The Biggest PROBLEM with Modern Rain Gear

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[Pneumaticcannon]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that a rain jacket also protects you from the wind, reducing wind chill and hopefully not getting cold.

[Lionheartwolf]

This is pretty specific to covered trails in moderate to warm weather. I'm sure umbrellas are great when you have enough clearance and coverage from trees. Even a moderate wind would make you question that choice, even more when you are in an open clearing. When I lived in Ireland I learned really quick why nobody owns umbrellas.

[saturn]

The umbrella's greatest weakness is wind, which can make it practically unusable. Personally, I carry both. Umbrella provides better ventilation, jacket provides better coverage and hands-free use.

[marc-andrerenaud]

As a bike courier in Vancouver, I soon realised that Gore-tex is neither waterproof or breathable when you're riding hard all day. After much experimenting my approach could be summed up as "since I can't avoid getting wet, I need to stay warm when wet and speed up drying time". The colder months of December and January (which are mild by canadian standards) where it's 2 degrees and raining, were the only time I wore a Gore-tex rain jacket, though it was a must to stay warm. Throughout the spring and fall months, wicking long sleeve shirts, a very thin fleece and the MEC Samurai Vest made entirely out of Cordura was the way to go. The setup would keep my warm and not overheated. Even when I'd get soaked, which is unavoidable, I would be mostly dry within 10-15 minutes during lunch. Polypropylene, cordura, fleece and wool socks were essentials while rain gear was practically the worst thing to wear until you got to April where it would be 6 degrees and rain for 33 straight days.

[JackFalltrades]

I was once based in the Philippines. During the rainy season, I tried increasing impenetrable rain gear to keep dry. Finally, I found something that worked. The problem was, it's so hot there that I arrived soaked with sweat instead of rain.
At that point I gave up on keeping dry. Instead, I carried extra clothes and just got wet. 😅

[peat_moss]

When I was hiking the Appalachian trail, I tried fully covering up the first time it rained. I ended up soaked with sweat after a few minutes. From then on I would just take rain as a chance for a free shower, and only use my jacket when it was windy or cold. This was mostly in the summer, so hypothermia was less of an issue. When we got cold rain in the fall, the only thing to do was cover up and move slowly enough that we didn’t sweat much.

[carlosdumbratzen]

Just a fun idea: your skin is mostly waterproof and dries alot faster than wet clothing. If you are hiking in summer, try stripping down when it starts to rain. I remember as a kid that we were out on a hike with friends and my best friend stripped down to his underwear when it started to rain. While everyone of us got really wet and drenched, his clothes stayed dry. It was the peak of august, so 30°, thus cooling out was no worry.

[fretlessed]

I think more people should consider an umbrella as a solution for sunburn while hiking as well.
As long as you don't need your hands for climbing, I prefer an umbrella over coating myself in sunblock as suntan lotion on your face and arms gets gross feeling on a hot day as well, and the umbrella keeps direct sun off your face and arms, so you are cooler.

[thom]

I see a lot of people discussing umbrellas and wind. Surprised no one has mentioned the Storm Umbrella. Developed by a University student in the Netherlands (TU Delft). It works really well, obviously in the Netherlands we get a LOT of wind but this one is undeterred and you can even cycle with it just fine. Think the original is by Senz company but probably a lot more out there these days.

[MnemonicHack]

Capes were made for a reason. I've got a 70s era German rain cloak, and it works wonders. And being a cloak, it can also double as a tarp when camping.

[thathaslage]

I agree with the poncho. It took a long time for me to appreciate it. I spent years in combat units and a couple years overseas. It was when I came home and used traditional rain gear while being outdoorsy... that I realized how much the poncho did for me. Its a transformer. Having a tent like place to tuck into to perform tasks is invaluable. You ever try to use a smartphone with wet hands? Tuck into your poncho, dry your hands, then pull your phone out and use it while inside of the poncho. Or taking a break, setting up a small stove... having the ponch to go from rain jacket to tarp like mini tent is just the way to go. Its always in my EDC bag.

[akuma]

Before a pilgrimage, my wife and I were faced with a similar question. After some research, we decided on an umbrella with UV protection (Swing liteflex trekking umbrella). This experience completely changed my view on the subject and I have been totally enthusiastic about it ever since! On hot days, you can use the umbrella as an absolutely solid source of shade. When it rains, the umbrella is big enough to keep you almost completely dry. You can also attach it securely to your rucksack and have your hands free.

The umbrella in your video seems a bit too small to really do its job when hiking! Try a bigger one. It's fantastic.

[djhagrid]

Poncho, kilt, wool cape. That was always the point of these items in ancient/ye olde times. The idea was that the mass and natural water resistance of wool lanolin would keep the traveler dry enough to prevent them from becoming soaked, and possibly keep them completely dry. They also are loose-fitting and allow evaporated sweat to escape and are naturally breathable. They also don't hold condensation well because of the massive surface area of wool. When people think wool, they think warm, and that's true to a point. However, the different thicknesses of cloaks, kilts, ponchos, etc. would keep the wearer cooler or warmer in different climates. I'd highly recommend giving one a try, at the risk of looking like a Jacobite rebel or a hobbit taking a ring to Mordor.

[flowermeerkat]

I'm not a really experienced hiker but I found that using a cheap rain poncho was the best. It has open sides so I can air out on the sides and I can place it over my backpack as well so it covers me and the backpack but lets me remain cool.

[zlinky]

As someone who is out twice every day of the year in all weathers here in the rainy U.K., I go through an awful lot of waterproof gear and figured out a long time ago that the big brand waterproof jackets are complete rubbish. They never take long to fail. Thank you for all your effort, it is much appreciated. : )))

[thewrathfulbadger]

A over clothing rain poncho is amazing, like those old military ones. It goes over you, your pack and gear. And since it has plenty of space between your body as it’s not something you wear per say, but drape over yourself, has proven to solves all this problems and more. Old Surplus Military gear can be and effective gear setup, I recommend

[OlTrailDog]

"Only one solution." I've provide another alternative that I used during my decades working in MT/WY large wildernesses. Note: this is for the physically intense labor of clearing trails, digging trails, and hard hiking while leading pack stock. I knew I was going to get wet from sweat regardless of wearing rain gear and an umbrella was completely impractical. So I would wear wool layers on my upper body and rain pants for the the constant brushing against wet brush. I would get wet, but the warmth I generated by hard work kept me sufficiently warm and more comfortable than clammy rain gear. I would have a dry change of clothes for when I hit camp with rain gear to wear during the low activity part of the day. This would work well for the PNW were you were hiking and the warmer months in the intermountain west. If I was inactive, e.g. riding I would wear rain gear as an umbrella and pack stock aren't really compatible. I do own both a Golite umbrella and CF rain skirt for simple back packing.

[ColtonMcCoy-qvwy]

Sometimes I see someone with an umbrella in 100+ degrees in the scorching sun and I think to myself "you clever bastard".

[yuRFt]

My dad hiked the E5 long distance trail through the Alps like 20 years ago. It rained and they wore jackets etc, then they met a guy that was painting the trail markers. He wore t-shirt, shorts, and had an umbrella. He said its the only way to truly stay dry.

[gazzc]

Too much wind here for me to try that. If the umbrella doesn't turn inside out the wind will just blow the rain all over me anyway