Rain Gear?

[Western Midwesterner]

So I'm solo hiking IR this coming July, 13th through the 20th. What rain gear do folks recommend?

For summer hikes I typically carry a light weight rain jacket from Go Light. My pants/skirt are usually fast drying synthetics. My footwear will be La Sportiva GTX trail shows (GTX indicates Gortext) and DG gaiters.

I'll be sleeping in a REI Quarter dome tent (one person). The tent allows lots of headroom for drying gear.

I hadn't thought about rain recently, mostly I've focused on dealing with bugs.

What advice do ya'all have regarding rain and/or bugs for a mid-July trip?

[Tom]

I.R. is a 'damp' place. When I go I bring a rain coat & pants, and Gortex/full leather boots. Even in July hypothermia is real, so staying dry is key if it's a cold, rainy day.
I personally have the tried and true Marmot Precip for the jacket, and will wear that on the trail if it's raining. Unless it's a pretty big rain, I leave the pants off while on the trail (fast drying pants, anyway) and only put on the rain pants while in camp.
As for bugs, I carry a headnet but haven't pulled it out the last couple trips, and other than that Ultrathon or another bug dope placed at a few key places does wonders.

[torpified]

bugs: a headnet is key. If you do deploy it, it makes for much hilarity when you forget you're wearing it and try to interact with your face (eg scratch your nose or eat). Longsleeves, trousers (rather than a skirt, which I hike in in less buggy climes), a hat, and a buff also help with insect amelioration. Most of these you can obtain treated with (or treat yourself with) permethrin. My $.02 is that the coverage matters more than the chemicals.

rain/wet: yes, be prepared for rain and chill. Even if you don't hike in rainpants/rainkilt, they can be an appreciated layer for camp lounging. And you might want to bring an extra (compared to your western routine) socks to hike in. In western mode I bring two pair, and count on one to dry out while I'm hiking in the other. IR doesn't always cooperate!

[Gigrantor]

I picked up Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 off of Amazon. It comes with a jacket and pants. It's only $25 (Currently on sale for $17 in some colors) and weighs roughly 12 oz. Not the strongest material, but I tested it in some good storms and it does the trick.

[bobcat]

Raingear is really useful for rain, but also for cool mornings when walking through wet underbrush. I tend to wear my rainpants to keep from being completely soaked. Local climate, it's pretty common to have it rain at night and then be foggy around dawn, and then warm up to a sunny hot day. So the knee-high or waist-high fronds along the trail will get you wet in the mornings. OK if you know about it and just choose to wear quick-dry, but I prefer the rainpants.

[Tortuga]

My jacket is a Marmot Precip as well. I don't tend to hike in it, but it's great to keep the wind and water off once in camp. I just accept getting wet as part of the hiking experience. Much more important to keep your bag dry than your shirt/pants (a wet bag adds a LOT of water weight and most backpacking clothing dries quickly).

I did stop wearing pants while hiking a couple years ago and stick with shorts. I bought a rain kilt from Zpacks, and while I decided it really wasn't for me, it kept my shorts dry and was incredibly lightweight.

[Ted4bp]

My jacket is a Marmot Precip as well. I don't tend to hike in it, but it's great to keep the wind and water off once in camp. I just accept getting wet as part of the hiking experience. Much more important to keep your bag dry than your shirt/pants (a wet bag adds a LOT of water weight and most backpacking clothing dries quickly).

I did stop wearing pants while hiking a couple years ago and stick with shorts. I bought a rain kilt from Zpacks, and while I decided it really wasn't for me, it kept my shorts dry and was incredibly lightweight.

I like your style but stop at the kilt. I am a lightweight hiker. I wear an old pair of north face convertible pants that are almost beyond repair at this point then unzip the legs ASAP. I wear breathable hiking shoe that are a bit on the loose side, meaning I only tie them when the laces become undone maybe once every other day. To keep debris out I use ultra light gators. One pair of good merino wool socks is enough to hike in and one pair of fuzzy sleep socks makes me happy. I put damp gear on in the morning and hit the trail, body heat warms me up then I stop for breakfast. Anyway that’s my two cents, depends what you are trying to accomplish and your philosophy.


Happy trails!
Ted