Can we talk about how a single piece of gear can wreck a trip?

Got caught in a surprise downpour in the Adirondacks because my 3-year-old rain jacket's DWR coating was totally gone. I was soaked through in 10 minutes and spent the rest of the afternoon shivering in my tent. Anyone have a go-to brand for a truly waterproof shell that actually holds up?

3 comments

3 Comments

paulschmidt1mo ago

Shivering in your tent" sounds like a great way to ruin a hike.

leo6121mo ago

Tell me about it, I've turned shivering into an Olympic sport on some trips. How many layers did you end up wearing?

faithwalker1mo ago

Been there. Had a cheap poncho fail on me during a coastal hike, wind just shredded it. That damp, cold feeling gets into your bones and just kills the mood. I ended up grabbing a Marmot PreCip shell a while back, and it's been solid through some heavy rain. The key is reapplying that DWR coating every so often, most people forget.