I don’t know how many times I’ve been caught in the rain without any protection from the falling water. I’m pretty bad about heading off into the wilds without something waterproof to pull on if the skies open up.
But with this spring’s overabundance of rainstorms, I’ve been trying to plan ahead a little more. I don’t think I have to tell the folks in Fremont County about water – you folks have more than you’ve seen in decades. But for the rest of us, a gentle reminder now and then might come in handy.
I took a trip a while back to Rochester, Minnesota, for the Outdoor Writers Association of America’s annual convention. We usually find ourselves locked in a megahotel for five days at those conferences, which is a bit ironic, since we’re composed of all sorts of people who generally spend more time outside than in. But there’s always one day of the conference when we get outside to try new products, goof around in a natural area the locals are proud of, and shoot as much free ammunition as we can get ahold of.
On that trip, our breakout day got rained on. Not rained out – we weren’t about to give up our one day outside. But we certainly got a lot of rain. By Wyoming standards, it was torrential. I guess the Minnesotans weren’t so concerned, but I was about ready to start building an ark.
Anyway, I had had the foresight to pack my Filson field coat when I left home, so I had it handy when breakout day rolled around. Filson makes fantastic oiled-canvas products that are about as waterproof as sealskin, and they breathe much better than a lot of the synthetic raingear out there. My upper body stayed dry all day, though I might think about picking up a set of rain pants in the near future. My blue jeans were not the best option, for sure.
Don’t forget the rain gear this spring. If you get caught in a downpour, you’ll be glad you have it.
