I've used a home-made sil-nylon poncho for years, and it's kept me reasonably dry, both in the Sierra and a few times out here in Vermont, where it rains a bit more . But it's getting old, it's a total pain in the butt to put on, and it's really awkward in the wind. I'm joining a Sierra Club hike in The Sierra this coming summer, and their gear list recommends against a poncho, though not very forcefully. The huge advantage of the poncho, of course, is weight: it weights 9.5 oz in its stuff sack, and it more-or-less protects all of me, including my pack (though my new Gregory pack has a built-in pack cover, so the pack can presumably take care of itself).
What do people who hike in the Sierra more than I do (once a year, if I can manage it, alas) recommend?
I do most of my Sierra backpacking in the Emigrant Wilderness on the West Slope and somewhat lower elevations. Rarely above 10,000. Storms tend to be less intense and shorter there than the higher elevations and further East. Where are you going on your hike?
I've been using a OR Helium jacket for the last couple of years. 7 oz. It's minimalist and works fine for Emigrant. Although if it's raining hard I usually move to the tent pretty quickly. https://sectionhiker.com/outdoor-resear ... -review-2/
This year I've switched to an Enlightened Equipment Torrid jacket. It's under 10 oz in a large. While not a rain jacket it has a DWR coating which will stand up to the light showers I typically encounter. It's also warm enough that I don't need to bring my down jacket saving me a pound. https://enlightenedequipment.com/mens-t ... et-custom/
Both of these options would be swapped out for a jacket along the lines that Russ suggested if I was going to be on the East Side. I've been in some intense storms on that side and a more substantial jacket is a good choice.
For me it depends on where I will be hiking, but in general, I now use a "poncho", specifically the Gatewood Cape. It would be a poor choice for off-trail travel through woods/brush, but on trail travel or travel above tree line and in sparse terrain, I don't know why that would be a problem. The biggest "problem that I have had was an "Ass" braying at me because he thought it was so funny on a wet and windy day. I guarantee I was drier and more comfortable than he was. When I can count on no mosquitoes, it has worked great as a shelter as well.
I carry a Sierra Designs Hurricane jacket. It's not the lightest one out there but its durable and has never let me down. I like the fact that it holds up to the abuse my pack puts on it. They have them kind of regular at Sierra.com for around half price which makes it a really good deal. I bought mine in 2009 from Steep and Cheap for $28 and carry it on every trip and quite a few miles with a pack.
"On this proud and beautiful mountain we have lived hours of fraternal, warm and exalting nobility. Here for a few days we have ceased to be slaves and have really been men. It is hard to return to servitude."
-- Lionel Terray
For decades I carried one of those "waterproof but breathable" NOT gore-tex rain jackets that I got on sale, starting with a fairly heavy one and gradually lightening until I had a 11 oz Marmot Precip jacket for about a decade. But I never used them much, since it was almost always sunny on my trips. About 7 years ago, when my luck changed and I started hitting more substantial thunderstorms and rain, I soon discovered that these jackets were uncomfortable to hike in - they most definitely were not breathable. Upon the advice of my adult daughter who was having good experiences with a Marmot gore-tex jacket on Rocky Mountain and eastern hikes, I bought one on sale. It has worked well in the past few years while hiking in the rain or working in the rain outside my tent trying to keep the runoff from running into the tent. But what about my pants? They get wet in the rain. So 4 years ago I bought some Outdoor Research "Helium" rain pants. Last summer, when it was raining a lot on me every day of my week-long backpack, I stayed nice and dry even in wind-blown or heavy rain with the Marmot Gore-tex jacket and the light coated rain pants. Weight: 11.5 oz for the jacket (men's medium) and 6 oz for the rain pants (also medium size). I carry the jacket on all trips, as it is also a great windbreaker and another warm layer. I only carry the rain pants if I think there might be storms.
-Phil
At the risk of hijacking this thread, I'm curious what people think about using rain pants as your primary pants in camp at night (for warmth). I'm looking at situations where I'm backpacking at 10K+ elevations in mid-late summer, hiking in shorts during the day, switching to merino bottoms with rain pants over them after setting up camp. Last year I found that even with merino bottoms, long wool socks, and Prana Zion pants on, my lower half got too cold at night to stay out and enjoy the stars much. Someone recently recommended substituting rain pants for the Prana pants entirely, which could offer protection in case of rain, but also trap heat in and protect from bugs at night. Does this seem like a reasonable, or a stupid way to shave weight and lock in heat?
Wow! Clearly a question with a lot of answers, and I'll be spending quit a bit of time on the web checking out all these possibilities. Moonburn, I'd love to hear how the rain pants work out; we all love multipurpose gear, and I'm consoling myself about probably having to buy a raincoat by knowing that I'll be able to leave behind my windbreaker. Alas, I love my ancient GoLite pullover, and it weighs next to nothing, but it's not even a little water resistant...
moonburn: I use my rain pants as a camp layer when needed, but I am very careful to sit on a small sit-pad, not on rocks or the ground. Rain pants are fairly fragile if they are the UL/lightweight kind. You could also bring a pair of lightweight wind pants. I think you can get these that weigh only a few ounces.
If you wear your rain pants to watch stars, stay away from campfires. You may not see the sparks, but fires inevitably have tiny sparks that leave pin-holes in nylon- same for tent fly- keep the tent a good distance from campfires.
The more you wear rain pants the more stress is put on the material. I find that my gore-tex jacket wears out under my pack shoulder straps. Your rain pants may wear out a bit sooner if you regularly use them at night.
I think I would go with what the organizer suggests, ponchos are lightweight and very packable. You could also be prepared at the trailhead with full on rain gear but if the forecast doesn't mention monsoon, go with the Poncho. Personally, I go with an umbrella and heavy duty garbage can liner with holes cut for my head and arms. Thats probably a little too dirt bag for group hike however.
. But it's getting old, it's a total pain in the butt to put on, and it's really awkward in the wind. I'm joining a Sierra Club hike in The Sierra this coming summer, and their gear list recommends against a poncho, though not very forcefully. The huge advantage of the poncho, of course, is weight: it weights 9.5 oz in its stuff sack, and it more-or-less protects all of me, including my pack (though my new Gregory pack has a built-in pack cover, so the pack can presumably take care of itself).
