Rain gear

[dickinson]

We are going on a Norway fjords cruise in August 2024.  Looking at average weather for that month, I see that the average days of rain for the month in the ports we are going to are: 16 days, 11 days, 13 days, 16 days.  What kind of rain gear do people buy?  What kind of shoes?  Will spraying a waterproof spray on leather sneakers be enough or will we need something else?

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

[ldubs]

I always travel with a large single layer lightweight rain jacket with a big hood.  It can be folded up to compact size and can be worn over my warm coat.  

 

I've had one for years that has traveled all over the world.  It was a Land's End brand that is no longer available.  Sadly the seams finally started to get weak.  I recently picked up a replacement at a sporting goods store. 

[9tee2Sea]

look into Puffer Jackets.  Very lightweight, keeps you warm, and can be rolled up into a ball.  Out here in So California, you can find them on sale at a dirt cheap price ( no one needs jackets in Los Angeles).  As fr shoes, I take hiking boots and spray them with a water-repellent ( you can buy the spray at any shoe store or outdoors gear store).

[ldubs]

I like Hoka shoes.  They suck in the rain.  So my footwear advice is not Hokas.  😀

 

For rainy itineraries I bring a pair of Clark chukka style or a pair of Rockports.  

[MBP&O2/O]

It depends on how wet you are prepared to get. One good downpour on a jacket that is only showerproof will ruin your day. My jacket is fully windproof and water proof and weighs in at 550grams.

My shoes are Gore-Tex lined. One pair Meindle and one pair Keen. Both good grip soles as well

I may come home dripping wet but I am dry under the jacket and my feet are dry as well.

The dog on the other hand ........😁🦮

I do a lot of dog walking over wet terrain and It rains where we live and when the wind rips in of the Artic it can be very cold.

[clo]

2 hours ago, 9tee2Sea said:

look into Puffer Jackets.  Very lightweight, keeps you warm, and can be rolled up into a ball.  Out here in So California, you can find them on sale at a dirt cheap price ( no one needs jackets in Los Angeles).  As fr shoes, I take hiking boots and spray them with a water-repellent ( you can buy the spray at any shoe store or outdoors gear store).

I have a puffer jacket but it needs something over it in the rain. I got a cheapie, almost rubbery, knee length with a hood and pockets so no umbrella most of the time.

[dickinson]

Thanks for the suggestions!  Does anyone wear waterproof pants?  An excursion of a couple of hours in pouring rain could be awful!

[crystalspin]

37 minutes ago, MBP&O2/O said:

It depends on how wet you are prepared to get.

This!

 

For our Voyage of the Vikings cruise, we will take knee-length LLBean H2Off raincoats that have proved waterproof. Shoes to be decided!

1 minute ago, dickinson said:

Thanks for the suggestions!  Does anyone wear waterproof pants?  An excursion of a couple of hours in pouring rain could be awful!

I bought and took waterproof over-pants on our first trip to Alaska... They didn't fit well and I left them behind at a B&B during our self-drive land portion. Not planning to obtain any this year. Will take warm pants and SILK (not cotton) long-johns.

[aungrl]

5 hours ago, dickinson said:

Thanks for the suggestions!  Does anyone wear waterproof pants?  An excursion of a couple of hours in pouring rain could be awful!

We did an extended cruise through some cold and wet ports in September a few years ago - In the Wake of the Vikings, on Viking Ocean - amazing and highly recommend! - and both of us took waterproof pants that zipped on over our regular pants.  On two different occasions, we were really glad we had them. We would have been wet and miserable from the upper knees down without those pants, as out waterproof rain jackets only hit us at just above our knees.  They're really lightweight, easy to pack and throw in a small backpack or larger purse when you take them off if they're not needed, and I would most definitely take them again for similar rainy climates.  

[SPacificbound]

Waterproof shoes are worth buying, mine have lasted for years. 

[clo]

24 minutes ago, SPacificbound said:

Waterproof shoes are worth buying, mine have lasted for years. 

You can get short rubber boots for not much money.

[Keksie]

When we were in Ketchikan it was a cold steady rain all day.  I had a 3 in 1  jacket, hiking boots and waterproof pants over my jeans.  I also had long underwear on.  We spent the day at one of the totem pole parks and all day I stayed dry and warm. The jacket could be a rain coat or a warm jacket or both.  The boots had been sprayed with water proof spray and the pants fit well over my pants.  I would have been miserable if I had gotten wet or cold.  

[dickinson]

11 hours ago, aungrl said:

We did an extended cruise through some cold and wet ports in September a few years ago - In the Wake of the Vikings, on Viking Ocean - amazing and highly recommend! - and both of us took waterproof pants that zipped on over our regular pants.  On two different occasions, we were really glad we had them. We would have been wet and miserable from the upper knees down without those pants, as out waterproof rain jackets only hit us at just above our knees.  They're really lightweight, easy to pack and throw in a small backpack or larger purse when you take them off if they're not needed, and I would most definitely take them again for similar rainy climates.  

Where did you buy them?  Any suggestions?

[dickinson]

3 minutes ago, Keksie said:

When we were in Ketchikan it was a cold steady rain all day.  I had a 3 in 1  jacket, hiking boots and waterproof pants over my jeans.  I also had long underwear on.  We spent the day at one of the totem pole parks and all day I stayed dry and warm. The jacket could be a rain coat or a warm jacket or both.  The boots had been sprayed with water proof spray and the pants fit well over my pants.  I would have been miserable if I had gotten wet or cold.  

Where did you buy them?  Any suggestions?

[Keksie]

The jacket and pants were from LL Bean.  The long undies from Lands End.  The boots were Ariats from tractor supply.

[aungrl]

14 minutes ago, dickinson said:

Where did you buy them?  Any suggestions?

The brand of mine is Marmot, and I found them online, although I can't remember where.  (I had a pair from LL Bean that were similar, but were heavier and didn't pack as small.  The material of both was Gore-Tex.)  My husband got his at Cabela's, also Gore-Tex.   I've read that Gore-Tex isn't technically waterproof, only highly water resistant, but I can tell you that both of these kept us 100% dry in a sideways rainstorm for over an hour in Iceland.

[dickinson]

57 minutes ago, Keksie said:

The jacket and pants were from LL Bean.  The long undies from Lands End.  The boots were Ariats from tractor supply.

Thanks!

[dickinson]

51 minutes ago, aungrl said:

The brand of mine is Marmot, and I found them online, although I can't remember where.  (I had a pair from LL Bean that were similar, but were heavier and didn't pack as small.  The material of both was Gore-Tex.)  My husband got his at Cabela's, also Gore-Tex.   I've read that Gore-Tex isn't technically waterproof, only highly water resistant, but I can tell you that both of these kept us 100% dry in a sideways rainstorm for over an hour in Iceland.

Thanks!

[JDincalif]

22 hours ago, ldubs said:

I like Hoka shoes.  They suck in the rain.  So my footwear advice is not Hokas.  😀

Hoka fans here too. The GoreTex Hokas are good for light to moderate showers; for anything more J uses rubber rain boots. 

 

Agree that a large light packable water resistant jacket over warmer layers offers the most versatile coverage.

 

 

Edited January 17 by JDincalif

[SC LTC]

2 hours ago, Keksie said:

When we were in Ketchikan it was a cold steady rain all day.  I had a 3 in 1  jacket, hiking boots and waterproof pants over my jeans.  I also had long underwear on.  We spent the day at one of the totem pole parks and all day I stayed dry and warm. The jacket could be a rain coat or a warm jacket or both.  The boots had been sprayed with water proof spray and the pants fit well over my pants.  I would have been miserable if I had gotten wet or cold.  

What month was this?

[CPT Trips]

35 minutes ago, JDincalif said:

 

Agree that a large light packable water resistant jacket over warmer layers offers the most versatile coverage.

I opt for waterproof rather than water resistant for staying dry and also waterproof over pants. The served me well in really messy conditions, cold, windy, and near horizontal rain. 
“You can never get so wet that you won’t dry out, but dress to stay dry,” Gudrun, trip leader in Baltics. 

[Keksie]

3 hours ago, SC LTC said:

What month was this?

August

[*Miss G*]

These are the best travel accessory rain gear ever.  I’ve worn them in a deluge and my feet stayed perfectly dry.  They have a good grip so there is no slipping on the pavement, and they fold up nicely into the accompanying travel bag.  I’ve had them since 2019 and they’re still going great.

 

LINK:  RAIN SHOE COVERS

 

 

 

[dickinson]

8 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

These are the best travel accessory rain gear ever.  I’ve worn them in a deluge and my feet stayed perfectly dry.  They have a good grip so there is no slipping on the pavement, and they fold up nicely into the accompanying travel bag.  I’ve had them since 2019 and they’re still going great.

 

LINK:  RAIN SHOE COVERS

 

 

 

Awesome!

[ldubs]

12 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

These are the best travel accessory rain gear ever.  I’ve worn them in a deluge and my feet stayed perfectly dry.  They have a good grip so there is no slipping on the pavement, and they fold up nicely into the accompanying travel bag.  I’ve had them since 2019 and they’re still going great.

 

LINK:  RAIN SHOE COVERS

 

 

 

 

These are awesome.  Sadly they don't have my size, but thanks for the lead.   We have an upcoming land trip that is expected to be wet, so perfect timing.   

 

I had to smile at the part of the description that says "not recommended for pregnant or old".   I'm pretty clear on pregnant.  What they mean by old isn't so clear.   Haha.