[pct-l] Tyvek jumpsuits as rain gear?

[giniajim]

I've just gotten a Packa.  Only worn it once, but it seemed to do pretty well with a day pack and light rain.  It'll get more use in the next month or so.  For summer hiking, my tendency has been to go with no rain gear, but wear a broad-brimmed hat to keep the rain out of my eyes, and use a good pack cover.  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dan Africk 
  To: CHUCK CHELIN ; pct-l at backcountry.net 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 2:22 PM
  Subject: Re: [pct-l] Tyvek jumpsuits as rain gear?


  Thanks, those are some pretty good points to consider. It seems like
  Frog Toggs would be a better option than Tyvek suits, and not much
  more expensive.
  Currently I'm thinking of keeping my full-zip rain pants(Red Ledge),
  and either replacing my rain jacket with a Frog Toggs jacket, or if I
  get a smaller pack, replacing my rain jacket and pack cover with The
  Packa.


  On Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 11:53 AM, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net> wrote:
  > Good morning, Dan,
  >
  >
  >
  > As a hiker well experienced with rain I identify roughly three different
  > needs:
  >
  >
  >
  > 1) Occasional Rain in Good Weather – This is the summer shower, or even
  > short downpour, situation where wrapping one’s self in raingear is more of a
  > knee-jerk reaction than a real need. The front will pass quickly, it’s warm
  > so there’s little likelihood of becoming hypothermic, and becoming wet is
  > just an inconvenience. At that point I’m more concerned with keeping some
  > of the items in my pack dry than in keeping my person dry; after all, if I
  > weren’t wet from the rain I’d be dripping sweat from my hiking exertions.
  > On a short hike I don’t carry any raingear against this possibility.
  >
  >
  >
  > 2) Occasional Rain in Potentially Cool Weather – This is a situation like
  > what is common in the Sierras in June-July. Almost every afternoon there is
  > a thunder storm somewhere along the range which could encourage hypothermia
  > if one became thoroughly wet without raingear. Here it’s good to have some
  > protection for one’s person and the pack, but the front quickly passes and
  > the hiker won’t have to walk long – or at all – wearing the raingear. In
  > this situation I carry my poncho/tarp. As a poncho it’s loose and floppy,
  > and aggravating to wear for long, but it does provide good temporary
  > protection.
  >
  >
  >
  > 3) Persistent Rain in Potentially Cool Weather – Read this to mean
  > Washington in September. Here convenient, effective, long-term rain gear is
  > advisable so I use a rain hat, a SilNylon Parcho (parka/poncho), SilNylon
  > chaps, and maybe water resistant socks. This arrangement is convenient to
  > wear for hours or days. My SilNylin gear is waterproof and non-breathable,
  > but the pieces are loose and they ventilate well. The poncho/tarp could be
  > used OK, but it’s not very convenient for sustained use.
  >
  >
  >
  > More specific to your question, a Tyvek suit us sufficiently water resistant
  > for conditions No. 1 and No.2 , but I don’t find it necessary since I
  > already have my poncho/tarp, where the poncho hood only adds about 1.5
  > ounces to the tarp that I’ll carry anyway. Plus, the suit wouldn’t cover my
  > pack: I would have to carry something separate for that, adding to the
  > overall weight.
  >
  >
  >
  > For condition No. 3 the Tyvek suit is less attractive. With the possibility
  > of sustained use durability is a real concern, even between resupply stops.
  > The lack of ventilation is also serious, even with something that claims to
  > “breath”. FroggToggs raingear is popular with many hikers – including me,
  > under some circumstances. FroggToggs have a microporous membrane sandwiched
  > between some microfiber stuff similar to Tyvek. ‘Toggs have a parka, and
  > pants that bottom-zip to allow pulling them over a shoe. They have elastic
  > at the arm cuffs, around the bottom of the parka, at the top of the pants,
  > and at the leg cuffs. This elastic is great while riding a motorcycle, but
  > the ventilation isn’t very good for someone exercising. ‘Toggs are more
  > durable than a Tyvek suit, but the outer layer does abrade easily shortening
  > its life. The cost is somewhere between a Tyvek suit and a more serious set
  > of raingear. A ‘Toggs set weighs more than my Parcho/chaps combination, and
  > the ‘Toggs don’t cover a pack so I would have to add some more weight for
  > that function.
  >
  > Enjoy, spring is coming soon,
  >
  >
  >
  > Steel-Eye
  >
  > Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
  >
  > http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
  >
  > http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09
  >
  >
  >



  -- 
  www.hikefor.com/haiti-2010-Dan

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