It has been decidedly pluvial here of late, so today was a good day to test out my wet weather gear. Around the middle of the day I went for a 3 hour walk along the Portobello Road (the road in the photo behind the title of this blog) stopping only to help a woman whose car had hit a falling rock and burst a tyre. It rained. A lot.I came back over the hill so had quite a good workout and am quite confident that my fitness level is up to the mark, but the weatherproofing is not so hopeful.
After an hour my goretex shoes began to admit a little water, though the woolen socks absorbed it and warmed it up satisfactorily. By the time I got home they were sodden but I expected that. After an hour and a half my overtrousers began to leak and after two hours my faithful old Macpac jacket began to show signs that it might be getting past its use by date. It's a simple Goretex rain jacket that is probably about 7 years old now. I have waterproofed it twice in the past few weeks, but it still becomes saturated after a half hour or so, and begins to leak at the seams after a couple of hours. I'm told that it is possible to get rain for a week in the mountains of Galicia. Of course no raincoat yet invented will stand up to that but I might need something that keeps out la agua for more than a couple of hours.
My Osprey pack was brilliant. The Kathmandu rain cover kept it perfectly dry, and it was so light on my back that I was half way through changing the damsel in distress's tyre before I realised that I had forgotten to take it off. Not so brilliant was the Lowepro "All Weather" camera case. As long as your definition of "All" doesn't include rain, then the description is perfectly accurate, but I will be needing to resort to a plastic bag, I think. And the merino gloves? What was I thinking?
It was good to get home, shower, eat something and then hand wash stuff in cold water to see how long it will take to dry when hanging up inside on a wet day. Then, settle down with a nice cup of tea and brush up on my Spanish.
Mis zapatos están muy mojadas. My shoes are very wet.
Lo siento por el charco en el suelo. Sorry about the puddle on your floor.
After an hour my goretex shoes began to admit a little water, though the woolen socks absorbed it and warmed it up satisfactorily. By the time I got home they were sodden but I expected that. After an hour and a half my overtrousers began to leak and after two hours my faithful old Macpac jacket began to show signs that it might be getting past its use by date. It's a simple Goretex rain jacket that is probably about 7 years old now. I have waterproofed it twice in the past few weeks, but it still becomes saturated after a half hour or so, and begins to leak at the seams after a couple of hours. I'm told that it is possible to get rain for a week in the mountains of Galicia. Of course no raincoat yet invented will stand up to that but I might need something that keeps out la agua for more than a couple of hours.
My Osprey pack was brilliant. The Kathmandu rain cover kept it perfectly dry, and it was so light on my back that I was half way through changing the damsel in distress's tyre before I realised that I had forgotten to take it off. Not so brilliant was the Lowepro "All Weather" camera case. As long as your definition of "All" doesn't include rain, then the description is perfectly accurate, but I will be needing to resort to a plastic bag, I think. And the merino gloves? What was I thinking?
It was good to get home, shower, eat something and then hand wash stuff in cold water to see how long it will take to dry when hanging up inside on a wet day. Then, settle down with a nice cup of tea and brush up on my Spanish.
Mi bolsa está mojado. My pack is wet
Lo siento por el charco en el suelo. Sorry about the puddle on your floor.
Tal vez será soleada mañana. Maybe it will be sunny tomorrow.
Comments
Cheers
Wynston
I'll silicon spray the case and the little rain cover, but also have a ziplock plastic bag for the camera on rainy days.
Spraying the camera case and cover is an excellent idea.
Plastic bags are an essential part of walking/tramping and, even though your pack handled the rain the other day, having all your clothes inside a plastic bag is an extra safeguard.
The ponchos are good for the Camino but of limited use afterward. The goretex option will be pricy, bearing in mind that Clemency's jacket should be replaced too. The alternatives are, some of them, reputed to be just as good and some of them lok really well made. Decisions, decisions!
El hace que salga el sol sobre malos y buenos, y que llueva sobre justos e injustos.
Vaya con Dios.
Brian
“The rain it raineth on the just
And also on the unjust fella;
But chiefly on the just, because
The unjust hath the just’s umbrella.”
Brian