This ‘you will get wet’ thing is a puzzle to me. Not as easily solved as the post-eating edit bug just by scanning and copying longer posts before hitting the edit button.
Admitted, there was a time, when Goretex was young, and so was I, burning like a furnace when schlepping uphill with a 50+ lb. pack. None of that WPB stuff seemed to work very well. Even bought some Goretex and made a jacket, and it delaminated in the first washing. Still have the thing, and it is sad to look at all that design and sewing work that went for naught.
Here in the Northeast US, it can rain for many days, and the fates have decreed that it will do so whenever I step out for more than a couple days. Even the dogs know that if we turn around and go back to the car, the sun will automatically come out. Colorado is so much nicer, so off we go on Interstate 80.
When I still had that internal furnace, the solution was to wear nylon shorts (Patagonia ‘Baggies’) and tight shortie Goretex gaiters over the tops of the ‘waterproof’ boots, which still got damp inside by the second day of rain. But up top, I was always dry, with a Goretex bucket rain hat and a Patagonia Specter pullover, one of the earlier more substantial ones with no kangaroo pocket. Found a good photo at: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/645986/ The Specter was marked down from $150 to $100 at the former Northface outlet on Main St in Littleton NH.
When the 8 oz M10 came out, waited for a good sale, but it still cost my brother $250 at Christmas time. But it was worth the greater amount spent on his present. My legs get cold backpacking in the rain now, so shell pants are often a must, and they do get wet after a few hours, But everything remains dry and cozy up top, although I wish Patagonia wouldn’t keep making their jackets shorter and shorter. The Specter was long and loose to go over climbing gear, but the light jackets are now apparently styled for runners. No surprise that people keep jogging by me on even the remotest trails. Maybe the slim fit is part of the ‘getting wet’ problem.
To sum up: 1) Keep the hood rolled down at the collar and wear a WPB bucket hat; 2) Try an M10 if you can find a sale; 3) Use fleece under the M10, but only if chilling out; 3) Try shorts and short gaiters; 4) To avoid heating up, just take it easy – everything is slippery and dangerous when wet; and 5) Use the shell pants, brought primarily to protect from sunburn, if hypothermia looms in freezing rain. On a related note, bring traction in case the rain ices up.
Works for me. Been dry up top in the rain as long as I can remember, while still backpacking light in the shoulder seasons. Wish I had some better suggestions to offer those who suffer.
.
