Bad weather - plans ruined

B

billyp

Joined
Oct 21, 2002
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196
Sigh...I worked 11 hour days this week to take tomorrow off and it is going to rain on Friday and Saturday. I had a nice little solo backpacking trip planned for the weekend. I now I don't think I am going go.

Only posted this here because no one I know can sympathize.

:(

Billyp
 
no way man. Adapt Improvise Overcome...... bring a big tarp and rig a bomber shelter. Practice wet weather fire lighting, and fire maintaining. some of the best times i have had have been week long downpours.

Embrace the suck.
 
Bushman5 has some good points. Having said that, I also hate when weather ruins an outdoor outing. I used to fish right through a thunderstorm, then one day I realized that I was sitting in the middle of the water holding up a lightning rod. Now I'm terrified of fishing in the rain.
 
I have not totally given up on the idea, but a solo trip three hours from home is no time to have something go wrong. Personally I think voluntarily going out in bad weather is like asking for trouble.

Billyp
 
three hours? you'll be fine. Bring fast drying clothing (NO COTTON), wool sweater, wool socks and a wool hat/gloves, a bunch of Home depot construction garbage bags to make rainwear and to keep your gear dry, a bunch of food, candy bars, ramen noodles etc , a few good books, a Rite In the Rain notebook and pencil to write stuff down etc etc . Get out there and build a roaring hot big fire and sit back and chill.

you can do it!
 
Rain isn't bad weather. Storms with thunder, lightning, and winds ripping branches off trees is bad weather.

But I know what you mean. That day off is supposed to be lying out in the sun and relaxing, not practicing jungle survival techniques. I hope it clears up -- just to embarrass the weatherman! :D
 
You should go anyway. There's always breaks in the weather. Even if there isn't, you can still have a good time.
 
As we used to say, "if it ain't rainin', it ain't trainin'."

Okay, having said that, why would you go if you're going to be miserable? On the other hand, if you have proper rain gear, it's an adventure. Make a fire. Have fun. Stay dry (if you can).
 
Hiking and camping in the rain has it's own rewards.



"If you're not living on the edge, …you're taking up too much space."

Big Mike
 
I agree with B5, dawsonbob and the others. Years ago, when planning a weekend canoeing trip, if the weatherman said it was going to rain, I wouldn't go and the weather would turn out perfect and vice versa. I've had some very interesting days canoeing in the rain - the sounds, smells and colours are all different. Now I just go, and what comes, comes.

Weathermen, phhh! What other profession is there where we pay people for being right about 50% of the time?

Take good clothing (no cotton as per B5) and take a light weight fire tarp so you can sit around the fire in the rain, and stay dry and warm. That's one of the good things about canoeing, besides being able to carry more beer - you can carry more tarps! :D

Go, be safe, and have fun.

Doc
 
living on the "wet coast" along with bushman5 and others here, i dont think i've ever cancelled a trip because of weather. i guess its something that just grows on ya :)

that being said, 3 hours isnt too bad for a trip. easily driveable distance if weather gets extremely bad. my suggestion would be something along the lines of bushman5's. take a tarp, and live under it for a while, its quite a nice experience. coupled with a fire and it'll be not so bad of a trip, you'll stay dry, and have things to do like read or whittle or practice making traps.

the point is that its a great way to relax. personally i find the drip drip of the rain off my tarp a relaxing sound.

initially you would probably get a bit wet gathering firewood and setting up your tarp but other than that you could probably get away with staying warm and dry all weekend. and who knows? while you're out there you might get a nice break in the weather and be able to enjoy a quick hike.

my personal suggestion would be to take a decent rain poncho and also good firestarters like coghlan's fire sticks. they'll make life alot easier/comfortable while your out there. a sharp axe is also a good idea to chop and split up all that fire wood :D when your gathering firewood, if you've got pine in the area your in, and there are some fallen over trees you can gather pine knots which burn long bright and hot.

its wet weather days like these where it rains without too much other stuff (lightning strikes, high winds, etc), that i love having a henessey hammock. its basically its own little world where you can read, swing comfortably and sip on a good bottle of whiskey till you pass out in the hammock. :)

hope you get yer arse out there mate and have a good time.

JC
 
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As with some of the others, some of my favorite camping and hiking trips have been in the rain. At the end of the summer of '07 I went on a wonderful backpacking trip in the rain. It had been an extremely dry summer and the last time I'd been out I carried a ton of water because natural sources were pretty much all dried up unless I wanted to drink skunky smelling stuff from the ponds in the area. . . Anyhow on the rainy trip I had some of the best tasting water I'd ever had, filtered out of the new pools that were collecting in the creek beds. I got pretty wet, but I really didn't care. I had lots of really yummy food and two tarps - one over my hammock and one set up as a lean-to a bit closer to the fire - and a nice warm fire, and I had a great time.
 
Don't let rain ruin your plans, get outside and live a little. You maybe looking at the most memorable trip you have ever had. The best tales are true ones, get out there.:thumbup:
 
As long as it isn't going to be severe, as you don't want to be trapped in thunderstorms, than you should go anyway. Take a little extra gear, get out, get a decent waterproof shelter set up, sit back and enjoy. The rain has benefits as well as the downsides! You will be all alone, you can practice your wet weather skills, and you can see how well your shelter would work!
 
I normally go when it is supposed to rain, they tend to be the prettiest days :)
 
Oh come on it's only 3 hours, cotton don't dry any slower than other cloths when its raining and your out.
Its not like he is going to the south pole in the middle of winter or anything.
Being cautious and all is a virtue, but you can take it to far. Plan for what you are going to do but don't over do it.
A pair of bluejeans will be fine. just take some rain gear with you.
 
There is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing (forget who said that).

but Id add inadequate preparation.

I was out last weekend - a solo overnighter around Mt Greylock.. snow still on the ground on the AT south of the summit ...

it rained all night.. but I was in a shelter... but it was COLD... and windy..

makes you feel alive;)
 
I have not given up hope yet...just finished loading up my pack. Just looked at the weather though it might be 1"+ of rain with thunderstorms. I live in the south and all those storms are going to go basically right over where I'm headed.

I agree with everyone, it could be a very nice time to for some introspection, reading and skill improvement.

Thanks for all the words of encouragement.

Billyp
 
An inch of rain and chance of storm? Go ahead and camp. Just don't pitch your tent under the tallest tree in the forest!
 
Another advantage to heading out when it's raining: Fewer other people out there with you. ;) I hate it when I think I'm heading out to be alone for a day or two and I can't find anyplace to get away from the other folks who had the same idea.
 
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