Testing Gear in Unusually Severe Weather

Yeah, definitely. I had a  major rain gear fail many years ago and it was pretty much a self inflicted wound. It was a very cold rain and thankfully it was on our way out of a long day hike in the mountains. I learned a lot from that and the importance of gear checks BEFORE it hits the fan. I am pretty meticulous about gear now and have since been a big PM guy. I don’t like making mistakes and I really don’t like learning lessons the hard way. I much prefer learning from those of others. Either way it beats not learning at all.

Being a skinny little bastard that gets cold soaked fast I spend a fair amount of time testing gear close by on familiar ground checking performance before it finds a home in my bag. I think its time well spent. I get a good deal of satisfaction in knowing my kit inside and out. I just figure its all part of the deal.

I do. Living in Arizona we have little precipitation until the monsoons, so when it does rain or snow I’m up on the mountain testing my gear. It’s also the best time to be out on the trails, I rarely see anyone else out there in bad weather unless they are training for events, those folks are pretty dedicated.

I live in Scotland. Enough said.

Heh heh heh
Is it the gear which is being tested, or the tester?

Cheers

I live in Santa Barbara. Year round average temperature is 70 degrees and that’s not because there are wild swings. It will be 70 degrees in January and 70 degrees in June. So the only extreme weather I ever experience is when I’m out there on the trail. I usually make every trip a gear test of some sort and I actually like it when something extreme and unexpected happens out there. Makes for a good story to tell all your friends.

I did a safe test myself  last Thursday. The forecast was for a decent chance of moderate rain in the afternoon. I took my fully-loaded HMG Southwest to a nearby open space to see just how waterproof those packs are. There turned out to be a good 45 minutes of wind-driven drizzle. Results: nothing inside the pack got even damp, but everything in the Dyneema side and front pockets  got wet. So did my pants and footwear. So I’ve learned that anything carried in the front pocket needs to be in MYOG waterproof cuben roll-top bags.

I like being out in inclement weather, providing that I have a safe bail-out option.

sounds like every day conditions up here in the PNW in the shoulder and winter seasons …

best time to go walking is in the cold rain … you wont overheat, youll never lack for water, and theres no tourists on the trails

youll also find very quickly what gear is lacking

why anyone would want the hot sun is beyond me

;)

When I first purchased my TT Notch in 2014,  not a hint of rain. Then the forecast for Western NC was 100% chance of thundersorms. So I head into the Wilson Creek Wilderness area….time for exams boys and girls. Unfortunately, my Black Diamond headlamp was inadvertently turned on in my pack. It died about the same time as the sun dipped and the lightening fireworks and monsoon began.  Boom, crack….what is this fine  mist that I can’t see? Is the creek gonna rise? Can’t see a thing,  survived, and the Notch is still my go to shelter.

“Heh heh heh. <span style=”line-height: 1.8;”>Is it the gear which is being tested, or the tester?”</span>

Bit of both in Scotland Roger! I think there’s a masochistic streak in those of us who love the hills, whatever the weather. But talking gear, it definitely means that clothing and shelters need to be up to the conditions – so anyone who spends time outdoors becomes their own ‘extreme weather tester’, because one just can’t avoid very strong wind, persistent heavy rain. Winter and Spring bring deep snow and ice on the hills. It also means that while lighter weight shelters and clothing etc are definitely the order of the day, ‘extreme weather testing’ has shown not all of lightweight gear is up to the job. Rainwear, mentioned by the OP is a good example. A lot of fanstastic single or double skin UL rain shells just wet out too quickly in heavy persistant rain, which is a hypothermia risk.

And there’s a reason Trailstars are still a favourite here!

However there’s a great ‘just get out there and do it’ sort of attitude, which is less about the gear and more about enjoying oneself whatever the weather – aided by a flask of Laphroaig 18 year old of course (helps with effective gear testing). In horrible weather you find plenty of Brits on the hills in who obviously haven’t spent a huge amount of money and their gear isn’t particularly light or even belonging to this century necessarily, but they know how to enjoy themselves – they’ll pass you and say, “lovely day for it!”

funny … its the same up here

those who do the most especially in the off seasons dont always have the lightest shiniest gear … nor are many UL …

perhaps the weight of that heavy fleece and non-UL durable rain jackets push em over the weight threshold

;)

Ultralight is being lightweight relative to the conditions and situations you will face.

Personally, I prefer the option of napping on the shore of a lake and going for a swim without getting hypothermia. I also like not having to choose between carrying 3 pounds of fleece or hiking all day without stopping to stay warm. That is only fun in moderation.