trekking poles, rain gear for May-June trip

[ccourt326]

Trekking poles- Are they helpful or a waste of good energy?

Rain gear? The old fashioned poncho is clumsy and does not usually cover the legs. However, if you go with a pack cover, pants, rain coat and maybe a hat, you've added 4 items and a few lbs to your pack. What's the recommendation?

Thanks in advance.

Tim

[jrwiesz]

I use my poles for my tent or tarp set-up; they are also, beneficial to/during the hike, IMHO.

Frog-togs and similar types are relatively lightweight, inexpensive. Usually, if I'm hiking in rain, I don't wear the rain gear, only in camp.

I always skip the pack cover(my pack is waterproof).

It's always about the weight.

[Keweenaw]

Whenever I see someone with the poles I always wonder where they lost the skis.

Seriously, I hear they are really useful for going up and down, especially the rocky parts.

Rain gear - I carry lightweight rain pants and jacket and a garbage bag for the pack. If you're wearing nylon pants you might be better off not wearing the rain pants while you hike since the sweat factor will be high. BTW - "breathable" is not in the rain since those fabrics depend on a humidity gradient between the inside and outside of the fabric.

Bob

[Rafiki]

I understand where you are coming from with regards to weighing the cost vs benefit of carrying these extra items. As someone that appreciates carrying the lightest backpack possible and the philosophy of ultralight backpacking, I am all about being as minimalistic as possible. However, there are certain things I am not willing to pardon from my backpack. My sleeping setup is one of them. While this may be considered a luxury to most, I do not believe a rain setup or trekking poles should be placed in the same category. I believe both of these items are necessary, especially the trekking poles. Since I believe this to be the case, I suggest going as light as possible when doing your research.

My rain jacket is the Marmot Essence Size Medium which weighs in at 5.5oz.
My rain pants are the Go Lite Reed Pants Size Medium which weigh in at 5oz.
My trekking poles are the Gossamer Gear LT4 Trekking Poles which weigh in at 7.2oz for the pair.
I don't want to talk about the weight of my backpack cover, because it was the one designed for the backpack so light weight was not necessarily the company's motto when designing it

Long story short, there are some great light weight opinions out there for you. I do recommend getting poles. I'm 28 and it great shape. However, one day while I was at my local REI I meet an employee by the name of Mark, he was definitely in top touch condition and his physique look better than mine with his deep chisels and cuts. Then I looked down at his knees. They were all knotty and scary looking. He asked me what I thought of his freakshow knees and I asked him what happened. He explained that the state of his knees were the result of many years of hiking without poles. HE WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF YEARS OLDER THAN ME!!! He blamed the majority of the damage to be the affects of downhill hiking. I looked into matters myself and researched how downhill hiking wears and tears on the knees. Having seen what could happen if you hike without poles and with reading about the studies that doctor's have written about the issue, I was quickly sold on hiking poles being a necessary item to add to my list.

I hope this helps. If you need further assistance with recommendations feel free to reply back to me with any questions you might have.

[PatrickBDunlap]

I agree with Rafiki. Your rain gear could end up saving your life from hypothermia. Even in July the island can get very cold and wet. If you are worried about weight and are going during the warmer months, I would forgo hiking pants and just wear shorts but have your rain pants ready to slip on if need be. If it gets cold and you have a summer sleeping bag, you can sleep in them to add some warmth. I also wear mine when I am making camp so I can plop down on the wet ground and not worry about getting my clothing dirty.

Trekking poles are a matter of taste. I have a bit of a bad back and never thought I could get back into backpacking but I have now used my poles with some rather heavy loads and I have 0 problems. They will also save a knee cap in that they will save you from tripping and falling (something my wife has learned, now she uses them also).

Backpack covers are also a matter of taste. I always dry pack my stuff inside my backpack to keep things dry but pack covers are also good at keeping sand and grit out of your equipment if you are in a dry climate.

[DonNewcomb]

45° and soaking wet is not only miserable, it's dangerous. I've seen some folks in very bad shape because they left their rain gear at home. Always take something. Even if it's a cheap disposable plastic poncho. And take something extra in case you run into some fool who left his rain gear at home.

[ccourt326]

Thanks, all, for the great advice-

Tim