Backpacking in the Rain - Tips to Keep You Dry and Happy

Most people really dislike inclement weather when it comes to hiking, backpacking, and camping trips. Weather is often the cause of cancelled trips, sending people scurrying for the indoors.

However, with a little bit of knowledge under your belt, rain doesn't have to be a trip ender. In fact, I usually enjoy the "bad" weather trips just as much, if not more, than the "good" weather trips. At the very least, they're often more memorable.

With most other people staying indoors during stormy weather, take advantage of emptier landscapes.

So, without further ado, here's how to do it!

PREPARE AT HOME

Set yourself up for success by having a few pieces of gear on hand that'll make your trip more enjoyable if you know rainy, wet weather is ahead. I always backpack with a rain jacket, no matter what the forecast is calling for. It's a safety piece of gear that all backpackers should carry with them. Even if it's not rainy, they're great at protecting you from wind and chilly temperatures. And they'll save your butt if the weather turns and you get caught off guard, so take one with you. I also carry rain pants or waterproof pants. That way I'm covered from head to toe with a rain jacket, waterproof pants, Gore-Tex boots. This will ensure my body and clothing stays dry even if I have to hike ten miles in the rain.

Rain/wet weather gear that's essential for backpacking:

• Rain jacket

• Waterproof pants

• Gore-Tex/waterproof boots

• Quick-dry clothing

• Tent with rain fly

• Rain cover for backpack

• Dry bags

• Trash bags

• Spare socks/undies

• Quick-dry towel (such as a PakTowl)

"I always backpack with a rain jacket, no matter what the forecast is calling for. It's a safety piece of gear that all backpackers should carry with them. Even if it's not rainy, they're great at protecting you from wind and chilly temperatures. And they'll save your butt if the weather turns and you get caught off guard, so take one with you"

For the (potentially) less obvious items:

Rain cover for backpack – most backpacks will either come with a pack cover or will be available as an add on. It's a rain jacket for your backpack. This simple item goes a long way to keep your pack and contents dry, or at least much drier than without.

I also use multiple dry bags to stuff my clothes into. These are very light and very useful. I usually have one for just shirts, underwear, and spare socks. One for a phone, headlamp, and electronics. And another dry bag for bulkier clothes too, like my down jacket and/or mid-layer.

I go into more detail later, but don't hike in cotton clothing. Quick-drying clothing, like synthetic t-shirts and underwear, are effective and help keep you happy and comfortable even when it's soggy.

Make sure your sleeping bag remains dry. Many stuff sacks or compression sacks are waterproof. But if not, I'll put mine in a dry bag, or even just a cheap trash bag. My sleeping bag is my last line of defense for keeping me warm, dry, and safe. If that gets soaked, I'm in for a looooong uncomfortable night.

A quick-dry towel can be a great, simple tool for rainy trips. I use these as mops to keep my tent and gear dry during storms. I use one in case I have to set up a tent while it's raining and get rain inside the tent before the fly is up. Or if I have a leak or some emergency flooding situation in the night. I can mop up water that's infiltrating my tent and wring it out outside.

Great. You're on the trail and out there in the wild. Here's the rest of the how to enjoy backpacking in the rain

Incoming storm. Better prepare!

My sleeping bag is my last line of defense for keeping me warm, dry, and safe. If that gets soaked, I'm in for a looooong uncomfortable night.

CAMPSITE SELECTION

A nice sloped campsite in Papua New Guinea - ready for the downpour!

This goes a long way in affecting your experience, especially if wet weather is coming in. While I normally like to set up my tent on very flat spots, that's not ideal in a rainstorm. You really want water to flow away from you. I look for a tent site that has at least a few degrees of slope, so that rain sheds away from the tent and doesn't create a pond.

Don't put your tent in a low point.

Don't put your tent in a creekbed.

Look for signs of where the water flows (the landscape will tell you) and don't put your tent there.

I also look for sites that have lots of pine duff or organic material that is pretty water absorbent. Or I go opposite and look for slabs of rock. As dirt turns to mud very quickly, I try to find spots for camp that won't be super muddy and difficult to manage if gets really wet.

The inside of your tent is your only space to control - keep it dry. While the rest of the wilderness is completely outside your control, you can maintain a pretty clean and dry environment in your tent, which means no matter what kind of storm is raging away, you have a space to stay comfortable and safe.

TENT & STORM MANAGEMENT

If you are experiencing a long, steady soak, your camp and gear are likely going to require some maintenance. It can be tempting to just stay cozy in your sleeping bag, but you should at least check to make sure things are going well with your tent. It's better to be proactive than reactive. It'll save you a big headache.

Look to see if there are any leaks or areas where water is working its way into your tent. After a while, your tent's rain fly is going to start to saturate and sag. If your fly begins to touch the inner wall of your tent, you will likely see water work it's way inside at the contact point. Make sure your tent's rain fly has tension. You will likely have to tighten things up after the rain sets in.

A common mistake is that people have the footprint, the lightweight tarp that goes under the tent, stick out several inches from under the tent. This is a big no-no. That couple inches can do a lot of damage. As the water sheds off the rain fly, it will land on the footprint and will flow under your tent. Eventually that water will work its way up and into your tent. Just tuck the edges of the footprint all the way under the tents so you can't see any parts of it sticking out.

Sometimes, the wind and rain gets intense on the trail.

It can be tempting to just stay cozy in your sleeping bag, but you should at least check to make sure things are going well with your tent. It's better to be proactive than reactive. It'll save you a big headache.

MANAGING YOUR CLOTHING

If you're in for a long haul with a storm, the kind that never lets up, eventually having dry clothes can be a problem.

That's only one of many reasons to never backpack with cotton clothing. Cotton is the worst material for moisture management, as it keeps the moisture next to your skin and is very slow to dry. Synthetic, quick drying shirts, underwear, and baselayers are a must.

If you have a few pairs of quick drying clothing, you can generally rotate your way through the clothing effectively throughout your trip. When I go to sleep, I will have a clean, dry pair of socks and underwear that has been stored in a dry sack and I will sleep in them. For wet socks or other garments that I want to wear again, I will stuff them into my sleeping bag overnight, and my body heat will usually dry them off by morning.

PACKING UP

The worst part of backpacking in the rain is having to pack up your wet, muddy tent and carry it, along with its extra weight, to the next spot. Unfortunately, that's inevitable. Fortunately, if you are careful, the only soggy equipment you'll have is your tent and your rain shells. Everything else should be relatively dry.

If you have more nights of camping, try to set up your tent early to allow it to dry out as much as possible. Give yourself time to set up your tent, sleeping bag, and mattress before it's time to sleep, cleaning off or noticing wet spots so you can dry them out.

It can be tricky to manage your gear in multi-day storms. It takes effort, but it's not impossible.

VERY IMPORTANT!

After your trip, make sure you properly dry out your gear before you store it.

Open up your tent and allow all that material to dry out. Unfurl your sleeping bag and allow any moisture to escape. Store your gear when it's clean and dry.

If your gear is wet when you store it, it will develop mold/mildew and will likely ruin your gear. So make sure it's all dry!

Camping in the rain can be a fun, memorable experience. So no matter the weather, use these tips and get out there!