Wind Jacket Only. No Rain Jacket?

[Miner]

You may be able to get away with it, but it will depend on the weather cooperating with you. The question related to yours is can you handle cold temperatures AND rain with just your wind jacket? Given you can get a decent rain jacket for just over 6oz, is this really worth it? Remember, on the AT, it often rains when it's warm. On the PCT, if it's raining, it's usually cold.

I live in California and often find myself on parts of the PCT through the lower 2/3s of the state. I personally would not try to hike the entire trail without a rain jacket even though I often don't need it because in the summer months, the weather is usually pretty good except for some thunder showers.

But even SoCal in the spring, if it's happens to be a wet spring, you'll be surprised at how cold it is while its raining. One very wet spring, numerous hikers were bailing out to Julian from the desert to try to find better rain gear as they mostly were carrying minimalist rain protection. I remember one year some people bailed out of the San Gabriels (between Wrightwood and Aqua Ducle) because they were experiencing freezing rain without rain gear (but I heard it doesn't rain in SoCal is often said). Did I mention I've seen it snow near Wrightwood in early June more than once in the last 10 years. So much for it being all desert. When I thru-hiked the trail, I met another hiker up north who talked about how in SoCal she had to be evacuated off trail by some people she met due to a storm hitting when she was hiking just after the Mojave Desert, due to being almost hypothermic. She thought she could mail her rain gear ahead to Kennedy Meadows and she was soaked from hiking in cold rain all day, her gear was soaked, and she couldn't stop shivering.

Then you have the High Sierra where in July I've seen the temperature plunge from low 70's into the 40's within minutes when a massive thunder storm broke near Muir Pass dropping hail and a lot of rain in a short period of time.

And don't even think about Washington. I know some people who hiked in almost daily rain with cool to cold temperatures for the entire time.

[Dogwood]

She thought she could mail her rain gear ahead to Kennedy Meadows and she was soaked from hiking in cold rain all day, her gear was soaked, and she couldn't stop shivering.

It's not unheard of to place oneself in this position...especially the newb narrow fair weather(summer) experienced AT types who advise to always hike drenched...often as an excused reply because their rain gear and/or its usage is deemed inappropriate. Ya have to think hard about IF this all day rain and cold scenario happens how it will be addressed...without rain gear...under different trail/hike/route scenarios with one's personal LD philosophical approaches and skill sets. If she could have stayed warm while being wet OR stopped and set up shelter and gotten into her bag/quilt OR had a crystal ball Jesus like command of the weather it could have been different.

[Ethesis]

She thought she could mail her rain gear ahead to Kennedy Meadows and she was soaked from hiking in cold rain all day, her gear was soaked, and she couldn't stop shivering.

It's not unheard of to place oneself in this position...especially the newb narrow fair weather(summer) experienced AT types who advise to always hike drenched...often as an excused reply because their rain gear and/or its usage is deemed inappropriate. Ya have to think hard about IF this all day rain and cold scenario happens how it will be addressed...without rain gear...under different trail/hike/route scenarios with one's personal LD philosophical approaches and skill sets. If she could have stayed warm while being wet OR stopped and set up shelter and gotten into her bag/quilt OR had a crystal ball Jesus like command of the weather it could have been different.

I’m in a Facebook group discussing some hypothermia rescues of people who decided to skip rain gear.

Sobering to read.