Backpacking Rain Gear – Some thoughts
Have you ever stopped to think about the rain gear that you bring on backpacking trips and its true purpose?
For example, there is a common misconception among many hikers that the purpose of rain gear is to keep you dry. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Instead rain gear is meant to keep you warm when it’s raining by creating a vapor barrier around your legs and torso that keeps your body heat trapped close to your body. In doing so, rain gear will often make you as wet from condensation as if you were naked in the rain. Except without it, you’d quickly get chilled and possibly become hypothermic.
The same goes for pack covers. More often than not, they do little to protect your pack from rain and instead cause so much condensation to occur that your pack’s exterior gets wet anyway. In reality, it’s your backpack liner that keeps your gear dry. A pack cover’s real utility is to protect your pack from damage from stray branches or thorns, particularly if you have an ultralight pack that has a lot of external netting. I keep my pack cover on most of the time these days when I’m hiking rough trail in Vermont or New York State to keep it from getting torn, and it’s a must have when bushwacking.
Tags
- backpacking rain gear
- altus poncho
- driducks poncho review
- best backpacking rain jackets
- best backpack rain cover
where did you get this pack cover?
It’s also from Gossamer Gear. They’re one of my favorite ultralight boutiques.
The BEST, BEST, BESTEST rain cover is the ALTUS raincape made in Spain.
Ay-yay-yay … I have tried ponchos, rain jackets, rainsuits and pack covers …. none really worked. The poncho usually sticks up at the back and flies up in strong wind. In rain trousers and jacket one steams up so much inside that you end up wetter than if you just walked in the rain.
The ALTUS is a long, lightweight raincoat with sealed seams, raglan sleeves with velcro ties at the wrist, a zip up front with added velcro straps, air vents on the chest and …. best of all, a hunchback to cover the backpack, with a hood and peak to keep the rain off your face.
A little bit weighty at 450g but replaces over trousers, jacket, hat, pack cover etc.
Sil
Could you tell me how to order the Altus brand raincape? I looked at the Decathlon stores website but they didn’t seem to carry it–or else I couldn’t find it there. Thanks for your help,
Deborah
Looks like it’s only available in Europe.
I’m about to retrofit a Driducks poncho with draw cords on the end for an undercover to protect the underquilt on my hammock and to help in gusty wind situations – not that I have many of those. So far *knock on wood* I have only been in ongoing drizzly rain with little wind.
Jacks R Better used to sell exactly this (using the driducks material) as a wind and vapor barrier. I actually have one with some very minor damage and will send it to you for free if you pay for postage. I’m not using it. Let me know if you’re interested.
Jacks R better is in fact now using the DriDucks Poncho, instead of the older version of the weathershield. Their retrofitted version costs about twenty bucks. I’m going to use my own cordlocks and line. I’d rather have the dual use item than a dedicated weather shield, but thank you for your generous offer.
That’s it – it was called the weathershield. Dual use sounds better.