[pct-l] Gettin' out of the rain

[ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com]

Hey, Bob!

Once again, good advice from Mr. Bankhead!

Some of my favorite memories of the trail centered around all those times I 
had the pleasure to find a nice campsite with a killer view of a lake or 
valley, escape the rain and cold inside my tent, light the stove, and cook a 
tasty dinner from the warmth of my sleeping bag.

For me, I hike the high trails to find these moments. Others are spent 
sitting for long periods on just the right rock or up against a shady tree 
enjoying the view, taking in all the smells and sounds of the mountains, and 
listening to what the area had to teach me. Everyone goes for their own 
reasons. We're thrilled that they go!

Mtnned & Lady J

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Bankhead" <wandering_bob at comcast.net>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 26, 2009 10:15 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Why Hike Wet at all?


> 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
>
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