Staying dry in Oct. Options needed

[jo webber]

Our Camino on the Francis is close, just 5 weeks.

We start 9/9 in St Jean. Walking slow and stopping in several places to enjoy the history, churches etc. We will probably not get to Santiago until the end of Oct. I'm sure it will rain some of the days. What have you found works best for keeping yourself and your pack dry?

I need to keep the weight down. I am ok with warm and wet, but not cold and wet.

 

[SabsP]

Hi , same as keeping dry in March/April.
Layering and layering.
And then I prefer a rainjacket, raintrousers and a decent raincover for the backpack.
Others here prefer a poncho.

Lots of albergues provide old newspapers ; ideal to put in wet shoes for soaking up the wetness.

 

[Kitsambler]

The lightest weight rain jacket/pants combo available in the US right now (I realize I'm going out on a limb!) is the Helium II jacket and Helium pants, from OR. REI et al carry them. The Ferrino Trekker sleeved poncho/raincoat (available from Amazon) is another favorite on this forum, less expensive but but heavier. September will be quite warm - even hot in the early weeks. Late October near Santiago will definitely be cool.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi Jo ,
We can't predict the weather but what we can do is taking raingear with us.
For me is that a light weight rain jacket and trouser.
And try to keep your feet dry.
Wish you a wonderful time and a Buen Camino,Peter.

 

[jo webber]

The Ferrino Trekker weighs more than a pound. I like the coat/pack style of the Ferrino. I would prefer a poncho, just easier to get in and out of and no wet pack straps. In a heavy, long rain I think the pack would end up wet.

As I am 5ft tall, what ever I get, I can cut shorter to get rid of some weight.

 

[jo webber]

This might work. I would need to use my clothes line around my waist in any wind. Not sure it would keep me dry due to the sides just having snaps.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CORQPW8/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Altus "poncho"
Mac in a Sac rain pants
Euroschrimm handless umbrella.

 

[NicP]

I took a large plastic garbage bag to line my backpack with - it kept everything dry in the spring rain in Galicia, It was light enough, and I was away long enough, that I took a spare one with me just in case my cheap garbage bag got a hole in it - it never happened.

 

[jerbear]

Cuban fiber poncho. Www.zpacks.com joe makes great products. Also fits over pack. Great product. 4 oz. I believe. BC jo.

 

[tjb1013]

I had a rain jacket already but grabbed the Frog Toggs Pro Action Pant. Weighs 17 ounces (men's) but has the virtue of being cheap. Others here have had good experience with the waterproofing, I haven't had to try them out yet. No bells and whistles (like pockets) but I am opting to put my $$$ in other stuff. Can't endorse (yet) on anything other than price.

http://www.froggtoggs.com/mens/pants/pro-action-rain-pants.html

http://www.froggtoggs.com/womens/pants-shorts/women-s-pro-action-pants.html

 

[JulieandPeter]

This thread may help: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/poncho.49496/#post-539909
Buen Camino!

 

[jo webber]

Cuban fiber poncho. Www.zpacks.com joe makes great products. Also fits over pack. Great product. 4 oz. I believe. BC jo.

Looks interesting. Thanks.
I also took a look at the rain kilt. It would be very easy to make one. Not sure if one could walk in a strong wind though.

 

[HedaP]

Looks interesting. Thanks.
I also took a look at the rain kilt. It would be very easy to make one. Not sure if one could walk in a strong wind though.

My sister walked the camino with the rain kilt. It might have been fine in summer but not the warmest choice in Sept/Oct. She's walking the length of New Zealand starting this Sept and has replaced the kilt with rain pants. Rain pants have the added advantage of acting as an extra layer on dry days if the wind gets cold. I found the zpack ones to be comfortable to wear.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Our Camino on the Francis is close, just 5 weeks. We start 9/9 in St Jean. Walking slow and stopping in several places to enjoy the history, churches etc. We will probably not get to Santiago until the end of Oct. I'm sure it will rain some of the days. What have you found works best for keeping yourself and your pack dry? I need to keep the weight down. I am ok with warm and wet, but not cold and wet.

Prior, proper preparation prevents P*** poor performance!! So yes its a good question.
I started out as a rain coat and pack-cover pilgrim, however after two episodes of rainwater running down the back of coat and soaking the bottom of my backpack I think I would opt for a good quality, light-weight poncho that covers me and the pack. If its really raining, but not overly cold I am now in the camp of zipping off the lower leg of my pants, or simply wearing shorts. Yes you might get run-off into the socks and thus have wet feet inside your boots, but (imho) unless its really heavy rain the moisture will be no greater than that which accumulates on a hot or long day.
Totally agree with your plans to stop at all/any points of interest - there is a lot of Spanish history on the Camino Frances.
Buen Camino

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I walked Camino Frances from 1 Oct 2015 through 10 November. One day, it was pouring down rain, so I got out my rain pants.

About three hours later, I felt kind of a drippy, wet sensation traveling down my butt and thighs. I stopped, leaned my hiking poles against a stone fence, swung off my pack, and pulled the rain pants off my body, down around my knees.

They had come apart from the waistband to just below the butt, and were hanging like a weird butt flap, like the old-style one-piece pajamas! I laughed so hard I was nearly howling.

And the other pilgrims just kept walking on by!

I took them off and they went into the next garbage bin.

 

[intrepidtraveler]

The lightest weight rain jacket/pants combo available in the US right now (I realize I'm going out on a limb!) is the Helium II jacket and Helium pants, from OR. REI et al carry them. The Ferrino Trekker sleeved poncho/raincoat (available from Amazon) is another favorite on this forum, less expensive but but heavier. September will be quite warm - even hot in the early weeks. Late October near Santiago will definitely be cool.

I have the OR Helium2 rain jacket (referenced above ) which I used on the Camino Norte. Yes, it's lightweight but I was really disappointed in its performance. For light-moderate rain I stayed dry. For hours on end of rain, which can happen on the Camino, it didn't get the job done. Got the best performance from a plastic poncho.

 

[jo webber]

like the old-style one-piece pajamas!

Funny!!! Not at the time probably, but now a fun memory.

 

[jony jony]

I took a large plastic garbage bag to line my backpack with - it kept everything dry in the spring rain in Galicia, It was light enough, and I was away long enough, that I took a spare one with me just in case my cheap garbage bag got a hole in it - it never happened.

I am with Nicp on this one ....i took 2 garbage bags , one to line my backpack and one to sit on and keep my backpack off the dirty/muddy ground . Ohh and a lightweight poncho

 

[SMBHNL]

Frogg Toggs Ultralights

 

[vegoodrich]

I'm a pretty lightweight trekker and still consider a good rain jacket and lightweight rain pants critical I only wore the rain pants 2x on the Camino in October 2015; however, the rain jackets got used off and on and can be used as an extra layer wind-breaker if you get chilly. A lightweight 3/4 zip fleece will keep you warm under a raincoat and work even if it gets a bit wet. I don't work for REI but if you search 3/4 zip fleece sale they are a really good deal right now (1/2 off). My basic top layers are lightweight shirt/fleece/rain coat. As many, or as few worn as needed!

I use a garbage compactor bag from a grocery store in my pack and don't use a pack cover and everything stays DRY. Rain pack covers often allow rain to trickle down along the shoulder straps, etc. A lot of long distance thru-hikers in the US use trash compactor bags so it works well for 2000+ miles! I have an extra one folded at the bottom if the first one starts to get worn out. They weigh very little. I've never personally had luck with ponchos which turn into a sail/kite for me if the wind picks up...I'll let you chuckle at that visual!

Buen Camino!!!!!

 

[Kanga]

Altus all-in-one raincoat/poncho/backpack cover. Long enough to cover the legs too (shorts underneath are good).

For those who don't know what they are like:




Zip front opening all the way down the front so they can be left half open, or pulled off as needed and hung off the back of the pack, to be pulled on quickly if necessary.

We are all still looking for the holy grail in wet weather gear, but for the camino this is the best I've found so far.

These can be purchased a couple of places along the Camino Frances (SJPDP is one), and also at a shop in Madrid - http://zorba.es/home/207-altus-poncho-atmospheric-s3.html?search_query=poncho&results=1

 

[Kanga]

I think the Trekmate is more of a poncho than a raincoat. The Altus is more of a raincoat, it is not open at the sides, and it has proper sleeves, with either elastic at the cuff, or (preferably) like mine, with velcro cuffs. Also the Altus opens all the way down the front with a zip.

I have also looked at the Vaude, which is very similar to the Trekmate, but made out of "breathable" fabric. But again, the Vaude does not open down the front. I like the front opening because it makes it easy to leave partially open for aeration, also easy to take on and off without disturbing my pack.

 

[Kanga]

I can assure you @jesper K if someone comes up with something better - I'd be very excited! Actually, my umbrella is really my preferred option, but it does not work in wind. So if I can just arrange for rain without wind, then all will be terrific.....

 

[hampshire!tim]

I am ok with warm and wet

Based on my own experience, any kind of effective rain gear, be it jacket and trousers or poncho, leads to a significant heat build up, so I would hazard a guess that warm and wet is the most likely outcome.

Drizzle and showers get shrugged off, but rain gets in somehow, and if it doesn't, the condensation makes it seem as if it does.

But body temperature stays fine and cold only becomes a problem if you stop for a while. So if you stop, get the wet gear off asap and let ventilation prevent the chill onset.

I always put backpack contents into smaller dry-sacks inside another larger dry-sack, so that I don't care if the backpack itself gets a soaking, or even suffering some ingress.

Cheap ponchos don't last more than a day of use. Don't waste your money or your time, and don't rely on them for repeat use. I got a heavy duty one from Decathlon which can take some punishment, but it is heavy, bulky and very hot with lots of condensation.

I now use one from Rohan for heavy winter rain - it's lighter and more ventilated. At other times, I just use a waterproof jacket (Rohan Elite - expensive but good) and a pair of their DRY REQUISITE TROUSERS - warm, effective with only a small amount of condensation. Yes, all Rohan - can't avoid the expense, but (a) it's worth it in my opinion, and (b) I've learnt never to pay full ticket price - just wait for one of their regular sales - 4-6 times a year it seems.

I hate over-trousers - they make for uncomfortable walking. I'd rather have wet legs. Just my 2p. The Rohan Dry Reqs are the answer for me. Or calf-length gaiters and a poncho.

 

[lt56ny]

Our Camino on the Francis is close, just 5 weeks.

We start 9/9 in St Jean. Walking slow and stopping in several places to enjoy the history, churches etc. We will probably not get to Santiago until the end of Oct. I'm sure it will rain some of the days. What have you found works best for keeping yourself and your pack dry?

I need to keep the weight down. I am ok with warm and wet, but not cold and wet.

What SabineP wrote is perfect advice. But I go with a poncho. The newspaper advice is huge. Pick up papers in bars along the way. As I wrote in another post I stuff my sneakers with newspaper as soon as I arrive change them after about an hour and then finally I will change them again before I go to sleep with fresh newspaper. My shoes are always dry in the morning. I have had pouring rain and 30 mile an hour winds on the Maseta and 90°, not a cloud in the sky on the Maseta at the same time of year in different Caminos. I walked in the Galicia. One year I had three days of snow with accumulations of about three or 4 inches in October and three or four days of snow and rain on the same Camino.with the other time it being sunny and blue sky's and 50s to 70's every day.
Be prepared for everything pack light get good under armor and you will be fine. I worried like crazy tone my first Camino and everything worked out just fine !

 

[Jeri]

Our Camino on the Francis is close, just 5 weeks.

We start 9/9 in St Jean. Walking slow and stopping in several places to enjoy the history, churches etc. We will probably not get to Santiago until the end of Oct. I'm sure it will rain some of the days. What have you found works best for keeping yourself and your pack dry?

I need to keep the weight down. I am ok with warm and wet, but not cold and wet.

Altus raincoat. Available along the camino. Light weight and covers the pack. I highly recommend it. You can take your arms out and hang it over your pack like a cape in intermittent rain.

 

[PEI_Heather]

Last October it rained for about three minutes between SJPP and the border of Leon and Galicia. Maybe four minutes.

As soon as we crossed into Galicia, it rained for about 30 minutes.

Driest Camino I've ever walked. It was awesome!

Because there is a heatwave and little to no rain happening now, I wonder if it will rain at all while you are walking. (Answer: who really know??)

I put my stuff into a dry bag in my pack then have a rain poncho a la Altus that goes over me and the lack. Works for me.

 

[Mike Savage]

Raincoat and pants have worked for me in the past along with a pack cover but the problem has been trying to see through wet glasses. This year I am bringing an umbrella to see if that works any better at keeping the lenses of my glasses dry.

 

[C clearly]

the problem has been trying to see through wet glasses.

Using a visor (or baseball cap) under your hood works wonders.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I will also comment that I can tolerate ANY discomfort for six hours. A little wet? a little cold? Exhausted? no problem. Six hours of discomfort is nothin'. You know it. You've been through it.

 

[jo webber]

A little wet? a little cold? Exhausted?

All three together is a recipe for disaster.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

All three together is a recipe for disaster.

On top of the mountains, yes.

But hiking around on a rainy day, you are going to get tired and wet and could also get cold.

If you are hiking 14 miles daily, you're going to be feeling it.

I used an Altus with lots of layers of merino well an incredibly sensible gear, except for the rain pants.

Buen Camino!