Summary: Show Notes: Episode 125<br> Today on the First 40 Miles, DRIP: The Rain Episode. Don’t let the rain keep you from getting outside! We’ll have some great gear recommendations for your next drippy trip. Then, a 3 layer rain jacket designed to sock it to Mother Nature. For the Backpack Hack of the Week, a way to keep your maps from disintegrating in a downpour. And we’ll leave you with a little trail wisdom from a man who is known for his humor…or wisdom… we can’t tell the difference.<br> Opening<br> <br> * Whether you live in a drier climate or a soggy climate, rain can affect your hiking and backpacking experience.<br> * Risks of rain—it’s not just an inconvenience! (flash floods, lightning, hypothermia)<br> * Rain can vary by region<br> * Hiking in Utah in the rain: flash floods<br> * Hiking in New Mexico in the rain: often bursts, warm, accompanied by thunder and lightning<br> * Hiking in New York in the rain: rainstorms w/ lightning<br> * Hiking in Oregon in the rain: drizzly, tiny/misting rain that soaks quickly, can rain for hours<br> * Challenges and blessings of rain<br> * Staying dry vs. staying wet (Redwoods trip and Josh’s feet…)<br> <br> Top 5 Things You’ll Need for Rainy—nay, Soggy—Trips<br> Rain gear <br> <br> * Rain gear has improved over the past 30 years! Of course you can still find the yellow Polyvinyl Chloride rain slickers, but they’re heavy and will make you sweaty.<br> * There are some great lightweight options:<br> * One we’ve talked about before: FroggToggs. We’ve tried their cheapest and their mid-range rain gear.<br> * Rain kilt (<a href="https://www.antigravitygear.com/shop/clothing/antigravitygear-rain-kilt/">https://www.antigravitygear.com/shop/clothing/antigravitygear-rain-kilt/</a>) a long apron type of clothing that covers your pants area, great for hiking in warm rain, UL<br> * How about rain gloves? Maybe we don’t really think about our hands when we’re considering rain gear, but hands that are soaked with rain, can get cold really quickly, and that can make it hard to do simple tasks like pump water or set up a tent. If you value your finger dexterity, then <a href="http://www.hanzusa.com/waterproof-gloves/">Hanz </a>makes waterproof gloves (and waterproof socks for that matter) and recently Hanz has come out with their next gen of their waterproof knit gloves: <a href="http://www.hanzusa.com/touchscreen/">Hanz Waterproof Tap-Knit Touchscreen Gloves</a>. The Hanz waterproof gloves (both the touchscreen version and the original version) are stretchy, slim fitting (like skinny jeans for your hands), comfortable, {waterproof , wicking and breathable}. Really, for what they do, they are thinner than you’d expect and allow you to have full dexterity.<br> * Your clothing doesn’t have to be waterproof, but make sure that you’re wearing either synthetic clothing that will dry out quickly or clothing that retains its insulation power even when wet (alpaca or wool).<br> * “Wool is warm when wet” It’s true…as long as the water doesn’t go above 35 percent of the weight of the wool clothing. So if your shirt is 200 grams, you can have about 70 grams of water soaked into the shirt and still be warm. So about 1/4 cup of water. So about 1,334 raindrops.<br> * If you’re insulating layer of clothing is filled with down—be careful!<br> <br> Waterproof Map (and paper!)<br> <br> * Many maps are waterproofed now—yay science! They’re made of a super thin, paperish material. Lighter than paper, tear-proof, and very durable.<br> * <a href="https://greentrailsmaps.com/">Green Trails Maps</a><br> * <a href="http://www.natgeomaps.com/">National Geographic Maps</a><br> * <a href="https://www.antigravitygear.com/product-category/pocket-profiles-guides-books/">Pocket Profile</a> maps sold by <a href="https://www.antigravitygear.com/">AntiGravity Gear</a> (JMT, Sections of AT—or the whole AT which is 22 small maps)<br>
