Is it worth bring waterproof gear in August?

[Lowther99]

Hello,

I'm leaving at the end of month and it's only occurred to me that it MAY rain. I don't want to have to pay to buy a load of gear, not to wear it! But will I need it...?

Thanks,

Aaron.

 

[sulu]

It may well rain, almost certainly you will encounter a thunder storm somewhere.
Personally I don't walk in August, I barely even walk through the village because I know I will get all wet and sweaty.
I walked in June and just wore shorts and a top that dried quickly. Just ensure that your back pack is well water-proofed, so you have dry clothes to change into when you stop. Rain proof gear just makes you wetter than you were anyway and skin dries easily
So far summer is very warm and there are lots of thunder storms.

 

[Chefaj]

a friend of mine who had done four Caminos said to me, Plan for sunshine but prepare for rain...

 

[sulu]

Actually, re-thinking, it probably would be useful. Most of the thunderstorms are in the evening, just at the time that you would be thinking about food, either going to buy or going to eat. Whilst you are hot and sweaty a bit of rain can be pleasant or coped with, once you are clean and dry you probably want to stay that way.

 

[whariwharangi]

Here is something to consider in your decision making:

http://www.outdoor.com/skills/backpacki ... pothermia/

Consider too that you are walking through three mountain passes above 1000 meters with a reputation for weather.

I would at least bring a poncho.

 

[ZacM]

Galicia is known for crazy weather... Personally, my "waterproof" pants did not work well and just made me cold during my hike.... Shorts worked much better than pants because drying time was much quicker!

I would recommend just having a poncho that covers you and your bag. I just used a deuter bag cover but the Altus ponchos I saw other people wearing seemed much more reliable and convenient!

You'll be there for a long time... It's going to rain a little bit.... If you get caught in a thunderstorm without a poncho you will wish you had something that kept your stuff dry! If you don't get caught in stormy weather the poncho isn't exactly the heaviest thing in your bag...

 

[NicoZ]

It'll be August. Even at 2000 metres daytime temps aren't cold.

Lets put things in perspective. The weather report for a local 1900slm hiking area has a daytime high of 14 today. That's the coldest it'll be all week. Most of the week is 20c. 1900 metres!

Using the 0.7degree rule that means 1000 metres would be 6+ degrees warmer.

Glancing at Spain Bilbao is 30 degrees and raining today. Do you really want to be walking in your own personal sauna? Or would you be better off getting a warm shower?

August worry about heat stroke. Worry about too much sun. Worry about dehydration.

Just make sure your bag is set up to keep your stuff dry.

 

[whariwharangi]

It'll be August. Even at 2000 metres daytime temps aren't cold.

Lets put things in perspective. The weather report for a local 1900slm hiking area has a daytime high of 14 today. That's the coldest it'll be all week. Most of the week is 20c. 1900 metres!

You would be better served by knowing the daytime lows.

I've hiked in mountains in August and had snow following on a plus 30c day ... admittedly not in Spain.

Even 14c has potential for hypothermia if you are wet and have no energy from a long day of walking. Thats without considering effect of wind chill.

 

[JabbaPapa]

The rain in Galicia can be INSANE. Trying to waterproof your body against it is a hopeless ploy, but waterproofing your phone and any other electronics and your credencial and any other paper is something you should think about ...

 

[Thornley]

There are that many sites on google that give you the YEARLY averages , the coming MONTH forecasts , the coming weeks etc
The lowest temp before Galicia is around 20c plus.......you don't want to look at the top.

Bag cover , light $2 poncho and stop worrying,
As Nico wrote,
Have plenty of water
My advice;
Start early [ 6.30 am as everyone else will be ] stop at lunch time [1.30pm onwards ] thats 5hrs and enjoy. Daylight is always around 7.00am and we love to be JUST on the way when this occurs ...its beautiful.

 

[NoQ]

The many unhappy folk who left Samos yesterday morning without any waterproof clothing whatsoever, let alone a decent poncho, as well as those that got caught in very cold and wet weather the previous morning between Alto do Poio and Fonfria, would surely attest to the need to bring clothes for wet days as they can hit any time.

I have so far used my wet weather gear 4 times between Roncesvalles and Ventas de Naron and the small extra weight has been more than compensated by the benefits received.

 

[Tincatinker]

Take an umbrella. Great in the rain, shade in the sun and a remarkably effective dog repellant.

 

[julie]

My usual policy is that if I can't guarantee I'll need something, I don't take it. There are two exceptions to this rule - wet weather gear and a basic first aid kit.

 

[Linda SLP]

Galicia is known for crazy weather... Personally, my "waterproof" pants did not work well and just made me cold during my hike.... Shorts worked much better than pants because drying time was much quicker!

I would recommend just having a poncho that covers you and your bag. I just used a deuter bag cover but the Altus ponchos I saw other people wearing seemed much more reliable and convenient!

You'll be there for a long time... It's going to rain a little bit.... If you get caught in a thunderstorm without a poncho you will wish you had something that kept your stuff dry! If you don't get caught in stormy weather the poncho isn't exactly the heaviest thing in your bag...

Have you considered a rain skirt? You can also use that as a ground cover or a multitude of other things. I got one and will use it on my next camino.

 

[OTH86]

Maybe check in with the OP and ask him what he finally decided on, and did it work - 8 years ago.