Rain Gear

[fotoscout]

le Voyageur,

 

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look for set. Good Luck with your oil skins.

 

foto

[scoutingagain]

There is some good insight in this thread, thanks for sharing all.

 

I generally use a coated nylon rainsuit and carry at least one emergency poncho as well. I am intrigued by the poncho/rainsuit pants combination though, but will keep in mind the float trip concerns.

 

SA

[Blaze66]

We don't allow our scouts to wear ponchos. One reason is because we do alot of multi day canoe trips and Ponchos don't mix with canoing obviously because if you turn over you can't get out of them or swim very well in them. So to keep the boys from having to buy two sets of rain gear we just tell them no ponchos period. Most of our guys use light weight packable two piece rain gear.

[Owl62]

Seeing has how it almost always rains on outings (and I am sure you all will agree - for examnple, when I attended Scoutmastership fundamentals, it started raining the minute we arrived at camp, and stopped the minute we departed.... - at Wood Badge, it only rained when we were outside - seemed to stop when we were in the classroom) - Rain Gear is an important topic and essential item of equipment.

 

For most outings, I carry both a poncho and a rainsuit. My rain parka doubles as a lightweight hooded jacket. It is waterproof coated nylon. Pants are the same but about the only time I use them is in contiuous rain. I almost always carry a small daypack around camp when away from the campsite. In I I carry the rainsuit, a first aid kit, flashlight, matches, utility tool, water, some snacks, and a notebook and pen. I also pack an old coated nylon poncho which I use sometimes for rain gear, sometimes for a tarp. When backpacking, I usually opt for the poncho (and the rain suit pants),

 

Gortex and similar fabrics are just too expensive for most Scouts and Scouting activities. I find coated nylon a good compromise.

 

I was looking for a rainsuit for my daughter the other day and could only find PVC suits in her size. My experience with straight PVC is that is is uncomfortable, tears easily, and just does not hold up. - same for PVC ponchos. So I compromised. She has a PCV poncho, and I got her a large coated nylon rain parka that reaches her knees - seems to work.

 

Ponchos: Almost everyone I know in Scouting uses inexpensive PVC Ponchos - including adults and more experienced Scouts and Scouters. I have always questioned the quality of a $5 poncho. Although they are better than none. Some even rely on those $1 clear plastic emergency ponchos. While again better than none I think they are better suited for "emergency" use - even I often carry one.

 

Most of our Scouters have better quality coated nylon rainsuits or ponchos while most of the Scouts use PCV ponchos - we do try to get them to spend a few bucks and get the ones that appear to be of better quality.

 

 

 

[Troop185]

After a week's canoeing trip in l990 in Northern Ontario, where it rained for 5 days in a row, I have refuse to take anyone (for a wilderness trip) without a rain suit. Two of the scouts had ponchos and one riped the sleeve off his, on a branch the second day. They were wet and cold the whole week.

 

Rain pants are vital around the campsite when everything is wet, and great to wear over your swimming suit when it is cold or you have to worry about sunburn. On most river trips in Ontario, you are getting in and out of the river a lot. Also, the rain pants protects you legs on the portages.

 

When we are backpacking, the rain pants serves as our back up pants. We do not have a lot or room for extra clothing. I had a scout fall into the lake last summer, and he wore the rain pants for the next 24 hours. Except for a change of socks and underwear, that is all any of us had for our lower bodies. (Blue geans take forever to dry, but that is another story.)

 

Youth rain suits are hard to find, but worth it. It is no fun being wet and cold.

[anarchist]

Right as rain on the poncho/rain suit combo! I do like the Red Ledge suits pants fit in a very small bag as does the Jacket. I also carry my fairly new coated (pvc or urethane)nylon Poncho. In camp during heavy rain I use the pants-poncho combo cause you don't sweat as much. And I cheat on canoe trips...I take my fly fishing jacket which allows vapor to pass through but best of all has adjustable neoprene cuffs that keep water from running back up your arm when you paddle.

 

For kids, I picked up two coated nylon suits from Walmart ($20.00 on sale) and two strips of Velcro.

Legs on the pants are long and wide but I slit the out side seams to lower-calf area and we tack-down the velcro on these 'slits'with a good coat of Barge cement and a few stitches top and bottom of seam(for good measure). The guys can then open this seam and slip the pants on right over their hiking shoes...My SM noted that his son said he had some serious "rain gear envy" after seeing my crew. Next camp saw them suited up 'jes like us'...give it a try... works darn well and if the guys "lose" it or get "spark" burned...dad doesn't break down and cry like he would if it was Gor-tex. Good gear question!

anarchist

[Grumpy]

I use the Marmot rain suit (top), and REI pants, and the OR Seattle Sombrero. I like the Marmot over the Red Ledge because I believe (a) the quality is better, and (b) the Marmot is cut better for us more eh... experienced Scouters. Now there are various levels of Marmot and Red Ledge and you get what you pay for, but these are just MHO.

 

I do like the Lowes Triple Point though.

 

Anybody use special gloves for the rain?

[red feather]

During the spring and summer rains generally no gloves. For cold weather rains or wet snow conditions I have two sets of gloves (sorry do not know the brands). One set has a waterproof middle lining (the inner lining is goretex) that keeps the cold moisture out but retains the sweat generated. The other set is for more intense wet conditions that are completely waterproof and can be sealed around the wrist to keep moisture from running inside. Both of these are good for only short term exposures as they do get cold after 45mins or so.

When expecting longer exposure times I just keep the gloves as dry as possible or do not get them wet at all.

yis