tall gaiters with rain kilt? Lone Peaks with gortex socks?

I use cuben rain chaps from Zpacks with my Zpacks Cloud Kilt or with my poncho. Joe no longer has them listed but he will make a pair. He also said he would make a pair of tall cuben gaitors. MLD also makes rain chaps.

Diane,

This has been my wet weather uniform since the previous fall.
I have zero Pacific NW experience, my kit gets used mainly in the Appalachia, mid-to-North.
My MYOG silnylon kilt overlaps the top of the gaiters by 1.5 – 2", which seems good enough for the conditions (of below 20 mph winds) I use it, and this system has by now accumulated at least 200 hours of rainy exposure.

One concern though:
Fall/Summer/Spring I use non-waterproof shoes, and once these get wet, my socks get wet entirely. Once that happens, and the rain stops, it takes forever for the shoes/socks to dry out while on my feet – unless I unhook and lift the lower edge of the gaiters as much as to expose the entire height of the socks. That however partially defeats the protection I need from low and still dripping vegetation. It sort of works, but is a bit fiddly.

Still, I love this system's ventilation, weight, and overall performance.

"Fall/Summer/Spring I use non-waterproof shoes, and once these get wet, my socks get wet entirely. Once that happens, and the rain stops, it takes forever for the shoes/socks to dry out while on my feet – unless I unhook and lift the lower edge of the gaiters as much as to expose the entire height of the socks"

Then what kind of socks are you using as mine are dry in perhaps 30 min. or quicker once these are entirely wet ?

Zpacks kilt and MLD long gaiters: this is the exact combo I've been using this season in the PNW and I really enjoy it. I also wear running tights (or Capilene bottoms) and Montbell wind pants. Both dry from sweat fairly well overnight in the bottom of my bag. As far as my feet, I'm wearing Lone Peaks with Darn Tough socks. I'll add goretex socks in snow or winter rain. It's a pretty versatile set up.

"Then what kind of socks are you using as mine are dry in perhaps 30 min. or quicker once these are entirely wet ?"

@ Woubeir:
Darn Tough wool socks.

How quickly socks dry while hiking heavily depends on conditions. In the Appalachian mountains, the relative air humidity is above 70% during dry spells, and can hover around 90-95% a day before/after rain, especially in Spring/Fall. The elevations are such that most hiking is below treeline, no breezy wide open spaces.
Things do not dry quickly in this region.
Especially socks, covered by pants legs, covered by eVent gaiters, whose outer surface makes contact with dripping vegetation once every 10-15 seconds.

If you could offer any techniques to help me improve my socks' drying time, I am all ears.
But let's not hijack the thread entirely…

> I am having difficulty with the concept of just letting my lower legs get soaked,
Have you stopped and asked yourself WHY you are worried?
Anyhow, it doesn't matter what gaiters you wear in the rain, your socks WILL end up wet.

Cheers
PS: Darn Tough Vermont socks!

I also use a ZPacks cuben kilt, carry silnylon chaps (rarely used, but small & light enough to carry) and would usually day hike in the fall in either (1) hiking pants or (2) shorts and carry MB Dynamo wind pants.

No mystery there, Roger. I get super cold once I stop hiking. Being wet makes it worse. I carry dry baselayers to change into once I get to camp. Wearing rain pants and waterproof boots I stay warm but get pretty wet with sweat. The rain kilt keeps me drier, but it won't do me much good if my lower legs and feet are cold and wet.

Hi Diane

That's a slightly more complex issue than you have made out.

First of all, yes, one changes as fast as one can when one stops. That's standard.

But keeping your legs warm is a separate issue from having dry feet. To explain:

I have found that wearing some sort of overpants (not necessarily really waterproof even) over long trousers and keeping on walking will keep my legs warm enough that my feet don't care about being wet – which they will be if it is raining anyhow. What matters is keeping your upper legs warm so warm blood reaches your lower legs – and then keeping your lower legs warm so warm blood reaches your feet. Cold blood coming back up will be warmed by the warm blood going down. Yes, this does work, even around freezing. I have paddled around in light snow often enough, in very light mesh joggers (and thick Darn Tough Vermont socks).

All waterproof boots do is fill up with cold water. Not fun.

Try it some day and see how you go.

Cheers

If you really need to keep your feet dry, rocky gortex socks are more reliable at keeping your feet dry. If water gets in there you can change into dry socks when if you get the lining of your boots wet there is no drying them out.

You are a woman and probably have a harder time staying warm so keep that in mind when others are giving you advice.

"First of all, yes, one changes as fast as one can when one stops. That's standard."

Hiking all day without stopping until you set up camp for the night is a miserable way to hike.

So from this discussion it sounds like a good idea to purchase gaiters to blend with the kilt. It will keep my lower legs drier, and because they are covered I will stay warmer. So far I have only used the kilt in warmer temps and wasn't sure how it would translate into the wet season.

I've worn waterproof boots up until this fall, and never had a problem with my feet getting wet. If I could find waterproof shoes with zero drop and generous toe box I'd still be wearing waterproof in the winter.

Any recommendations for goretex socks besides Rocky Top? I have heard they run small.

drying time is a major reason i prefer thin merino wool socks. they dry much faster.

i find my feet are comfortable again ~5-10min after the rain stops.

i've also have found some success with using gurney goo on my feet to keep them from pruning out.

> Hiking all day without stopping until you set up camp for the night is a miserable
> way to hike.
What can I say? You are right of course. But why would you do that?

If the weather is that filthy all day long that you really can't stop, then it's a pretty miserable day anyhow. Been there a few times. What to do when that happens?

Well, if the weather is really foul and it means you are missing out on seeing and enjoying some (otherwise) very nice country, maybe stopping very early (lunchtime?) and camping becomes a sensible idea? It's not a death march, you know.

If you are going to push the odds a bit under really bad (cold & wet) weather, know your limits. You need to keep just a little bit in reserve so you can pick a suitable campsite and get the tent up before you cark. It's a bit less fun when you are shivering so much (hypothermic) you can't get undressed once you are inside the tent!

Cheers