Rain Gear
I have been accused (perhaps rightly so) of being anal about planning some things. And maybe it's just that it's winter and I have some time on my hands. We are planning a summer trip to Alaska. I hav...
Forum Discussion
My experience (only lived worked and played in Alaska the better part of 6 decades :) )
- If one will be doing something (in the wet) that runs a risk of physical damage to your outerwear, then go with wool and rubberized canvas: Filson and Helly Hansen: chances are you'll get wet from perspiration, but GT and similar fabrics don't stand up to physical impacts
- If one will be doing something in the wet that doesn't involve physical impacts, then go with fleeze and gore-tex: the higher end products from Cabelas and REI fit that bill.
I've always thought it was important to have a base layer that either stays dry or that can still provide insulation when wet (fleece, merino, etc). To me, that's more critical (if you'll be in the wet for hours or days on end) than the outer layer choice.
...but it's not really fun to hike in Helly Hansen :(
- If one will be doing something (in the wet) that runs a risk of physical damage to your outerwear, then go with wool and rubberized canvas: Filson and Helly Hansen: chances are you'll get wet from perspiration, but GT and similar fabrics don't stand up to physical impacts
- If one will be doing something in the wet that doesn't involve physical impacts, then go with fleeze and gore-tex: the higher end products from Cabelas and REI fit that bill.
I've always thought it was important to have a base layer that either stays dry or that can still provide insulation when wet (fleece, merino, etc). To me, that's more critical (if you'll be in the wet for hours or days on end) than the outer layer choice.
...but it's not really fun to hike in Helly Hansen :(
