Rain, rain stay away from my stuff...

[Caminomary525]

I am struggling to reduce my pack weight. My rain strategy is getting much attention.

I am committed to a lightweight rain jacket (6.5 oz and useful for windbreaker and warmth) and rain pants(8 oz. and not breathable but cheaper and, heh, I don't expect to us the pants except on the Camino).

My quandary comes from the Pack. I got the new Altus poncho which covers the pack but the thing weighs 11.6 oz. and is not easy to put on. A pack cover weighs 6.1 oz. , a savings in weight. However, it seems to me that the goal is not so much to keep the PACK but to keep the pack contents dry. A 35 L dry bag to go inside my 45 L pack weighs only 2.2 oz.

So what is missing from this temptation to save 9.4 oz.? What wisdom can the group offer me?

Thanks.

 

[Maggie97520]

My kids are frequent backpackers - they recommend using a heavy duty garbage bag to line the interior of your pack and to stuff your sleeping bag in a separate garbage bag that goes inside the liner bag. Then use zip lock bags as double protection for journals, electronics, etc. Not sure how quiet it will be, but they say it's the light way to go.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

With just a pack cover, rain can roll down your back and inside the cover.

I don't see how you are having a problem putting on the Altus. Swing it over your head from the front and let it settle on the pack (face into any wind). Leave it hanging there until it starts raining, then put your arms into the sleeves. Simple as pie (though I never found pie all that simple; maybe it should be simple as pi, though that may be complex also).

 

[muzzal]

{My quandary comes from the Pack. I got the new Altus poncho which covers the pack but the thing weighs 11.6 oz. and is not easy to put on. A pack cover weighs 6.1 oz. , a savings in weight. However, it seems to me that the goal is not so much to keep the PACK but to keep the pack contents dry. A 35 L dry bag to go inside my 45 L pack weighs only 2.2 oz.}

I'm in favour of the Altus. Consider that a wet pack can be a lot heavier than a dry one - the shoulder and hip straps in particular tend to be heavily padded and act like sponges! It would be an interesting exercise to measure the dry and wet pack weights.

Also, the length and volume of the Altus may mean you could dispense with the rain pants. In one of my other posts, I mention that I made up a pair of half length rain pants by attaching the rain pants to the top half of a pair of convertible/zip-off trousers.

Just my 2 cents worth...
Cheers

Murray

 

[CaroleH]

The Altus covers you, your pack, your legs. Just not the feet/boots. You don't need all those internal dry packs, nor the waterproof trousers, nor a separate pack cover. Overall, a winner. IMHO.
We've used Altus, well and truly tested, and the only thing to get wet, our feet.

You'll soon learn to put it on, then, as Falcon says, leave it over your pack as a cape, pretend you're Batman! :wink:

My two cents worth..
Carole

 

[backpack45]

We use the Packa (which has pitzips), rainjackets, rainpants, line our bags with the heavy duty trash compactor bags, and wrap some of the contents in turkey baster bags. Some might say this is overkill--and it probably would be for May (?), June, July, August, and September on the Camino Frances. On the other hand, if you have even been in France on the LePuy route in May, during a lightning and thunderstorm with drenching rain, you will know that all of this is wonderful to have. I'm saying it depends on when and where you go--and also a bit of luck.

True, the important thing is to keep the contents of you backpack dry, however, if the pack itself gets soaked, that adds to the weight that you are carrying. I don't like packcovers because I have never found one that didn't let water in around the shoulder straps. It takes a few attempts to learn how to put the Packa (or similar) on, but you can put it over your pack ahead of need, and slip into the arms if the rain gets serious.

If you expect to encounter much rain, my advice is to save weight somewhere else than on raingear. (You can get hypothermia at temperatures above 40 degrees if you get too chilled from getting soaked.) I am not suggesting that this is likely to happen on the meseta in August, but it is possible in the Pyrenees or the Cantabrian in January.)

My pack, with all the raingear, etc. is usually about 15 pounds and I pretty much feel that I am prepared for anything from about 30 (or less) to 100 (or more) degrees -- and we have experienced everything in this range of temperatures at one time or another on Camino routes.

 

[Tincatinker]

The distinct advantage of the Altus over a rain-jacket pack-cover combination is that the Altus covers you and your pack simultaneously. This prevents wicking of rain through the pressure points on your shoulders and hips where the straps and belt run. Even very high quality goretex rain jackets will wick moisture under the pressure of laden pack straps.

 

[Caminomary525]

So what about my leaving the rain pants at home? The new Altus is shorter than the classic ones. My mine stops just below the knees and I am 5'3" tall. If my hiking trousers are cinched around my mid-length boots, will that keep the rain pouring off the Altus from flooding my boots?

 

[muzzal]

So what about my leaving the rain pants at home? The new Altus is shorter than the classic ones. My mine stops just below the knees and I am 5'3" tall. If my hiking trousers are cinched around my mid-length boots, will that keep the rain pouring off the Altus from flooding my boots?

Whether you get your boots wet will depend on the weather conditions such as when it's windy and the rain is coming in at an angle. You may want to try gaiters; even the ankle ones should channel any rain over the tops of your socks and boots. They don't weigh much and are useful in keeping dust, stones and those horrible hooked seeds out.

Cheers

Murray

 

[StuartM]

My kids are frequent backpackers - they recommend using a heavy duty garbage bag to line the interior of your pack and to stuff your sleeping bag in a separate garbage bag that goes inside the liner bag. Then use zip lock bags as double protection for journals, electronics, etc. Not sure how quiet it will be, but they say it's the light way to go.

That's what I've always done. You can get rucksack liners in outdoor shops, various sized fabric bags with a neoprene coating and taped seams, a bit more robust than plastic bags for not a lot of weight. Everything inside just goes in plastic bags as a back-up. It's worked well on mountain trips and a lot of time spent on boats. I've never bothered with a rucksack cover.

I much prefer a waterproof jacket as well. Most of the walking I do is in hilly, upland areas and ponchoes just look a pain in windy conditions from what I've seen. I only use waterproof trousers in winter and then only if I'm going to be out a long time. Waterproof trousers are really only worth buying if you are going to spend a lot of money, otherwise the inconvenience of them usually means they stay firmly in your pack. You can buy a pair of really good gaiters for less than what you'd pay for a pair of crap trousers which will keep your feet dry far better.

An alternative is companies like Montane make fabric trousers that have a water repellant (not waterproof though) coating. Good for summer walking, they feel like normal walking trousers but resist light rain.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

These are so light, they are hard to weigh! They are only water resistant, though.

http://www.rei.com/product/794946/rei-l ... stuff-sack

A garbage can liner is waterproof, and very inexpensive, and a bit noisy. If you are segmenting items into stuff sacks, these REI bags are excellent, and will keep items dry unless they are left in standing water.

 

[Thomas1962]

A garbage can liner is waterproof, and very inexpensive, and a bit noisy. If you are segmenting items into stuff sacks, these REI bags are excellent, and will keep items dry unless they are left in standing water.

On my first camino I took a few plastic bags to put in all my stuf, but found myself making a lot of noise with these bags each morning. I did hate myself at those moments as I also hate to be woken up by other early people packing their bag with noise plaxtic bags.
Now I take a few stuff sacks, put nearly everything in it. It gives me no noise, a well organised backpack and they keep things dry as well!

 

[CaminoGen]

Re: Re: Rain, rain stay away from my stuff...

A garbage can liner is waterproof, and very inexpensive, and a bit noisy. If you are segmenting items into stuff sacks, these REI bags are excellent, and will keep items dry unless they are left in standing water.

On my first camino I took a few plastic bags to put in all my stuf, but found myself making a lot of noise with these bags each morning. I did hate myself at those moments as I also hate to be woken up by other early people packing their bag with noise plaxtic bags.
Now I take a few stuff sacks, put nearly everything in it. It gives me no noise, a well organised backpack and they keep things dry as well!

And we all thank you for that. I have 3 Outdoor Research zip bags that weight next to nothing in which everything fit. Makes is so much easier to pack and unpack too.

 

[Deleted member 29041]

Take a look at ZPacks Waterproof Breathable Cuben Rain Jacket and ZPacks Waterproof Breathable Cuben Rain Pants, plus either a ZPacks Cuben Fiber Packcovers, or a plastic liner INSIDE the backpack. A plastic liner may also keep bugs out of your pack - if you remember to keep it closed.

The clothes do look rather flimsy, but have been tested extensively - there's a link to a review below the images on the jacket page.

I've tried the new style Altus, and I hate it. I've also tried the Ferrino Trekker, and I love it, but find it a bit heavy, and I'll still get wet lower legs.

 

[PHJohnson]

Check this web page out from the ultra lite hiking world: http://sectionhiker.com/how-to-keep-you ... ctor-bags/

 

[NicoZ]

These are so light, they are hard to weigh! They are only water resistant, though.

http://www.rei.com/product/794946/rei-l ... stuff-sack

A garbage can liner is waterproof, and very inexpensive, and a bit noisy. If you are segmenting items into stuff sacks, these REI bags are excellent, and will keep items dry unless they are left in standing water.

I don't think you need 100% water proof but if people want that then look at the water sport sections.

http://www.rei.com/category/4501503

I don't think I've ever seen a garbage bag that didn't rip sooner or later. Garbage bags tend to be made strong enough to get to the curb and not for long term.

I use a collection of bags. A big one for dirty clothes. Smaller ones to keep things sorted.

 

[Anne100]

We use the Packa (which has pitzips)

I second this. A Packa is a pack cover + rain jacket that also covers the top half of your legs. You can get it made with different fabrics and the 10D silnylon Packa weighs 8 ounces. Can't beat that. No wet straps and no rain running down your back. It folds into its own pocket for storage and you can even use it as a pillow at night. Those pit zips are the best in the industry, too.

 

[Espero]

I carry a Frogg Toggs DriDucks rain suit stored in a home made cuben fiber stuff sack. The jacket serves dual purpose as a wind breaker. Total weight 10 oz. To keep the backpack contents dry, I use a plastic bag as a liner and pack all my stuff in home made cuben fiber stuff sacks. It works for me here in the Sierras.