basic raingear question…

[N. F.]

When I'm wearing shorts without rainpaints in the summer, how do I prevent rain from running down my legs and into my socks/shoes?

[todd]

In short, I don't think you do!

Gaiters are your only hope. Poncho should HELP.

[Cesar Garcia]

you might want to try and get some low gaiters and see if that works. It should help stop some at least depending on how tight you have it.

[James D Buch]

The simple way to do that is to prevent water from hitting your legs and then running down into your shoes/sox. After all, that is what rain pants do for you.

One option is the use of an umbrella to deflect the rain and prevent the water from hitting your legs, or at least diminish the amount of rain hitting your lets.

Another option is to allow water to run down your legs but then get deflected off. The conical collars such as used to keep animals from biting themselves are suggestive. Wearing a similar conical collar sealed about the ankles or a little above will deflect the water so it flows off the cone, missing the socks and shoes. You might trip on them, as a disadvantage.

Some form of gaiters may be configured to better divert leg downward water flow to to diminish the rain trickling into the socks/shoes than these conical collars. A watertight water diverting seal at the top of the gaiters may be problematic. Duct tape (ouch) on the leg/gaiter interface may do it.

You might also simply decide that the difficulty of diverting water away from your legs by means other than rainpants or chaps is too much, and just tolerate it, or use rainpants/chaps.

[Anonymous]

"When I'm wearing shorts without rainpaints in the summer, how do I prevent rain from running down my legs and into my socks/shoes?"

Wear rainpants. Gaiters won't do the job, IME. Water just works its way through unless you want to reef down on the gaiters so hard that your circulation would be impaired and, even then, I'll bet water would still get through. Duct tape might do the job, but I'll bet you'd be pretty uncomfortable after while.

[Steven Evans]

wristbands/sweatbands around your ankles may do the trick – they were "sort of" designed to do something like that…ring out every 30 minutes or so. :)

[Dale Wambaugh]

It can run down your rain pants and still get your feet wet. Rain pants and gaiters are about the best you can do. If it is a downpour, your feet will still get wet unless you have some sort of waterproof shoes. A brushy trail will get you soaked too. No free lunch!

Slogging around in cold rain all day on a shoulder season day hike needs the whole kit– ventilated parka, pants, gaiters and waterproof/breathable shoes. My trick is to wear wicking long johns under rain pants for all day wet hiking, keeping me warm, dry, and the cold fabric off my skin. Adjust the thickness/weight of the base layer to suit the temperature and activity level.

A summer shower is bearable. I carry a poncho for summer stuff– it ventilates and keeps my pack dry as well as providing emergency shelter. As with the stream crossing issues, shoes that breathe and dry quickly are the best bet. Having to stop and take things on and off and deal with wet muddy stuff is a pain. If you want use a poncho, consider rain chaps as a light option.

[Kevin Babione]

Mountain Laurel Designs makes a set of ultralight (1.5 ounces total) rain chaps that have a built-in underboot elastic to hold them over your boots/shoes like a gaiter. I use them with my Gatewood Cape so it doesn't matter that my touche is unprotected.

The other big advantage of the chaps is that staying well hydrated is made a little easier because it's so easy to pee.

[Justin McMinn]

The ULA Rain Wrap could help you out. I use one in conjunction with the MLD Lightsnow gaitors. The Rain Wrap allows for some air circulation, so it isn't as stuffy as rain pants if you are exerting yourself. Most of the humidity comes from your crotch. Rain chaps also address this problem.

The rain wrap also pulls double duty when you flatten it out for use as a small tarp/ground sheet to use after the rain when everything is still wet. You can also use it to keep moisture off the foot of your sleeping bag from your shelter walls.

[scott burgeson]

I took a draw string trash bag and cut the bottom off. I then put a cord lock on the draw string so it would be adjustable and I could reuse it.

I have been using the same one for multiple trips.

It is ultra light and ultra cheap.

It keeps my shorts dry but your feet are going to get wet hiking in the rain. There is nothing that will keep them bone dry. Wear a shoe that drains well and you will hike them dry in no time.

–scott

[Lynn Tramper]

A gaiter with a neoprene closure works, but other than MYOG I don't know where you might get them. It's easy to add to a satndard gaier if you can sew.

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