"Basically, the best strategy for staying dry (or at least somewhat dry) is to run as fast as possible. Unless you’re really thin, in which case there may be a more optimal speed. And if you’ve got a tailwind behind you, then you should run exactly as fast as the wind at your back."



http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/07/20/physicists-tackle-a-pressing-problem-how-to-stay-dry-in-the-rain/

For the non scientist types,

if you are wearing no rain gear and just crossing the street then absolutely running makes sense, if you have no rain gear and have to travel a mile it doesn't matter, if you are hiking and have limited rain gear (just a top or just an umbrella) then walking will almost always be the best option because running would cause you to outrun your rain shield that your protection provides (i.e., rain coming in under the umbrella or under your hood visor).

Edited by randalmartin on 07/23/2012 15:56:39 MDT.

Mythbusters tackled this one.

IIRC the runner gor more wet. (probly don't remember correctly, though)

Yes, better to walk ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtbJbi6Sswg

You are remembering correctly Barry. Mythbusters found that running got a person more wet than walking. Seems like they weighed all clothing before/after the rain and found the runner's clothes to have gained more water weight.

I don't care. I'm still running.

Ryan

It's a trick question! To stay as dry as possible, you should stay out of the rain entirely. ;)

I vote for get in my tent and wait it out.

It rain gear is not an option, then body temperature may be a much more significant factor. When cold and wet, walking may not produce enough heat to stay warm. Running would be warmer, but then you have the problem of keeping upright on a wet trail.

in any BPL theoritical ideal perfect situation the rain will be falling directly straight down. and of course the wind will be neutral direction or zero. so now that we have established conditions that can not actually exist, it's time for a BPL discussion ! that this discussion may eventually invoke religion, name calling, satire, and economics .. it's a foregone conclusion.

here we go :

let us assume that a pair of un-gendered folks named Runner and Walker are going travel from A to B over distance x~y, and it will be raining that nice statistically perfect precipitation so common on the internet.
Runner and Walker, being a species of "folks" are conveniently shaped as upright rectangular boxes, not unlike small phone booths.
because of their shape, and the ideal rain conditions, during their travels from X to Y in the rain, R and W will get wet only on their top and front surfaces.
it gets good here ..
the volume of area swept by the identical sized R and W in their travel will be the same.
at any given moment, the amount of rain in this volume remains constant.
both R and W will both sweep this volume and in doing so absorb the amount of water it contains on their front surfaces. R will sweep it faster than W, but the water amount will still be the same.
HOWEVER, W takes longer than R, so it (no gender.. remember), because of the longer duration of exposure, will be exposed to a greater amount of rain impacting it's upper surface.
we can all know from this astute analysis of the situation, that R will stay dryer than W.

thusly, the correct answer to the question is "all other things being equal .. Run."

you're welcome ..

v.

You need to more forward at the same speed the rain is falling at.

But, it really won't make much difference either way...

I really enjoy a afternoon thunder shower! If it is really bad/windy or sideways rain I will stop and set up my tarp and that has happened to me once. All the other times I walk and take out the umbrella and enjoy the refreshing rain. Always check the forecast.

Walk!

I'm 58 years old and I gave up running long ago unless my life is one the line.

That being said lightening is life threatening.

However my weather forecast for tomorrow morning is a 30% chance of thunderstorms all day long. When I left work today my goal was to go out and take a nice long walk early in the morning. I am a fat boy. I'm 5' 9" and @228 lbs. When I walk I perspire. If it rains I find it cooling and somewhat enjoyable. If the weather gets really rough I will have my poncho tarp with me and I will be able to hunker down somewhere until it calms down enough for me to continue my walk / hike.

FWIW I live in SE Louisiana and tomorrow's forecast is avg. temp of 85 with a relative humidity of 90% and 30% chance of thunder showers. No matter what I do if I go walking I will get wet!;-)

Party On,

Newton

I say... Skip!

So what happens if you skip? Drier than walking, or drier than running? Wetter than either? Wetter than both? Inconsequential? Purely rhetorical? Brings you into an altered state, and therefore rain has no measurable effect? Or perhaps the downward shock loosens the rain? Anyone want an ice-cream?

How about bees? Should you walk or run through a swarm of bees? How about yellow jackets or those gray ground bees? Personally I run like hell but those yellow jackets still sting me every time.

If you are "singing in the rain" you won't care that it is raining

In town, run out of the rain and in the front door of a coffee shop. it makes for a movie-like moment.
On a trail, I just turn sideways and walk between the raindrops. It helps to be 6'2" and 155 lbs. I think that Ben (in another thread) said that there is an equation for this on Amazon for 99 cents.

Sinatra said,

"When you walk through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm,

Is the golden sky,
And the sweet silver song of the lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,

Though your dreams be tossed and blown,
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone".;-)

Party On,

Newton

Walk thru bees, run from wasps. BTW, yellow jackets are wasps not bees.

More time in the rain more wet, less time less wet. Therefore run.

you should run naked thru the rain.


Then everyone will think you are crazy, and lock you up. There you will be dry for a long time.