[pct-l] rain/bug gear

[mblnchrd001 at yahoo.com (Mike Blanchard)]

first post, hope this works...and coming from chile no less!
   
  I am planning to thruhike this season and have a few q's as I wrap up my gear planning that hopefully some folks here can shed light on.  one is rain gear.  I haven?t done much hiking in the rain (I prefer my rain frozen, ie snow!) and am wondering what rain gear people prefer to hike in.  ponchos offer the best coverage for the weight, plus double as a pack cover, but don?t offer the dual-purpose bug coverage.  a rain suit (marmot precip or other) is heavy and also requires carrying a pack cover, but can double as bugproof clothing.  other than gallons of DEET, is there another feasible alternative to bug protection that allows the use of a poncho?  is a poncho a nightmare with snags and flapping?  has anyone tried using a garbage bag outside the pack, and cutting slits to pass the shoulder straps thru, as a superlight rain cover?  (I tried it once on a short hike and it seemed to work, but once and 5 months are vastly different) or ray?s umbrella concept?
   
  thanks, 
  Mike

		
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