How to stay mostly dry when all you around you, folk are looking distinctly soggy...
This week we get totally topical with a some handy pointers on staying mostly dry when things get horribly wet - bear in mind that in real deluge conditions, it doesn’t seem to matter what you do, the water will still find its way in, but you can at least slow it down...
Block That Neck Hole!
The poor basic design of the human body and the need to breathe and see where you’re going means that all waterproof jackets have a fundamental flaw - there’s a whopping great hole in the top to accommodate your head and that, in turn, means no matter how good your hood is, eventually water will run down your face, onto your neck and from there into your clothing. Wet chest anyone?
Short of a dry-suit type silicone seal, there’s not much you can do about that in really heavy rain, but a Buff or similar neck protector or even an old fashioned scarf, will stop a fair bit of it getting any further.
Try A Baseball Cap
If your hood doesn’t quite give you the solid overhang you need to stop water running down into your eyes, take a leaf out of the North American book and try a stiff-peaked cap instead. It works particularly well with many lightweight waterproof jackets that don’t have full-on hoods.
Montane even went a step further and designed their lightweight Spektyr Smock to be used specifically with their own eVent cap allowing them to pare down weight even further. You can buy the cap separately.
Alternatively, inov_8 produces several running caps with big stiffened peaks made from technical, fast-drying fabrics.
Stop Water Running Into Your Boots
Here’s the thing, boots, like jackets, have a hole in the top. Unless you wear overtrousers, water will tend to run down your legs and into the inside of your boots, waterproof lining or no waterproof lining.
That happens even with gaiters on, though it may take a little longer. And one more tip, if you wear gaiters and over-trousers together, try to resist the temptation to tuck your over-trousers inside your gaiters - eventually water will run down into the gaiter and then into your boot. Doh...
Sleeves Wick!
Wicking baselayers are great, but they also wick moisture when you don’t want them to, so make sure your baselayer sleeves don’t protrude from your shell jacket. One answer is to simply roll them up half-way up your forearms. And while you’re thinking cuffs, over not into gloves is more likely to make for dry hands.
Packs Aren’t Waterproof...
Okay, one or two are waterproof, but generally packs may be made from waterproof fabric, but they don’t have sealed seams, so when push comes to deluge, they will eventually leak. In really heavy rain, even rain covers which leave the back system exposed aren’t perfect and may leak a little.
The answer is to keep anything that absolutely must stay dry - down clothing for example - inside one or more lightweight dry-bags. Sorted.
...And Neither Are Jacket Pockets
In really heavy rain, we work on the basis that anything carried in a waterproof jacket pocket could get wet. It depends on pocket design, but in really heavy rain, there’s a good chance even the best protected pockets will allow some water inside. Don’t fall victim to otter’s pocket syndrome...
And Most Important Of All...
Keep your sarnies in a waterproof container. There is nothing in the world worse than a soggy sandwich...
