“Water is the universal solvent. Give it enough time and it will cut through anything.” I’m paraphrasing my high-school science teacher, Mr. Parente, with this quote. It was freshman year and we were discussing the water cycle and in particular, the way water cuts through the rock over time as is the case with the Grand Canyon. It’s true, water will cut through everything if you give it long enough. In the case of what we pack and our morale, it doesn’t take long for water to penetrate through. What is it about water when it comes from the sky that makes dealing with it that much more difficult? Maybe it is the fact that rain doesn’t care what it falls on and that each drop is a little victory it wins over how dry you are. Wet weather mustn’t be taken lightly and we must recognize that it can demoralize us, slow us down, and kill us in the right conditions. How then, does one pack for wet weather? Follow along as I break this down into two sections; packing for yourself and packing for your gear.

Keeping Your Body Dry

Since wet weather will affect your head first, we’ll address packing for wet weather from the top down. Starting with your head, a good wide-brim hat will work wonders to keep the rain out of your face and off the back of your neck. I’m partial to Tilley Hats but any sombrero-style hat will work fine. If you have a baseball cap, you’ll find out that your face will stay dry but water will find its way down your neck. A baseball hat with a good functional hood on a jacket is an alternative but in the heaviest of downpours, the hood alone is the better option since the brim of the hat can transport water inside the hood. Some hikers have even started carrying umbrellas on the trail. This sounds ridiculous to some but having a standoff between your head and the impact of the rain is appreciated to keep your sanity.

Regardless of the season, you need to have an exterior shell to protect you from the elements. Nothing will beat a quality hard-shell and poncho combination if you are stationary. If you must move around, a parka-length jacket is better than a waist-length jacket. Softshells will shed light precipitation but a good waterproof/breathable shell is the way to go in the heaviest of downpours. If you notice you are still damp on the inside of your jacket, you may be perspiring and the moisture is your sweat, not the rain. Unzip your jacket pit-zips if you have them or find shelter and remove a layer or two to prevent overheating.

Your rain suit is not complete unless you address the lower half of your body. A good set of rain pants worn over a set of gaiters is the way to go. If you decide to throw your gaiters on over your rain pants, you’ll find the water running off your jacket will also run down your pants and into your boots. Consider this too, a poncho is optimized when worn with a set of rain pants otherwise the bottom of your pants and boots will get wet. There are ultralight overboots you can purchase for crossing creeks but these are limited in their utility and not meant for long-distance trekking. Let your lower body get wet and you’ll find out the discomfort that is associated with a wet ass. Sit on a cold rock and the loss of body heat is amplified.

Finally arriving at your feet from this packing list going from head to toe, consider what boots you are wearing and how water resistant they may be. Boots with waterproof liners may not breathe and as a result, your feet will sweat. Also, low-cut boots won’t protect your feet from puddles that are deeper than they are tall. These puddles can form in wet weather and they can ruin your day. Think about always carrying a dry set of socks to change into at night. The damp pair can be rung out well and placed in your sleeping bag with you. Your body heat should dry them out as you sleep. A pro tip is using baby powder on your feet before you sleep too. That will help dry out any residual moisture before you slip it into your bag.

Keeping Your Kit Dry

In the early days of the American frontier, “keep your powder dry” was a common order among long hunters, explorers, and soldiers. Water can be an absolute nightmare to the working order of your kit. In terms of the powder reference, you must distrust your carry ammunition if the primers get wet. I make it a point to rotate my carry ammo out by using it the way Gaston Glock intended. Luckily, as long as you carry concealed and dress according to the suggestions previously mentioned, your ammo should stay dry unless you fall into a pool. What you carry on your person for EDC should be mostly water-resistant. Lights from Streamlight and Surefire are pretty good with moisture, firesteels will light even after they are submerged and shaken off, knives can be wiped dry. What you need to worry about are the items you carry in your pack.

Your backpack has a lot of seams. Top loader or panel loader, it probably has zippers or draw-strings just waiting to let water in. Your pack can be protected with basic Ziploc bags, trash bags, dedicated clear poly pack liners, or heavier and more robust dry bags. Think about what items need particular care like your fire kit, sleeping bag, and dried food. Other items can get wet like your closed water bottles, cordage, and sealed bags of freeze-dried food. If you happen to be traveling around water and doing frequent river or creek crossings, you can use your water-resistant parka to wrap up all your kit inside your pack like a burrito. In the event your pack goes into the drink, you’ll have some added protection. Another tip for your pack is to use wide-mouth bottles

Learn to Live With It

There are so many ways to make your pack more water-resistant. You can purchase layer after layer and stay perfectly dry sitting out in the pouring rain. At some point, you must learn that dampness and moisture are part of the outdoor experience. You aren’t in a sterile indoor environment and wet weather and conditions will present themselves regularly. Assuming you will always be dry will set you up for a serious letdown the first time you feel cold water run down the back of your neck, feel your toes squishing in your boots, or a trickling of water tracking down the bottom of your wrist to your elbow. I’m not advocating for you dancing in the rain or casting away your kit when the sprinkles come. Instead, I’m asking you to learn to deal with the wet the way outdoorsmen of yesteryear learned to. A good fire can help dry out your socks, your sleeping bag, and your clothes. Speaking of sleeping bags, learn to use them as a heater to dry out your damp socks from the night before. Simply put them in the bag with you and learn to rotate a couple of pairs over the course of the days you spend in the field. Also, utilize the sun and the wind to dry out your clothes with a makeshift clothesline. I get it, water and wet weather can be a pain in the ass but humans have overcome more impossible odds than some dampness. Learn to live with it.