Escaping to the outdoors is an excellent way to lift the stress from the humdrum activities of everyday living. However the great outdoors can throw
A sudden rainstorm can quickly turn a fun adventure into a dreary day. While hiking in the rain can be an excellent experience in its own right, there are certain things that you need to keep in mind when it comes to your health and safety.
Everything You Need to Hike in The Rain
Clothing
The right clothing can keep you comfortable during a rainy hike. The wrong clothing can increases your chances of uncomfortable health hazards. A tiny little blister isn’t a big deal(check out my post on preventing blisters while hiking), but hypothermia can be downright dangerous.
While you don’t need to focus on big brand clothing, there are a few pointers to keep in mind when dressing for rainy weather.
Avoid Cotton; Embrace Synthetics and Fleece
Considering that water has a thermal conductivity that is twenty-six times that of air, a rainstorm can rob you of your body heat before you know it. Especially if you’re wearing cotton based clothing.
Cotton is a terrible insulator when wet and holds on to moisture, pressing it against the skin. For maximum comfort in rainy weather, you want to avoid cotton entirely – down to the sort of underwear you’re wearing.
It doesn’t matter if the moisture comes from the rain or your own sweat, cotton clothing will hold on to it. On long hikes, I always make sure to wear performance underwear(check out my favorite brand here).
Synthetics and fleece are much better insulators when it comes to the wet weather. Synthetics and fleece will actually retain some of their warmth when they get damp, rather than working with the rain and stealing your body heat.
Never underestimate the warmth of a Columbia Fleece Jacket. Even generic fleece will keep out moisture better than that cotton hoody you’ve had since high school.
Layer with your Rain Gear In Mind
Layering is the best route to take when it comes to dressing for a hike of any length or weather. Layers allow you to add or remove clothing as necessary for your warmth and comfort.
If you’re an experienced hiker, you’re already familiar with most recommended layering patterns.
- Base Layer: Hopefully your base layer will never get wet. Remember that you’ll have a few layers over this so you might sweat. Under Armor style material designed to wick
away moisture will be your best friend on a long day hike. - Warm Insulating layer: My insulating layer is typically going to be a fleece jacket or light-weight sweatshirt. This spring I fell in love with Nike Running sweatshirts. They’re so warm yet don’t make me sweat, I guess that’s the magic of synthetic fabrics.
- Waterproof/Wind-Proof Layer: Don’t forget to buy a waterproof and windproof jacket. I’m not talking about a curious
george raincoat. My Columbia Hooded Raincoat is worth its weight in gold.
Layering also provides the benefit of changing into dry clothing when you finally make camp. The dry clothing will let your rain gear dry out a bit and keep you healthy and comfortable so that you can enjoy your time in the great outdoors.
Socks and Shoes
There are steps that you can take to lower the chances of your feet getting wet when hiking in wet environments, but they’re far from fool proof. More than likely, your feet will get wet during your rainy hike, even if you’re using gaiters and waterproof boots.
It’s just a matter of life. To get all the amazing benefits of hiking you need to make a few sacrifices.
For socks, you should focus on good quality hiking socks. Not only will they be a little less uncomfortable when they inevitably get damp, but they will be more comfortable on long hikes in general.
I’m a bit of a sock snob and have tried hundreds of different pairs throughout my life. My wife laughs
For shoes, it varies a lot more.
The most important detail to remember when it comes to shoes is to make sure the shoes boast superior traction for slippery situations and a deep lug sole for dealing with mud.
Important Rain Gear
A hard shell is going to keep the rain off of you, but it’s also going to keep your sweat in if’s not also breathable. There are plenty of brands on the market that successfully combine the hard shell with breathable materials.
Designed to keep you dry both
You’ll also want to pack a rain cap. Jackets might boast a wide-brimmed hood, but hoods won’t always do the best job of keeping
A hat with a nice, broad brim is going to do a much better job and can be worn over or under the hood of the jacket. The more you keep the rain off of you, the better you are going to feel during your hike. Plus once the sun comes out you’ll be able to appreciate that rainbow without all that glare.
Gear and Supplies For a Rainy Hike
While gear and supplies are important on any hike, there are a few specifications to keep in mind when hiking through rainy weather. Good gear can get you far in the
1. Protect Your Pack and Map
Making sure your pack is waterproof is an excellent first step. Anything that has seams isn’t truly
The only thing I’ve found that really works is NIKWAX spray-on waterproofing. With a quick
You can take further steps to protect your gear by not opening your pack unless absolutely necessary. Most packs come with a separate rain cover, but you can buy them separately.
Making sure the items in your pack are protected is also a good step. Packing your items in dry bags (or even garbage bags for less important items) is advisable even when taking advantage of waterproofing and using pack covers.
Map, wallet
Pack Extra – Clothes, Food, Water
Dry clothes are a necessity in wet weather, because it lets you get out of your wet clothing when you make camp. In addition to extra clothes, it’s important to have extra calories available.
Hiking in the rain takes a lot of energy – more than hiking on a dry day sometimes. Both the environment and the inevitable hops and skips over water quickly wear you down.
After a long day, you’ll just want to pass out. Wait for a while, rehydrate and take the extra time to take in a quick meal. The extra calories can be a quick boost to help you keep going.
Water might seem like an odd addition to the list – especially since you’re likely to be surrounded by water in a rainstorm – but many people forget to drink water during periods of high humidity.
To avoid dehydration, it is vitally important to make sure you have fresh water on you and continue to consume it as much as you can. You also want to pack medicine in case it’s needed.
Better to be prepared and have a surplus than left wanting on the trails. All those achy joints will probably start to come calling your name. Time to pop a few ibuprofen to ease the pain.
Maximizing the Use of Your Tent
You want to make sure that your tent is going to keep you dry and that you’re going to get it up quickly. Using the rainfly or a tarp to cover the tent as you set it up is helpful, so long as you keep as much of the wet out as you possibly can.
Once it’s up, you want to be sure to not touch the walls of the tent because water will seep through even if you’ve set the rainfly up extremely taut.
You don’t want all that wet gear sopping into your sleeping bag, a vestibule will keep the rain off your
Though it might seem like it goes without saying, it’s important to remember that you don’t cook in your tent. The rain might make it difficult to get a hot meal at the end of the day, but taking the chance of setting your gear on fire is not the solution to that issue. Synthetic fabrics are notoriously flammable so make sure you follow all safety precautions.
Other Important Gear
- Headlamp: A headlamp is good when the dark clouds chase away daylight, and lets you have better visuals in rainy weather.
- Hand warmers: Handwarmers can be used to warm the body in cold weather or to dry wet clothing after you’ve made camp for the night. Certain hand warmers can last up to eight hours, meaning when properly timed they can easily last through most of the night
. - Trekking Poles: Trekking poles are also important tools to have with you during rainy weather. The ground can be treacherous after a
rain storm , and a good pair of trekking poles will help you prevent broken bones and pulled muscles.
Remember the Dangers of Hiking in Bad Weather
The rain can make the great outdoors incredibly beautiful and relaxing. However, there is also a dangerous side to the outdoors after a strong rainstorm. It’s important to keep your wits about you and keep an eye out for dangers that could come from a rainstorm.
Lightning and slick surfaces are the most obvious dangers when raining, but a strong storm might result in swollen waterways and flash floods. When thunder and lightning
If you have nowhere to run and there’s lightning close-by get away from tall trees and ungrounded structures. Rain isn’t going to kill you, but electrical shock may.
To minimize your chances of being struck, get down into a crouched position close to the ground and cover the back of your neck. Wait out the storm and don’t get back up until after it has passed. Check out my full post on hiking in a
Other Dangers
Taking safety precautions can include wearing bright colors to be found easily, checking with various services about the safety of your planned route, and knowing when it’s better to turn around and not take a hike.
Just remember that any day not spent in the office is a great day to be alive. Make sure you let me know about all your favorite rainy day hiking tips in the comments below.