Do you carry rain pants in your backpack?
I know many people who never carry rain pants, and a genuine “Yay!” for lessening pack weight by several ounces. Me? I never leave home without them in my backpack, extra ounces be damned.
I just returned from a 4-day backpacking trip filled with nothing less than perfect fall weather. Cool, dry, sunny days and slightly chilly nights make for a delightful hike. As I was unpacking, I made a mental note of what I brought and if I used it. Besides the emergency gear I always carry in my pack, I had extra stuff.
When I headed out on the first day, the temperatures were forecasted to be quite chilly, with a 74% chance of thunderstorms. Of course, I had a full set of rain gear, extra warm, dry clothes to change into, and extra socks. Of course, I was happy I didn’t get to use all the wet weather gear but you never know. We only pretend to know what the weather will be in the future.
When I was hiking the Appalachian Trail, my mother was my at-home support. I was buying most of my food along the way, but she would regularly send – and receive – gear along the entire length of the hike. When I no longer needed my winter sleeping bag and heavy winter clothing, I mailed it all back to her. Later in the summer, I experienced record droughts and super high temps by the time I got to the NY/NJ area. I had given up cooking food with a stove and basically ate everything out of a tortilla.
I had sent back all extraneous gear, including my rain pants, for rainstorms at that point were a cool respite from the hot conditions. That’s also how I took a shower on some days. Besides soggy boots, the rain was not too much of an issue.
As I hiked north, cool temps arrived quickly, and I was slowly having mom re-send the colder-weather gear. I went back to cooking hot food – which was an absolute delight and to this day don’t like to eat anything out of a cold tortilla!
When I received my final package near the end there were no rain pants in the box. Later I would joke around with her about how she might have killed me by sending me fuzzy pajama pants instead of my rain pants. I still don’t know how those could possibly be mixed up, but then again, it all worked out in the end.
My final miles to the summit of Mount Katahdin were fairly intense. I really needed my rain pants. I was cold, wet, and shivering in rain, sleet, and snow, even though I was climbing steep, jagged rocks. I suppose it was adrenaline and excitement for completing this epic mission that kept me alive and happy – while also being totally miserable. Because at that point, I felt like fucking superwoman.
Six months of living outside, connected to nature, fine-tuning my subtle intuition, and relying on my instincts changed me to my core. Nature can instill more wisdom than words could ever express. Part of this wisdom is living intense experiences with a renewed sense of personal power and grace… feeling self-reliant… and trusting yourself through life’s adventures. Being prepared instills profound trust in yourself.
Which brings me back to the subject of rain pants. Waterproof/breathable rain pants don’t just help you stay dry when it’s raining; they also make a perfect extra layer to block wind and keep you warm. They are usually lightweight and often stuff into their own little pocket for easy packing. They could even save your life, as hypothermia is a real and often underestimated concern.
Rain pants are but a small part of being well-prepared. But there is nothing sweeter than knowing you are confident in your abilities and have everything you need with you so you can free your mind of worry. Then, you are totally free to be present in nature for whatever magic she brings.
xoCollin
