I need rain gear suggestions for the Wonderland Trail

David, those Gossamer Gear clips appear to be common molle clips for cylindrical objects. They are about $4 on Amazon.com but, yeah, $30+ on Amazon.ca. The trick is finding a Canadian vendor. Here’s one: https://www.amazon.ca/TECKEEN-Tactical-Fastener-One-Handed-Convenient/dp/B0BX25WFM2/

DWR D: I agree that Jim Pflugrath’s vid looks complex and odd, but he has other vids showing how easy the thing is to deploy (just a couple of tugs and a clip), as well as solid wind performance. He addresses the issue about wind lifting the umbrella as well. It appears to be robustly effective. That said, I probably won’t build one because it looks like a weekend-long project. That seems like a lot of effort when I don’t even know if I am going to like using an umbrella.

I will try both of those clip suggestions, though. Maybe I was just doing it wrong.

Bill, thanks but I found the rotating clips on Amazon US and have 4 coming for $22 can all in.

Zpacks makes something similar to Gossamer gear, only $45US to ship to Canada LOL!

I don’t think there really is any special requirement for the Wonderland that you don’t face in the rest of the PNW.    I did the Wonderland in 2015 and I don’t remember which rain jacket I took.   It rained on the north & east sides for me but I got clear weather on the south which is probably the highlight of the trail.    But I hike year-round in the Cascades (and trail run) and I use the cheapo DriDucks.    I don’t even take the bottoms except for camp.    The crotch of the bottoms tear out almost instantly but I have tops that I run in (I trail run about 30-miles/wk) and have hiked in extensively and while they do tear and would be horrible for bushwhacking, they work great on-trail.     If you get a tear you can just slap some duct tape on them and they pack up small for my running vest too.

Something I might try with frogg togg pants…reinforce crotch seam with duct tape and cut to above knee shorts length (to see if crotch will last).

September in Western WA is actually very dry. There have been many many summers here, late in august and Sept. where I have WISHED it would rain to put out the forest fires and subdue to fire smoke.