Favorite PNW rain gear?

[Jett Powered]

What is your favorite gear for hiking & camping in our typical PNW winters of light/moderate rain, soaking wet plants dripping/brushing up against you, and temps in the 40s and 50s? Most of my gear is pretty worn out at this point and I'm due for some upgrades.

-Do you wear gaiters?
-Do you wear a different combo of shoes & socks when hiking in the rain?
-Which rain jacket / poncho / umbrella do you use?
-Do you hang a tarp for rain cover at camp?

And whatever else comes to mind. I'm happy for this to be a general discussion about gear and strategies for staying dry. Keeping the rain out and the sweat from flowing is a delicate balance.

[retired jerry]

I wear gaiters all the time. Normally, medium weight breathable nylon but I'm thinking about making some WPB ones because I got pretty wet walking through wet brush recently.

I have a Neoshell WPB jacket that has been quite good in the rain. Most WPB aren't that good. I have heard that Pertex Shield Air is also good. These have that ptfe coating on the outside that may pollute the world.

Ponchos are good becaue they're so loose but blow around in the wind too much for me.

I always wear WPB mid height boots, but have problems finding one that is breathable and waterproof enough.

[teachpdx]

I have a basic Marmot rain shell that serves its purpose well.

I usually forego gaiters or water resistant pants… I have a couple pairs of Pranas that dry very quickly even when it’s super humid.

Mid rise boots. I have a pair of Salomon GTX that I got back in 2020 but water still comes in through the ‘waterproof’ Gore-Tex on top. They’re fine but I did a few days of full-rain backpacking recently and they were soaked the whole time. My Darn Tough nylon/wool blend socks stay super warm even when damp.

Unless weight is a serious issue, I carry a super compact 10x12 hammock tarp (Gold Armour) when a lot of rain is forecast. It’s worth it to not be stuck in the tent. I have a couple extendable poles that live in the car, and I use the same tarp off my roof rack for car camping.

I also bring an umbrella if weight is no issue and I won’t be using trekking poles. I carry an umbrella on most dayhikes in the rain but not as often backpacking. The converse to that is trekking poles are great at knocking water off trailside brush before you walk through it, but it’s hard to hold an umbrella and a pole at the same time.

[jvangeld]

I live in a swamp. So my must-haves are muck boots and a wide-brimmed oilskin hat. I also own a rain slicker and oilskin pants. The pants are for when I know I will be out in a downpour, I use them the least often.