Rainy and Cold Weather

[Dogwood]

This statement is incredible. And why do you quote "camp" as if "coming into camp" is problematic or perhaps not something they ever do?? Why put quotes around the word?

And what makes this statement incredible is there's no real proof that either of these guys never came into "camp" shivering and soaked with wooden hands. I'd like to see some indication that these backpackers never got soaked in a 35F rain and never shivered.

So all backpackers should be endurance athletes with high mile days?

You're reading more into it than was ever intended.
I continue to stand on this statement, "I do indeed believe Newbs rely more on gear and trail infrastructure than their generally more limited awarenesses, experiences, and skill sets. Absolutely!"

Tipi you even say it with AT thrus. The minute foul weather hits most rush into the town vortex or to the rat(mice) box AT shelters. Most AT thrus are Newbs to LD backpacking! For you, and no disrespect intended, with your typical well documented approach, is you rely heavily on gear, lots of gear, and camping as a significant part of addressing foul weather. Totally respect what you do even though that might not be a routine approach for myself. There's nothing wrong with that approach but it is not the approach of all, just as all don't approach backpacking as endurance athletes with high MPD avgs or hike across AK using UL kits. Differences are a good thing!


With cold and wet conditions everyone isn't in the habit of heading into town or camp! Cold and wet outside doesn't necessitate being a cold and wet person.


One day were going to meet on trail. We're going to sit down and have a bunch of laughs picking on each other's idiosyncrasies. Might even bum some watermelon or avocado and I'll offer some dehydrated H2O.

[Game Warden]

The rain came down and down. The trail became a creek, and I hopped and hobbled along the huckleberries and mountain laurel that bordered the submerged path, until I realized I would get just as wet wading through the shin-deep waters, which I did. Then I saw a hunting camp with a covered porch, and decided it was lunchtime, despite being 10:30 AM. As my pot boiled, I discovered that God had left a large bath towel on the porch of this hunting camp, along with a bottle of dog shampoo. I stripped down, toweled off with the bath towel, and picked long tan hairs off me (Lab retriever?) Anyone driving down the nearby road would have had an unforgettable glimpse of my bare middle-aged ass. An hour later, dry and fed, I shouldered my pack and walked off into the dripping woods. And that is the Zen of backpacking.

[MuddyWaters]

The rain came down and down. The trail became a creek, and I hopped and hobbled along the huckleberries and mountain laurel that bordered the submerged path, until I realized I would get just as wet wading through the shin-deep waters, which I did. Then I saw a hunting camp with a covered porch, and decided it was lunchtime, despite being 10:30 AM. As my pot boiled, I discovered that God had left a large bath towel on the porch of this hunting camp, along with a bottle of dog shampoo. I stripped down, toweled off with the bath towel, and picked long tan hairs off me (Lab retriever?) Anyone driving down the nearby road would have had an unforgettable glimpse of my bare middle-aged ass. An hour later, dry and fed, I shouldered my pack and walked off into the dripping woods. And that is the Zen of backpacking.

Some would just call it trespassing ...

[Marta]

To speak to the original question about clothing and gear...

There are base layers that are warm when wet. Wool tends to be. Some micro fleece is.

During my SOBO in '06, finishing in early January, I wore a micro fleece top and tights, day and night. If I got wet during the day because it rained all day, I'd wring out as much water as I could, then get into my sleeping bag as soon as I stopped hiking for the day, before my metabolism started to slow and I started to cool off. I ate a lot of hot food, and drank hot tea. I wore a hat that was warm even when wet. I had a pair of fleece socks that I kept dry, and put on before getting in the sleeping bag.

Clothing layers:
*micro fleece turtleneck and tights
*full fleece jacket and pants
*Montane wind jacket and pants, which are breathable but not waterproof
*silnylon jacket and rain pants
*Neoprene cycling gloves
*Rag wool fingerless gloves, with separate wool caps to turn them into mittens.
*A pair of silnylon long, skinny bags to use over hands or feet to keep them warm. One can use a couple of plastic bags instead.

Yes, I'd get wet during all-day rain storms, but I kept warm. My base layers would dry on my body during the night.