Rain gear for the CT

Call me crazy but I don't think you need a bombproof rain jacket for Colorado. The thing with our state is that no matter how bad the monsoon, it will be bright and sunny soon there after – and I mean bright- and you will dry out quick. I wear a OR Helium and before that froggtoggs. Both have served me fine for extended trips in the high country.

I can't speak directly to the Colorado Trail, but can speak to the Rockies in general; I agree w/ Jon that it's rare to get rains that set in for days in the Mtn West. If it's precip, it's usually late afternoon and it's rather short lived. Short lived enough, often my windshirt is enough to handle it. My hardshell is also a Helium, I'm sure similar to the Kinetic and Essence.

If you really like your Demand, I wouldn't let a few ounces get in your way; w/ eVENT you're going to get a little better breathability, but again I don't suspect you'll be in your hardshell a heck of a lot

wind pants and a rain skirt or chaps should be plenty for lower body; personally I wouldn't even think about bringing rain pants

I used rainpants on the CT and would not go without them BUT it was late in the summer, days were shorter and it was cold. On most other trips in warmer weather I've done okay with less.

I tried a rain kilt that I made and didn't much like it. Then I took a pair of 5 oz rain pants and cut them off so they are about capri length. They now weigh about 3.5 oz and work well except in truly cold weather.

I've spent about 30 days on the CT. I've been rained on for maybe 24 hiking hours, usually half day affairs. I'm happy to have had a 2.5 layer WPB membrane rain jacket. Not only do I not consider setting up a tent to wait out a storm, there are many places where that is not an option.

Same for the JMT. It seldom rains, but I've spent a about 4 September half-days trudging through the rain, happy to be warm and only slightly damp.

Yes, you can walk yourself dry or crawl into a sleeping bag wet and get through the night, al la Ryan, Glen, et al in the Winds, but that is usually only fun once.

One option is to go minimal, and if you have a miserable day, have someone send the bomber jacket.

FWIT, last year was a record year for rain on the midsection of the CT. So maybe this year will be dry…

edit: I just remembered that it came unusually late in the season. Summer hikers were happy campers.

For me the extra weight is worth knowing that, rain or shine, life will be good.

Great – this is exactly what I was looking for.

I'll stick with what I know and already love – my kinetic as my shell and I (thankfully) feel OK keeping my lower half outfitted in some combination of shorts/tights/windpants/cuben kilt.

Of course, if the weather does some crazy stuff this spring and as my start date approaches, I can always swap stuff around. But for now this will be my plan.

Thanks guys!

I would still look at the Zpacks Poncho/Groundsheet if you are using a shelter without an integrated bathtub ground sheet. The Zpacks Poncho vents great, has an integrated shock cord "belt" to handle wind, has the best poncho hood design ever, and is a great multi-use weight cutting item. In my more recent CDT section hikes in Colorado, I have found the poncho great for waiting out the afternoon thunderstorms. I just find a sheltered location, break out my Nightlight torso pad, toss the poncho on, and hunker down for a afternoon snack and nap until the clouds pass by. The thunderstorms quickly became the favorite part of my day.

+1 on the poncho recommendation.

I have to say I am truly baffled as to the low popularity of ponchos these days, especially for hiking in Colorado. Ponchos are much less expensive, much more versatile and much more effective than rain jacket/pant combinations. They are much better ventilated, a big plus when you are hiking up a steep trail. They keep your pack dry, and allow you to take breaks in the rain with better protection. They keep the cold rain away from your body, and do not wet through at contact points such as shoulder straps. They are much easier to put on/take off, a big advantage in the intermittent storms that are so typical in Colorado. A simple elastic waistband controls excess flapping in the wind. When used as a shelter tarp, they provide significant weight savings. If not used as a tarp, they can still be used as a groundcloth or a windbreak. A poncho + wind shirt combination provides excellent protection against a wide range of weather conditions for very little weight.

But perhaps I am deluded. Can anyone explain why the widespread popularity of rain jacket/pants over ponchos is justified?

I like Ponchos. Especially the newer ultralight sil nylon poncho tarps.

Like Jen, I am planning a CT thru-hike this Summer and plan on going with a SeatoSummit Nano poncho. Under that, a houdini or Tachtyon wind shirt for my jacket and Mld Rain Chaps on my legs..although I might go with Zpacks rain paints for bug protection.

Probably for the same reason your profile pic is of you wearing a nice jacket rather than a poncho. :)

"I have to say I am truly baffled as to the low popularity of ponchos these days, especially for hiking in Colorado."

Well, as a Colorado hiker, I never liked them personally. Above treeline, they whip around too much – at least for me. I've tried the waist strap, too. Still did not like it. (And you lose the ventilation advantage to some extent as well).

And, again at least for me, poncho are too long. I'm only 5'6" (but broad shouldered for my height..think more Gimli, less Frodo :) So, no Men's small even when I am in my top shape), and any poncho just seems to get in my way with poles and seem better optimized for someone taller.

There's a reason why Baskin Robins makes so many ice cream flavors. What is good for one person may not work for another.

I'm glad ponchos work for you. I tried it. Did not like them.

Which brings up a good point to the OP.. There is nothing magical about the CT rain. As others said, take what works for you. The CT is extremely well marked and maintained. Even something like DriDucks will work well.

Paul M. has the most legitimate gripe against ponchos, they tend to be made for taller people. However, Zpacks always seems scaled to Joe V's size, and their solo sized Poncho/Ground sheet is great for hobbits and hikers alike. I am 5'11" and the solo size was way too to small for me. The ID Sil Cape is also great for short hikers, my 5'3" daughter wears one and it looks like a full sized poncho on her. I wear the Zpacks Twin size and it is just right. Zpacks has such a good poncho design with the integrated belt and side zippers, that the wind concerns are zero. I have worn mine in some very fowl weather on the CDT, PCT and Wonderland Trail without issue. Size not withstanding, I think the prejudice towards Ponchos is that are worn by kids, not serious adult hikers, who wear jackets and rain pants because of all the grown up dynamic hiking moves they make on the trail. Why else would you wear those heavy, wet, hot jackets and pants all day? Because you are busting athletic moves over fallen trees and rocks on your rad off trail extreme bushwacking adventures dude! I am content being the weird looking comfortable dry geek shuffling down the trail in my cuben poncho and cuben rain chaps.

I checked out those prices. $110 for the cape and $150 seems awfully high just to find a poncho that fits my shorter height. :)

I'll stick to the $10 DriDucks (5 oz) and $20 windpants (3 oz) for my on-trail hiking I guess… ($60 jacket for off-trail/bushwhacking jaunts with the Tumalo)

"Why else would you wear those heavy, wet, hot jackets and pants all day?"

Maybe if I hiked in the PNW or back in my native New England for that matter, I may reconsider the poncho, but in Colorado, the precip tends to be cold and nasty even for three season use..like the Rockies in general. I find I need the jacket in these conditions. Again, I find the poncho to be a sail. Granted, could be the "too long for me issue" mentioned earlier vs a a more expensive, but better fitted, solution.

When i did hike back East, for three season hiking with its wetter, but more warmer, environment did not bother wearing the rain gear while hiking. I simply just got wet. I put out too much heat and was soaked from my own sweat.

Shoulder season and winter was another story of course.

Again, I am glad you find ponchos to be a great tool. But I find the tool lacking for me, my hiking style and preference. At this point, I'd like to think I have some experience in the outdoors to give a good base as to what works for me. ;)

As I said, Baskin Robins makes many flavors of ice cream. Just because a person likes chocolate, that does not mean pistachio ice cream sucks. Aye?

In the end, it is just gear. Don't get too caught up in the minutia of what will work. If a jacket worked well for the JMT, it should be just fine for the CT as well. One 10oz jacket is not that different from another 10 oz jacket, really.

I know many experience hikers who LOVE ponchos. I am just not one of them.

At the end of the day, we both enjoy the sunsets, the trails and what is around the next bend of the canyon wall.

"Probably for the same reason your profile pic is of you wearing a nice jacket rather than a poncho. :)"

Touché. I'll take that to mean it's because I look so darn handsome in it. But I still had a poncho in my pack – I just hadn't learned about wind shirts yet.

"Which brings up a good point to the OP.. There is nothing magical about the CT rain. As others said, take what works for you. The CT is extremely well marked and maintained. Even something like DriDucks will work well."

Although there is nothing magical about the rain in CO, there is a lot more of it in the summertime than there is in the Sierras. I lived in CA for 15 years and did some 20 or 25 trips in the Sierras and got rained on maybe once or twice. When I moved to Boulder I was flummoxed by how it rained EVERY DARNED DAY in the Rockies. One's choice of rain gear is much more important here.

And the OP did ask for advice. Saying "do whatever works for you" is inarguably correct (although I seem to be arguing nonetheless) but not very enlightening. You did say that you found ponchos to be too long, which I have also found at times, but this is a fault that is easily remedied. I'm guessing there are other factors as well that out weigh all of the (fascinating and brilliant) points I made on behalf of beleaguered poncho-wearers worldwide.

Greg: "FWIT, last year was a record year for rain on the midsection of the CT. So maybe this year will be dry…

edit: I just remembered that it came unusually late in the season. Summer hikers were happy campers."

Hurricane Odile pushed a lot of rain through the area in late September. Atypical, sure, but as my first and only Colorado experience, it did not encourage skimping on raingear!

"Saying "do whatever works for you" is inarguably correct (although I seem to be arguing nonetheless) but not very enlightening."

Thanks for agreeing with me!

It does not have to be enlightening, just correct.

The OP listed a few rain jackets that are functionally not that different.

So, yeah, do whatever works. :) It ain't gonna make a difference.

The so-called Colorado monsoons are over with fairly quickly vs the Seattle rain or a New England thunder storm.

So, again, do whatever works. Any of those 10oz or under jackets will be just fine.

I've hiked in Campmor specials (still in my closet for winter), a generic nylon rain jacket (eventually went kaput), DriDucks, a GoLite tumalo and god knows what else in the past 15 years in Colorado. Some were lighter. Some were more water proof. Some more breathable. Some less expensive. Some cheaper. I'm still here no matter what I wore. :)

Unless the OP was planning on hiking with a Gorton's fishermen special, I really don't see how a choice of rain gear in the list, that is a all functionally the same, is really going to be all that different from one versus the other.

Don't sweat it. Gear is the least important part of hiking. If your basic choices are good, solid and work (which they are), I think you'll do just fine on the CT no matter what you bring.

"You did say that you found ponchos to be too long, which I have also found at times, but this is a fault that is easily remedied. "

You forget I actually used them.

Without spending $110 or $155, I don't see a fault that is easily remedied for *me*. Sew? Duct tape it? Velcro? Hike it up? Just to use something I don't care for..naah.

Look, I am not saying your choice is bad…not at all. Just bad for me. I prefer another system that works better for my hiking style. Not sure why you can't understand that. :) If you truly think ponchos are great, awesome. Go forth and hike

But why do you have convince me when I already said I tried them did and not like them? You are not secretly an Amway salesman or a Moonie are you? ;)

On a short section hike of the Colorado Trail a few years ago I actually needed my parka AND pants (PacLite GTX) on two occasions during heavy afternoon downpours.

I plan to go again and yep, I'll pack a suit again, this time REI's eVent Kimtah suit. The parka doubles as a wind shirt.

ah, I love a good BPL back-n-forth! Should I bring up mountain bikes and guns and dogs on the CT now?

Mags, thanks for chiming in. I was hoping you'd offer a bit here and I appreciate that I won't die if I bring one of the jackets I already own…I like them and would rather not have to buy a new one.

Yes, the jackets I have are all pretty much the same – my main question was whether or not those quite lightweight 2.5 layer pieces that get so maligned by those who actually have to use them a lot would be adequate, or if i should bite the extra 4 oz and the slight increase in bulk and bring the full on eVent smock. The 2.5 layer pertex shield is great when it lives in the bottom of my pack (ala summer Sierra hiking), but I've never actually given it a good test in terms of daily use in the rain, under a pack.

I really enjoy hiking in shorts with the tights and wind pants and a kilt to use for lots of different combinations. The tights I can wear under the wind pants in the rain and it generally keeps me warm if not totally dry; the wind pants over shorts keeps me sane in areas with too many mosquitos or to ward off the chill of the morning, and the kilt i've actually never had to use in rain, but it makes an awesome mini ground sheet for mid-day naps and I hear will keep my thighs dry in a good downpour – which is really all that matters.

I've not used a poncho since I was a kid backpacking with my dad – and i hated them then. So I've never been able to get past that. Yes, maybe the newer versions would be better, but I don't mind hiking in a rain jacket (hell – i did pretty much the whole Patagonia Torres del Paine circuit in cheapo REI rain pants and a marmot precip and was quite comfy) when it's cold rain out there.

And Eric, I can't help myself – you do know that REI doesn't make the Kimtah stuff anymore, right?

"The 2.5 layer pertex shield is great when it lives in the bottom of my pack (ala summer Sierra hiking), but I've never actually given it a good test in terms of daily use in the rain, under a pack."

You need to give this a good T-shirt and shower test. I've killed more than one 2.5 that just went along for the ride. The jostling and rubbing can leave it pin-holed.

Poncho length is extremely easy and quick to modify even if you are a poor sewist. Adhesive would also work decently, but take longer overall (mostly waiting for it to cure).

I paid 15 dollars for my poncho, and added a breathable front core panel for pretty cheap too. Nice combo of extremely breathable, inexpensive, good protection and very durable.

"The 2.5 layer pertex shield is great when it lives in the bottom of my pack (ala summer Sierra hiking), but I've never actually given it a good test in terms of daily use in the rain, under a pack."

The tumalo is essentialy the same thing IIRC. I've used it for spring hiking, with all day rain, to great success.

For the 2-3 hrs of the so-called Monsoon season, yeah, you'll be fine.

As for durability, if my $10 DriDucks (my on-trail rain gear of choice for CO) holds up..I'm sure the more $$$ Pertex rain gear will too. :)

"ah, I love a good BPL back-n-forth! Should I bring up mountain bikes and guns and dogs on the CT now?"

With my background… It ain't arguing..it's called conversation. ;)

"ah, I love a good BPL back-n-forth! Should I bring up mountain bikes and guns and dogs on the CT now?"

With my background… It ain't arguing..it's called conversation. ;)

See Mags, that's why i called it a "back-n-forth" – i'm never sure exactly what they are ;)

I've been using DriDucks with the pants converted into a kilt for probably 4 years now and have been very happy with them. If you stay on the trail, like on the CT, they'll hold up just fine. This year I decided to try an umbrella which I had bought a few years ago and never used. It is an extra 8 oz but it sure was handy. Instead of getting my rain gear out of my pack for brief showers, I could just reach back and grab it out of my side pocket. I use trekking poles so I just carry those in one hand when using the umbrella. When I think the rain may last a little longer, I get the rain gear out so I can use the poles. But the main reason I like it is hail. It is very useful when caught out in the open when it hails. It protects me and my dog nicely. Just the head of my dog but his coat is so thick that's all that's needed anyway.

Don't get me started about mountain bikes on the CT. Or more accurately, a certain mountain bike race on the CT.