Traveling in the Rain: Into Every Life a Little Rain Must Fall . . .
If you are planning an outdoor adventure, you’ll know how to prepare, or you should. But a nice holiday that you envision to be sun-filled can turn out very gray. We’ve all had rainy travel days, but now and then it’s a rainy season. I’ve had some exceptionally rainy trips. How do you make it through, say, two wet weeks? Or more?
How to Survive a Rainy Vacation when “The Rain it Raineth Every Day.”
The first maxim is grin and bear it. Really. Otherwise it’s a total ruin, and do you want to tell your friends you had a lousy trip? I don’t. Beyond that, it’s a matter of equipment and choices. Equipment is your rain gear; choices are your activities. If you want to be outside, your equipment has to be adequate. Choices include cafés, restaurants, museums, churches, castles, tents – anything with a roof.
Preparation
I check the local weather in the run-up to departure. That’s obvious but it’s never a guarantee, is it. A favorite line I saw when planning a trip in Tasmania is, “be prepared for sudden and severe deterioration of the weather.” You could say this about many places. As for planning, when I’m out on rainy days at home, I project myself into a trip. What would make me comfortable in weather like this? Then, if it would make me comfortable, is it packable? I also ponder really wet past trips and what worked.
Pouring in Sarlat-la-Canéda, France
My six key things for rain
Shoes. I’ve seen cute rain boots but don’t want to pack them unless I know I’m going to have a soggy trip. As for general travel shoes, I’ve had rainy weather success with suede Mephistos. I’m about to try some new Munro shoes with water resistant uppers. Both are good for walking and are dressy or cute enough for most travel entertainments. Be aware of shoes decorated with perforations. I have some cute ones but my feet get wet. That doesn’t mean I don’t pack them, but they’re not for heavy rain.
Sandals. My vintage Clark’s Indigo sandals that have been around the world with me have served in the rain. My feet get wet but I can dry feet and shoes effectively, and the shoes weren’t so expensive that I agonize over them. Clark’s Wendy Laurel sandals are similar. You get wet, but they dry well enough. When it’s seriously hot and wet I’ve worn Crocs flip-flops (thongs).
Boots. My ankle height Aquatalia boots go whenever it’ll be cool, rainy or snowy. Sometimes they go if it’s just forecast to be chilly. They never leak, but don’t shout “rain boot,” and can go anywhere.
Water repellent. I’m not using any right now. When I lived in Minnesota, I massaged leather shoes with mink oil and sprayed suede shoes with water and stain repellent. Since moving away, I haven’t done any waterproofing. I no longer want to use the toxic, highly flammable chemicals in the sprays I’ve looked at. There are a couple of natural products that I plan to try but haven’t.
Coats and Jackets
Jacket or coat – with detachable hood if you can get it. I have a dark khaki three-quarter length coat with a zip-off hood. I only attach the hood if the weather requires. Another jacket I like for warmer rainy weather is a light-weight REI jacket, also with a detachable hood. My LL Bean H2Off raincoat’s great in the rain. Its hood doesn’t detach, but the hood’s black like the coat so looks decent enough to wear with dressier clothes.
I’ve worn long raincoats that are useful in blowing rain, but I find that for the most part, all that fabric gets in my way. There are lots of raincoat choices. A friend has a stylish JJill raincoat that folds into a pocket. I like it. I always keep an eye out for other people’s raincoats to find new ones that have promise.
Rainy in Kraków, Poland
Travel Umbrella
One of my prize possessions is an old Samsonite folding umbrella that is nearly weightless and folds up so little and flat that it’s easy to put in a purse or pocket. It’s a perfectly good-sized umbrella too. I bought two new ones in 2016 but the formerly metal parts are now plastic. While they are still light and small, I’ll see how they wear.
Socks
I like SmartWool winter and summer unless I’m in sandals. The SmartWool makes my feet cozy in wet weather, and the socks dry pretty fast. For light duty, I’m also using some microfiber no-show socks that wick moisture. Only they show in most of my shoes.
Fabrics
There is lots of advice about fabrics. Unless I plan to be sweating a lot (when I want a moisture-wicking fabric), my rain preferences are cotton, merino wool and cashmere, depending on the season. Merino wool comes in various weights and is good almost year round.
Hats
I have an old, black, large, wool beret that is good against light rain and generally excellent under an umbrella for any rain. (No one in France would actually wear this even though it was made there.) It also helps keeps my coif intact because humidity is a big problem for me. For cold rain and snow, especially if it’s windy, I use a knit hat. It looks really – not great. And it messes up the hair. But it keeps my ears warm.
