rain pants for the CF in late april/may?

[rorygilmore]

not sure whether to buy rain pants or just get a pair of gaiters and wear shorts if it rains!

what do you reckon?

 

[Tincatinker]

Skin drys easy. Sweaty trousers need a rinse. That early in the year I've usually carried a pair in anticipation of snow, cold rain and wind. And been grateful that I've never worn them more than twice

 

[Deleted member 67185]

not sure whether to buy rain pants or just get a pair of gaiters and wear shorts if it rains!

what do you reckon?

Shorts and bare legs. If the rain is really cold, then I put this on. It is just one manufacturer's model; there are others.

Like my poncho, I just grab it out of a side pocket. Then I wrap it around me while my pack stays on, and even while walking

 

[alhartman]

Also shorts and bare legs; rain jackets and pants just make rain sweat from the inside. I have used my Golite pants maybe 3 time to protect against wind chill.
But my Altus poncho is almost my favorite piece of gear: rain protection, eliminates pack cover, picnic blanket, ground cover, emergency shelter............

 

[Lucyk]

I'm leaving April 1 and I'm not bringing rain pants. I may regret this but I don't hugely mind having wet legs (I think...). I have a pack cover and a good rain jacket.

 

[SacredSteps]

I only hike in pants, so in heavy rain even silpants can get soaked through. I do as @davebugg does - a rain kilt - except mine is about 20g lighter! I'm not good at linking but yu can find it on Amazon here: 3F UL Rain Kilt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CG5TYBJ/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[Deleted member 67185]

I only hike in pants, so in heavy rain even silpants can get soaked through. I do as @davebugg does - a rain kilt - except mine is about 20g lighter! I'm not good at linking but yu can find it on Amazon here: 3F UL Rain Kilt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CG5TYBJ/?tag=casaivar02-20

And ya can't beat that price, either.

 

[AlexanderAZ]

I’m not a fan of ponchos or such, it's rain pants & jacket for me. I prefer all items I carry have multiple uses, so for my rain jacket & pants I can use them for additional warmth off trail if needed, wear while my clothes are being washed, etc. (I clearly don't have the confidence davebugg has if he's wearing that kilt around in the albergue while his clothes are being washed ). I am also not a fan of pack covers. It’s dry compression bags for me. That said, to each their own. Use what works for YOU. The Camino isn’t a remote wilderness hike. You will have multiple opportunities to change or add gear if something just isn’t working for you.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

(I clearly don't have the confidence davebugg has if he's wearing that kilt around in the albergue while his clothes are being washed )

I'm not THAT brave. I do have two pairs of shorts. Or it may be shorts and zip-offs. But, hey, in a pinch baselayer bottoms and a kilt are an ok combination

 

[GlennCamino]

When I went during this time 3 years ago I took them, however I used them twice maximum. When I leave again on the 17th April I won't be taking them as it is an extra thing to carry, and feel like I can manage one or two days if it rains heavily!

 

[Deleted member 43985]

It can often be plenty cold while it’s raining buckets in April, especially in the high passes. I’ve worn rain pants during these periods and never had issues of sweating inside but maybe because I’m not racing anywhere and just taking it nice and easy. Funny enough, I find walking in the rain relaxing, at least when I’m warm and dry!

 

[linkster]

I'm not THAT brave. I do have two pairs of shorts. Or it may be shorts and zip-offs. But, hey, in a pinch baselayer bottoms and a kilt are an ok combination

I brought my EE rain skirt on my first camino. It was a dark gray, but semi-transparent. I had a couple of uncomfortable hours in a public laundromat doing wash.

Our crew all did wash in Lavacolla, and I wore my rain skirt and a puff jacket to the bar. My amigo wasn't having it, and lent me a pair of shorts.

I now have a ZPacks rain skirt that is black, and opaque.

 

[J F Gregory]

I walked in the winter of 2016. I wore my rain pants only 2 times. There was more sweat on the inside than foul weather on the outside. I only wear quick dry hiking pants and extremely cold weather I wear a smart wool base layer to keep warm. I do a lot of hiking in the Cascade Mountains where it rains a lot.

 

[David Pettee]

Yes. We walked last year 4/28 to 6/4. There were four days of intense cold rain near the end. I had a great rain paints and was fine. My partner did not and she was miserable.

 

[Anniesantiago]

In all my Caminos I've never used either for more than a day or two.
Now I don't bother with them.
If it's raining THAT hard, I stop in at a bar and wait it out.

 

[Karl G]

The OP included the question of gaiters - will these keep the rain from running into your boots or shoes? I’ve been contemplating this same question but haven’t found anything about the effectiveness of short gaiters for this purpose.

 

[linkster]

Gaiters help keep water out of my shoes, but they do not keep my feet dry. I use them with my rain skirt instead of rain pants.

 

[4 Eyes]

Montbell sells rain skirts/kilts on line. They are on the short side but one can add snaps to anchor it onto shorts to add to the length. The skirt/kilt ventilates a lot better than rain pants. I have tested it and it works well. I have also tested the other option with the nylon silicon combination. It soaked through too quickly then became clammy and useless. Alternatively, long gaiters paired with poncho work well too.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

The OP included the question of gaiters - will these keep the rain from running into your boots or shoes? I’ve been contemplating this same question but haven’t found anything about the effectiveness of short gaiters for this purpose.

Gaiters are primarily designed to keep non liquid stuff out of boots. Sand, mud, snow, ice. While they can help shed SOME water away from footwear, it is not in their nature to keep water out of shoes and so they will disappoint if used for that purpose. And they will not be much help for puddles and such.

There are pilgrims who walk with leather boots that reach well above the ankle. For shedding water, these work best with gaiters.

It is a cost-benefit consideration. In general terms, the more successful at keeping water out, the heavier and less flexible footwear is.

 

[Dodger]

not sure whether to buy rain pants or just get a pair of gaiters and wear shorts if it rains!

what do you reckon?

I walk last year starting April 9 finishing in May, had about 4 days of bad rain, from day 2 until day 6. I walk the whole way in shorts.

 

[Bagman7540]

I did the CF April/May 2018 never needed Rain pants/gaiter... But I may have been lucky. I see them as added weight, not a critical item. IMHO Buen Camino

 

[keren ashkenazi]

hi,
i'm going to start my first camino on April 16 2019.
Did sombody use this and can recommend on it?

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1Ndx0OpXXXXcLaXXXq6xXFXXXB/222345816/HTB1Ndx0OpXXXXcLaXXXq6xXFXXXB.jpg

and what about the combuination of the coat above with the gaiters here?:

 

[trecile]

Did sombody use this and can recommend on it?

Search the forum for "Bluefield". There are several members who have used it.

 

[RachelNZ]

not sure whether to buy rain pants or just get a pair of gaiters and wear shorts if it rains!

what do you reckon?

I walked the same time as you in 2017. I had rain pants, not super thick ones and they rolled up to a tiny bundle. Well worth taking as it kept my shorts dry and the warmth in. There were a few rain days where the wind was bad also so I kept reasonably dry with these pants. I’m pleased I took them.

 

[anne a]

I walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP starting May 1, 2018. I used my gaiters, rain jacket, rain pants and down jacket on several days along the way. Between Santiago and Finnistere I hit rain, cold and high winds for 3 straight days and would have been hypothermic without this gear. While the conditions you encounter at that time of the year are highly variable -- there is a definite chance you might want both a rain jacket and rain pants. I'm walking the Camino del Norte this spring and will bring the same equipment again.

 

[pjacobi]

I suggest that you buy something and try it out at home with at long walk in the rain. Figure out what works for you a try to improve your rain gear from experience. Don't try your gear for the first time on the Camino!

-Paul