Okay, so I am not new to backpacking, but I am new to lightweight backpacking. Eventually, I'd like to make it to ultralight. Any way, one of the biggest things I see is that you should use all the clothes you carry, incorporating them into your sleep system. This is fine, but what do people do if it's actually raining? Stop early to set up shelter and let the rain gear dry before getting into your bag/quilt? I assume wet rain clothes would wet out a down bag pretty seriously. Should rain gear be that one set of clothing that is extra and carried just in case?

Yes, for me, it is just and extra layer of clothing, but not part of my core clothing system that I use to gauge how "low" of a temperature can I push my sleeping system.

Would never sleep in my wet rain gear, but if I was freezing my butt off and the rain gear was dry, I would definetly put it on as an extra layer of clothing for warmth.

I normally carry a garbage bag in my pack as a multi purpose pack liner or for something to place my wet gear in so that it does not get my other dry gear dirty or wet.

Clothing wise:

My emergency clothing is my BPL merino wool top and bottoms for next to skin base layer, which I only use when I am in camp, sleeping, or if it is really cold.

BPL Merino Hoody is my base layer/next to skin layer that I hike in.

Monbell Thermawrap Jacket as my insulation layer

Wind shirt as another layer

Rain Gear as my possible last layer for insulation.

My style of hiking would probaly have me hiking all day til it was time to stop of the night and make camp.

If my rain gear is not dry by then, I would stuff it in my plastic garbage bag and set it outside my bivy & tarp with a rock on it to keep it from blowing way. Or, I might have it in the bag at the foot end of my bivy to keep it out of the rain.

Hope this helps.

-Tony

"Would never sleep in my wet rain gear, but if I was freezing my butt off and the rain gear was dry, I would definetly put it on as an extra layer of clothing for warmth."

+1 Just don't depend on it, as you said.

That makes sense. By the way, that brings up another question that I haven't quite been able to find the answer to, but I'm sure someone can answer quickly. What's the purpose of a wind shirt? Why not just sub your rain jacket?

Peter, As other have stated in a pinch you can sleep in dry rain gear. I have done it, both jacket and pants. I agree I would not consider part of the sleep system for temp, but it is a last layer that indeed can be utilized.

Why wind shirt? It is a great piece of gear that can be used to suppliment a rain jacket. A wind jacket breathes better and is more comfortable to hike in if it is not raining. That being said I do not carry both. If I am taking a poncho tarp as my shelter/rain gear, I bring a 3 oz wind shirt. If I am carrying a tarp then I have a rain jacket and usually pants, but no wind shirt.

Jamie

I carry a windshirt rather than a rain jacket on 2 or 3 day trips when the weather is expected to be fair. It's a lot lighter and much more comfortable, and it'll shed a few drops of rain in a pinch.

I've put my rain jacket around my feet before to warm them up but kind of hinders at the torso despite some stretch panels ("Sale"-gonia Jetstream jacket - discontinued).

its a well known trick to place the jacket over the feet of yr sleeping bag to prevent condensation/spray from the tent/tarp getting the bag wet ... also keeps yr feet a tad warmer ...