thru ending the last wk of Aug I used Montbell Dynamo non WP Wind pants with a newly applied high quality DWR. These are much like the nylon dancin' pants Saltysack mentioned but those don't have a DWR but are more breathable. Experienced more rain but it was always short duration but sometimes heavy and spotty missing me often. I never camped at the highest possible elevation. I did a bunch of 14ers fast and light peak bagging on the thru so wanted something more breathable. I had some silk wt synthetic long bottoms I put on under the wind pants a few times and used the bottoms under nylon running shorts. They were carried on the Oct thru as well.


Both thrus I had thin running gloves and a WP Montbell Versalite rain jacket.


People in Great Britain,...Ireland, Scotland, Wales... hike in kilts in cold wet temps regularly. They still stay warm without having their legs entirely covered.

I am going in late August.


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[lonehiker]

Most people use wind/rain pants more for add warmth...kilt doesn’t achieve that.


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I've been using a rain kilt for several years now and have found that it works fine. It probably doesn't trap as much heat as a pant but a kilt is much warmer than I had anticipated. The fact that it doesn't trap as much heat is, at times, beneficial. Additionally, many say that it blows up in high winds. This has not been my experience. Rather the wind blows the kilt tight to your legs. The major draw for me is the fact that I can literally take the kilt off and put back on as I am hiking. This is very convenient for those days when you have off and on rain.

[saltysack]

I've been using a rain kilt for several years now and have found that it works fine. It probably doesn't trap as much heat as a pant but a kilt is much warmer than I had anticipated. The fact that it doesn't trap as much heat is, at times, beneficial. Additionally, many say that it blows up in high winds. This has not been my experience. Rather the wind blows the kilt tight to your legs. The major draw for me is the fact that I can literally take the kilt off and put back on as I am hiking. This is very convenient for those days when you have off and on rain.

I used a rain kilt on a late September JMT hike and I agree it worked fine, only used it twice. Since I always hike in shorts I decided I wanted an additional layer for hiking and or sleep to supplement my base-layer and 20* quilt during cooler weather.


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