Gatewood cape – arm rain coverage?

Don't use the 'sleeves'. Keep my arms inside across my chest.

Cheers

I warmer weather its no big deal in a cold or hard rain .

I always wear a windshirt under my poncho..

If its really cold a light fleeve mid layer will keep your arms warm even if they get a bit damp.

I've had a GC for just over a year but haven't yet used it on a real hike in the rain, only a 15 min test walk in my backyard during a storm earlier this year. I don't think its going to be too much of a problem. My hands and lower arms usually get wet anyway when I hike in the rain, and it felt fine on my test walk. This was not a freezing rain type situation, but the GC would not be my first choice of rain gear for that anyway and I would keep my arms inside as Roger said if I got caught in that situation. I had thought about using a water resistant wind jacket underneath, but am concerned that the sweat/condensation might be too difficult to control and that the rain would wet out the arms fairly quickly anyway.

For temps under 50 degrees, I'd scrap the Gatewood. With a cape or poncho, I'd want it warm enough outside so I wouldn't have to worry about getting my arms wet. Besides, trying to add separate sleeves would be awkward.

Cold rain on exposed arms is miserable. For cooler temps, why not just pack a Deschutes CF or Solo Hexamid and pair it up with an UL rain jacket such as an OR Helium II or a Montaine Minimus? Total weight for the 2 would only be a few ounces more than the GC. Plus you could wear the rain jacket as a windbreaker or for extra warmth around camp. You could even sleep in it (although not optimum, E-Vent better). What's more, you'd have rain protection when setting up a tarp, or if you needed to exit the tarp during the night.

As Roger says, arms underneath. Or if you use trekking poles, keep them out-your arms will be working hard and have plenty of bloody flow to keep them warm. Add waterproof mitts if you need to (eg Zpacks or MLD, or MYOG). Not too much need for longer arm coverage. If its really cold for me personally, I would wear my windshirt underneath but it would literally have to be sub freezing temperatures (personal). If its sub freezing, my windshirt sheds frozen stuff no worries.

Another option, which I've been toying with, are arm warmers aka cycling. Most cycling ones stay away from, they are spandex. But I've been thinking for a long time that I'd love to make a pair of ones that just do my upper forearm, out of polypro (when my daughter wears out/outgrows her toddler polypro pants, I'll cut the legs off for this purpose). The wrist area is where a lot of heat comes out. In the snow in Japan I was finding if I just cover this area (they sell such things out of cheap fleece material in Japan for a buck) my hands and forearms stay warm. The polypro could get wet and still function, that much thin polypro is easy to squeeze out and dry, they are easy to take off and put on wet (unlike wet polypro liner gloves).

I would definitely try the waterproof mitts first and see how you go, before you make something more complicated like you describe. Silnylon would be fine to try to start with, there are plenty of mitt patterns and MYOG threads out there.

How about instead of elongated mitts, just make tubes of silnylon with elastic at the top to secure it around your biceps?

Make it baggy so you get air circulation. Then make/buy a seperate mitt for cold precip scenarios. A little more versatile I would think.

Just my $0.02

"What's more, you'd have rain protection when setting up a tarp, or if you needed to exit the tarp during the night."

That's not a bad idea Sam. With a thumb loop at the other end. Could put in bellow seams on the underside to promote a bit more ventilation if needed.

Hmmm.

"Seriously, for anyone with rainwear that leaves arms uncovered, what do you do?"

Given that the Gatewood is really a prime season shelter, wear a windshirt and/or tough it out. I've done the windshirt thing (and gloves) in 35F rain wanting to be snow and was just fine, How many hours of that kind of crud counts for sure. Of course if it is pouring you can pull your arms in and be perfectly comfy, but the trekking poles get stashed. That is rare for me.

Long gauntlet rain mitts would make a good paring– like gaiters for the arms.

I've also wondered for years why one of the cottage manufacturers doesn't make a windshell with WPB sleeves specifically for poncho wearers. The weight increase and breathability losses would be minimal. For those pushing through continuous cold rain, it could be quite nice to have available.

If you grope the web with some persistence, you should be able to find very lightweight tyvek sleeves. I found and bought a pair or two for exactly this reason. If I recall correctly, their used by folks who work in chemical labs or similar situations to, I guess, work in conjunction with a work apron (?). They have elastic at both the wrist end and upper arm end.

They work okay; certainly better than nothing if it's cold and windblown rain. They're not waterproof, but will resist to some degree, and again — they're light (and pack very small).

Another item you might want on some trips is a VERY lightweight disposable poncho, just for use around in camp when it's raining (and your Gatewood cape is in tent mode). If you search for "disposable poncho" you'll likely find something, assuming that you do want one.

Thanks all for the suggestions.

I use trekking poles so the idea was to see what I could do about exposed arms. I would prefer to not hike with my arms inside the cape — not only would doing so mean I lose the benefits of the trekking poles but also that my arms would be trapped inside if I trip and fall, and I'd rather have my hands than my face catch a rock.

I initially was thinking about regular rain mitts, but I am concerned that rain would run down my arms and into the mitts. Thus the initial thought about long-armed rain mitts, as Dale said, "like gaiters for the arms." Perhaps the sil "tube" idea as Sam suggested, or Brian's idea of tyvek sleeves. In fact, I made a pair of DriDuck pants into a rain skirt à la Mike Clelland, I might still have the cut-off legs and could experiment with those.

What to do when it's pouring and I need to set up the tarp or I'm under it and need to go out is a separate problem and downside of multi-use rainwear like the Gatewood. I do carry a wind shirt and was planning to use that as my rain cover in such situations. I know that will last only so long as rain protection. It's the less-breathable Houdini so I was not thinking it would be good as a layer under the cape just to provide arm coverage. A disposable poncho might be worth the extra ounce, thanks Tom and Brian for the suggestion.

Modified DriDucks pant legs would work well as rain sleeves I would think. And a disposable poncho for camp. You'd still have the weight advantage of using the GC. The sleeves and disposable poncho would weight ~2.5oz I would think.

Good luck on your search. I'm about to head up into the GA Mtns where it is thunderstorming as of right now.

JR, I thought of something that might be just what the doctor ordered (literally).

I don't know if you've ever seen veterinarians palpate horses (broodmares) before, but if you havn't it's pretty freaky to watch for the first time. What the vet does is put on a light disposable glove that fits all the way up to the shoulder. Then he sticks his arm down the horse's rectum to see if the mare is in foal. The gloves are also used for artificial insemination. The gloves can be found with a google search. They're light and really quite cheap.

This YouTube video from the Colorado State Vet School shows the gloves and how it's done. The good part starts at about 1:45.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGfB1UW6-CI
Or go to YouTube and type in "Mare Palpation".

You can also find tyvek arm covers as well. I bought a bunch on Amazon and use them with my poncho. Tyvek 1443r as I recall.

Better known as Amish mechanic's gloves :)