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Can we talk about that one time on the Eagle Cap loop in Oregon
I got caught in a surprise hailstorm above 8,000 feet with just a rain shell and it took me 3 hours of shivering to get back to tree line, so what's your absolute must-have piece of gear you won't leave the trailhead without now?
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murray.robert5mo ago
Yeah, a puffy is great but it's useless if it's soaked. My non-negotiable is a real rain jacket, not just a shell. It needs good taped seams and a decent hood that actually fits over a hat. That cheap plastic stuff will fail when you need it most. What brand do you trust for real weather?
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evan5435mo ago
That sounds brutal. A rain shell is good, but it's not enough insulation when you stop moving. My absolute must-have is a puffy jacket, the kind that stuffs into its own pocket. It weighs nothing and lives in my pack year-round. Saved me more than once when the sun went down early or the wind picked up.
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cameron_hernandez695mo ago
Good call on the puffy, @evan543, but you still need that shell over it in real rain. The down gets wet and stops working fast. A cheap rain jacket over the puffy is the real combo that saves you.
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daniel_cooper345mo ago
Totally, got caught in a surprise downpour last fall with just a puffy. Was soaked through in minutes and freezing. Now I keep a basic nylon shell rolled up in the bottom of my bag, it's saved my butt so many times. That combo is way warmer than you'd think.
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