poncho? (also re: poncho? knives? and Boot sprays, ponchos & knives))

[Frank Metcalf and Mary Doherty]

Hi Kathy and others,

Good timing on this topic, as I was out walking for 2:20 last night in a
strong Vancouver rain, going to and from my French class at the Alliance,
wearing poncho (with hood down), cap and runners, a little damp around the
edges but happy as Larry.

I'm with Deanna about the poncho and legs: if they get wet, so what?
Lightweight zip-legs dry fast, and, well, they zip off too. I and many
others hike in shorts anyway, very good in the rain because skin is
waterproof and breathable, unlike anything else whatever the hype. In the
rare worst conditions, raise your heat production by moving faster if need
be, and keep the upper body and head warm with your polypro / fleece top,
and your cap or hat plus the poncho hood. Ponchos are surprisingly warm,
and break the wind better than you might think. I wear a running cap for
everything, and its long synthetic bill keeps my glasses mostly dry.

One note about the 7 to 9 oz Equinox poncho. I tried my wife's
non-pack-extensioned 7 oz model, and discovered it was smaller all over,
and didn't fit me comfortably. But my taurine frame fits easily into the
pack-extensioned model, which I bought before switching to a pack which
needs no extension to cover it. The extension model comes farther down the
arms and legs, and the head opening and hood are larger.

I'm always more concerned about the eternal tempest within than the
occasional rainstorm on the outside of the clothing: Constant heat and
sweat while working vs occasional rain. So I abhor Goretex, which breathes
weakly, and not well enough for me. I realize that we're all different, so
that's partly a personal fixation, but some others do share it as I've
learned from off-list correspondence. I even live for the time when the
Scotchguard spray on new runners wears off, so my feet can feel cool and
dry--and that's in Vancouver! Your results may vary, but it's a sure thing,
in theory, that friction or other heat, plus moisture, create blisters. You
might say, well, duh, what about wet feet in the rain? To which I reply
that most of the time it isn't raining, but it's warm to scorching hot and
the road is hard. At least in the rain it's cooler. Last night after more
than two hours in the rain, my socks were slightly damp--like a hot day on
the camino. The shoes and socks are dry now, and anyway, dry socks would be
ready in my pack.

People pack too much stuff because they want to cover every imaginable
happenstance, and don't fully trust in themselves, their daily kit, and the
richly civilised country which gives us the camino. In Spain I say, prepare
for the average and deal with the extremes. Why carry all month what you
"just might" find handy for a couple of hours--if you actually decided to
dig it out of an overstuffed pack? Better perhaps to dig a little into your
own vast resources of love and good energy, to bless the rain, and keep on
walking.

I heartily second Bob's and Glenn's comments about Swiss Army knives. I use
the smallest model having scissors, corkscrew and opener. (I also use one
of those weightless camping openers.) So glad to learn that at least some
others feel a cultural obligation to explore their host country's wines
before total immersion. Imagine my current adventures while preparing for
the road in France! It felt so good to be able to tell my homesick French
teacher, from the pays du Lot, that the vin de Cahors was arriving in town
this April, and to give her the French websites and revues describing it.

Frank Metcalf

>Hi  Frank,
>From your list that on the archives, it looks like you only took that =
>rain poncho, rather than rain jacket and rain pants.  Is that correct?  =
>We've been told by several people that you really need the rain pants, =
>or you'll get quite drenched in the donwnpours that can come in May, and =
>it could also be quite chilly to be wet.
>
>Thanks for yor thoughts,
>Kathy
>I only have a poncho. It covers my pack and myself. In Spain last year I
>had to buy an umbrella too because my spectacles don't have windshield
>wipers!
>I didn't need rain pants because my poncho is long. It doesn't matter if
>your quick-dry pants get wet. However after so long, my gortex boots got
>wet inside from drip-down. So this year I found a pair of goretex socks to
>wear over my regular socks in a downpour. If your boots get really soaked
>inside they may take a few days to dry out completely. Some people had
>gaiters. But my goretex socks don't weigh nearly as much as gaiters.
>
>I've been wondering why people take nice knives. Maybe I don't need one
>because I seldom eat meat?  A plain old plastic knife was all I needed
>last year, to cut cheese or maybe an apple to share. I used to have a
>leatherman's tool for backpacking/tenting alone in the desert but I ended
>up giving it away. What do people do with their Swiss army knives? They
>are a bit heavy. I do have very small folding scissors for bandages and
>nail clipping. They are handy.
>
>Deanna
>
>Open wine bottles with the cork screw.
>Bob
>On Mar 17, 2004, at 7:55 AM, athena wrote:
>
>>  What do people do with their Swiss army knives?
>Date:    Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:25:01 -0500
>From:    "Jilek, Glenn" <Glenn.JilekaFHWA.DOT.GOV>
>Subject: Re: poncho? knives?
>
>I always thought it was interesting that Swiss Army knives had cork =
>screws on them.  It shows something about the culture.  Since I really =
>am enjoy wine, I guess I should either get a Swiss Army knife or have a =
>cork screw along with me.  I have started drinking wine from the regions =
>in Spain where I will be walking.  I thought that, in a mystical sense, =
>I would start "tasting" the land, sun, air through the wine, and on some =
>level become more familiar with the area.  Besides the wine tastes good =
>and it's fun to think about where it was made!

>Date:    Wed, 17 Mar 2004 14:30:58 -0500
>From:    Duke Klassen <dklassenaMN.RR.COM>
>Subject: Re: poncho? knives?
>
>Should gore-tex boots be water-proofed or are they already waterproofed
>when you buy them?  Does water-proofing prevent the boots
>from  "breathing"?
>
>Thank you
>
>Duke Klassen
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date:    Wed, 17 Mar 2004 23:39:32 -0000
>From:    Jeffrey Crawley <jt.crawleyaUKONLINE.CO.UK>
>Subject: Boot sprays, ponchos & knives
>
>Don't forget it's just the inner lining that's gore-tex, you can get a spray
>that acts as a repellant/waterproofer to protect the outer boot.
>
>I always use it, it doesn't seem to affect the breathability of the gore-tex
>though I'm none too sure how much more waterproof it makes the boots but my
>feet never get wet so who knows?
>
>You can get ponchos that are more like a tube than the conventional
>multi-use tarp type; sometimes it can be a pain pulling the overtrousers on
>and off - you can just hike the poncho up to pack height like curtains
>(drapes if you prefer). Female hikers tell me they can help make "comfort
>stops" feel a little less vulnerable.
>
>Swiss Army knives - probably the best designed can opener on a penknife so
>long as you remember to cut FORWARDS (ie rotate the can clockwise as you
>look down on it) - much better than the can opener on my Leatherman juice.
>Also, if you wear glasses, you can buy a small screwdriver for tiny screws
>that stows away in the coil of the corkscrew.
>
>If you don't drink wine or intend to open cans go for a cheap and cheerful
>Opinel lockblade knife - carbon steel holds an edge longer than stainless.
>
>Jeffrey