[pct-l] Why Hike Wet at all?

[Bob Bankhead]

IMO, if I am going on a LONG hike, I know am eventually going to get rained on. If it rains for more than a few hours while I'm hiking, I WILL get wet, no matter what I wear. So why not just accept this fact and plan for it?

If I knew I was very likely to get a lot of rain (WA state is famous for this), I'd use Gortex boots, overlapped by short eVent gaiters, overlapped by WP/B rain pants, overlapped by a full-on WP/B rain jacket with a hood. This non-UL system would allow most of the rain to run off me rather than into my boots and then wick upwards. I'd still have to deal with the wind-blown stuff that comes straight at me and runs down my face and under my WP/B layer. Even with this system, if the rain continues long enough, I will still get wet.

As strange as it sounds, one is actually warmer if naked in the rain than encapsulated in wet clothing. Our skin is the ultimate WP/B fabric. Granted, the ambient temperature and wind chill need to be factored into this equation, but if it's really cold, windy, and wet, I'm not hiking anyway; I'm holed up in my sleeping bag inside my shelter. I've seen what hypothermia can do, and while I may be foolish, I'm not stupid!

Wandering Bob