[pct-l] Frog Toggs?

[Eric Lee (GAMES)]

David Margavage wrote:
>
I see a lot of discussion on rain gear and jackets...  Are Frog Toggs a
viable option? Can Frog Toggs be used for a wind stopper? Do you really need
rain gear prior to Oregon?
>

Yes, you need *some* kind of rain gear at all times.  Even in SoCal the weather can turn very nasty without much warning.  However, there's emergency raingear and then there's serious "I'm planning for four straight days of rain" raingear.  

First, remember that the most important function of raingear is not to keep you dry, it's to keep you warm.  Turns out that it's generally a lot easier to stay warm when you're dry, hence the emphasis on waterproofness, but when it's all said and done, the point is to stay warm and avoid hypothermia.

Emergency raingear can be whatever you're confident will keep you warm enough to find a protected camping spot and hunker down, or bail out to a trailhead, or whatever.  Just know your gear and what it is and isn't capable of.  Whatever you choose to carry, make a point of first trying it out in a respectable storm at home.

Serious raingear is a little more tricky, because finding raingear that a) is lightweight and b) works correctly through multiple days of rain and c) is affordable can be difficult.  A lot depends on where you are on the survivability vs. comfort scale.

If you're mostly concerned about survivability and don't care too much about being miserable for the duration, then Frogg Toggs are probably a viable option.  They're not very breathable and they tend to leak here and there, but they'll leave you only moderately damp rather than full-on soaked, which is the important thing.

The most popular option is any number of waterproof/breathable shell and pants combinations, ranging from lightweight all the way up to ultra-expedition-bombproof heavy (and expensive).  I own a lightweight WPB shell which I pack on winter trips to supplement my poncho.

Another option would be a poncho of some kind.  That's what I personally use for three-season hiking in the Northwest, along with a pair of Marmot Precip rainpaints, a plastic cover over my sun hat, and waterproof boots.  I made the poncho myself out of silnylon and custom-fit it so it hangs correctly over me and my pack, doesn't blow around too much in the wind, and has tremendous variety in venting options depending on what the weather's doing.  It's not intended for full gale-force storms, but then I'd hunker down in camp in that kind of weather.  The poncho usually leaves me a bit damp in an extended rain but I value its versatility, so that's what I use.

Eric