Backpacking in the Cold and Wet

[wayno]

http://www.christownsendoutdoors.com/20 ... d-wet.html

Lightweight backpacking is easy in warm, dry climates. It’s not that difficult in cold, dry climates either. You just need warmer clothing and sleeping bag. Change that dry to wet though and backpacking, light or heavy, becomes much harder. Staying comfortable when the rain pours down, wet mist swirls over the land and the ground is sodden requires the right equipment and the skill to use it efficiently, especially when such conditions last for days or even weeks at a time. In some places such conditions are not unusual. I’ve hiked for weeks a time in cold, wet weather in the Scottish Highlands, the Norwegian mountains and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As I live in the Scottish Highlands I hike and camp in cold, wet weather regularly every year and have done so for over thirty years during which time I’ve tested a huge range of equipment and discovered what works well in the wet and cold and what doesn’t. I’ve also developed techniques that make the best use of equipment and minimize the chance of getting wet and cold, which is the big danger. Staying completely dry is not an option in these conditions; the choice is between being damp and comfortable or wet and cold.

[stry]

Good link thanks Wayno.

The UK certainly tests commitment. I actually spent a day in the Cairngorms in exactly the weather shown in the cover photo. Memories

[greyim]

Hi Wayno, It's a good point, I've never been lightweight on wet trips...
Can you advise, examples of a "windshirt" also Paramo, do we have similar here. Merino I understand!

[wayno]

Hi Wayno, It's a good point, I've never been lightweight on wet trips...
Can you advise, examples of a "windshirt" also Paramo, do we have similar here. Merino I understand!

Paramo is a brand, has a layering system. they use water resistant layer as their outer shell. more of a softshell, heavier than windshirt

just google windshirt, theres heaps of examples. ultralight nylon shell.. all the main brands have them.

http://www.gearbuyer.com/site/search.ht ... best_match

[Moondog55]

I use an old Puma mesh lined microfibre top treated with Nikwax with a LW pile or fleece under it and it works on exactly the same principle as the Paramo
Also Google Buffalo Sports as they did it first from memory
Windshirts have been around ever since finely woven windproof fabrics were developed, heck PaddyPallin sold them in the 60s and 70s made from fine green japara

[walkerchris77]

Great link wayno. Thanks

[wayno]

A lot of Paramo users swear by it because its a more breathable arrangement than a traditional rainshell, but paramo is really designed for colder climates when you dont have heavy rain and you can get away without having a rainshell. i see a lot of people from the northern hemisphere in NZ relying on some form of softshell clothing as their outershell and no raincoat, and it just won't cope with a lot of NZ rain conditions... ideally if you go walking here for any decent length of time you should have a waterproof jacket at least..

[DanShell]

Thanks for the link it has some great information from a person who has obviously tried and tested a lot of gear.

For the record I use an outdoor research wind jacket, I think it's just silnylon but it's very light a definitely works for its intended purpose.

[corvus]

Had a wry smile about this post having grown up in Scotland and doing my introduction to hiking there in the early sixties using mostly ex army gear and always in my Kilt as that was part of our Scout Uniform. I must say that I never hiked in the "real Highlands" however we had plenty of high places including the Glenniffer Braes
and Misty Law Muire where we could experience cleaner snow than that which was outside our front doors .
No high tech gear just very basic stuff lots of wool ,oilskin and open fires or if lucky a Primus stove paraffin fueled and heavy as (have a reproduction one in my collection) sleeping bag was Kapok filled with a "waterproof base" and our ground sheet and mat was our waterproof "gas cape " which was also our "raincoat" if you did not carry an oilskin.
Happy days remembered however I guess not unlike some early Tasmanian experiences from back then

[walkabout]

Tremendous effort, Corvus! My only experience of Scotland was about 30 years ago on a whirlwind trip of Britain. We cut short our time in Scotland (Aug - summer) because it never stopped raining! But I have to admit, I wish we had spent more time there, it was beautiful.