Backpacking in the Rain

Backpacking in the rain adds some challenges, but it doesn't have to mean your trip is a total loss. Here are our tips for success!

You've probably heard the saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." When it comes to backpacking in the rain, that saying is quite accurate.

When you're backpacking, getting wet is definitely an inconvenience. It's uncomfortable. It can also be dangerous, making it harder to get warm or causing foot problems.

So what can you do to stay dry?

Prevention: How to Stay Dry When Backpacking in the Rain

The first solution might be the most obvious. If the forecast calls for rain, and your schedule is flexible, consider adjusting your trip and going when the weather is nicer.

But what if you're hiking somewhere that regularly gets rain, where getting wet is almost an inevitability? When planning faraway backpacking trips in Iceland or trips closer to home in Kentucky or North Carolina, I knew that rain was always a possibility.

Here's what we recommend to prevent getting your gear and yourself wet (to the extent possible).

Keep Your Gear as Dry as Possible

It's much more difficult to dry gear when you're backpacking (as opposed to car camping), because your options for drying things out are more limited. Here are some of our top tips for keeping your gear dry.

Keep (the inside) of your tent dry.

You can do this as a DIY project by purchasing seam sealing gear, or purchase a tent that’s already sealed or otherwise rain-resistant.

Keep your backpacking pack dry.  

Use a pack liner and/or rain cover for your backpack. In general, don't trust that your pack's fabric will truly be waterproof, even if it's supposed to be.

Protect critical gear from moisture.

Depending on how damp or rainy you anticipate your backpacking trip being, you may want to take extra cautionary steps. This also applies if you know you'll be crossing streams or rivers where there's a chance you could fall in.

You may want to use an additional waterproof bag for items such as:

• Down sleeping bags or quilts. Moisture will cause down to lose its insulating properties, meaning it won't be as warm when damp. It's also slow to dry.
• Your backpacking meals.
• Any camera gear or electronics. I like to use a Hyperlite camera pod for my electronics.

Not sure if an item needs extra protection from the rain? It can be helpful to think through what will happen if the item gets wet, how hard it would be to dry out, and how impactful that would be on your trip.

Keep Yourself Dry

In addition to your gear, you also want to take steps to keep yourself (and your clothes) as dry as possible! Here are some of our favorite rain gear options.

Rain protective clothing

There are SO MANY options for rain protective clothing, at all price ranges. Here are some options we like.

• An inexpensive poncho (such as an emergency poncho). This option is best if rain is unlikely, since the poncho will likely not be sturdy enough for repeated use. Some brands also make heavy-duty, reusable ponchos.
• A raincoat. This may be one you already own, even if it's not "ultralight." Keep in mind that not all raincoats are created equal, so if you're going somewhere where cold, soaking rain will be likely for long stretches of time, it may be best to look for a 3-layer rain jacket.
• Rain pants. If your backpacking destination is likely to get lots of wind and rain, rain pants can save the day. My husband loves these Zpacks rain pants.
• Rain gloves or mittens. These can be nice for keeping your hands dry or layering over other gloves, especially if your hands will be gripping trekking poles.
• Quirkier options for rain protection include backpacking with an umbrella (don't try in super windy conditions!) and using a rain skirt instead of rain pants.

Carry dedicated dry clothes.

Keep a set of dry clothes in your pack for bedtime. You may want to store them in a dry bag.

Even if you don't normally use pajamas while hiking, it's good to keep a dedicated set of "dry" clothes on hand during a rainy trek.  Changing out of your wet clothes at the end of the day is a great way to warm up if you're cold and damp.

Keep your feet dry.

Wet feet aren’t just annoying: they can be dangerous.

Hiking with wet feet leads to blisters, and hiking with cold wet feet for extended periods can even lead to trench foot.

There are basically two schools of thought on the best shoes for keeping your feet dry while backpacking.

• Option 1: Wear waterproof shoes
• Option 2: Avoid waterproof shoes

Sound confusing? Well, the reason is that waterproof shoes are great, until water gets INSIDE the shoe.  How can that happen? Here are a few ways:

• If it rains really hard and the water drips down in your shoe, especially if you’re not wearing rain pants (or if the rain pants wet out). 
• If the trail turns into a creek because of the rain. 
• If you attempt a water crossing in your hiking shoes and it’s deeper than expected (or you fall).
• If you're sweating heavily and the sweat causes the shoe lining to become extremely damp.

Once the inside of waterproof shoes or boots gets wet, the waterproof lining makes it very difficult to dry out.

I found this out the hard way when hiking the Art Loeb Trail. I ended up needing to make periodic stops to wring out water from both my socks and shoe insole – not fun.

My current preferred method is to use non-waterproof shoes, unless the hike will be snowy or extremely cold.

Coping: What to Do When You Get Wet

One of the things that backpacking teaches us is that, try as we might to control our situation, sometimes nature wins. I like to plan for that too.

Here are some of our favorite ways to cope with getting wet.

Plan to Treat Blisters (Just in Case)

As much as you attempt to keep your feet dry, blisters can still happen. 

We like to travel with some blister prevention and treatment options, such as:

• Injinji toe socks. They do seem to help prevent blisters by stopping friction between toes.
• Hollow alpaca socks. These are absolutely incredible at wicking away moisture and drying quickly.
• Blister treatment tape, such as leukotape

Dry Clothes + Gear As Much as Possible

If your tent gets rained on (even if the inside stays dry), avoid putting the wet rain cover inside your pack with your other gear. We typically strap the wet rain cover to the outside of a backpack.

Other wet gear (or clothes) can also hang from the pack as you walk.

Use a clothesline (such as paracord) to hang-dry clothes at camp. You can even hang a clothesline across the inside of your tent if it's still raining (although we've had mixed results with how well this works).