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using a hilltrek hybrid smock, it doesn't claim to be completely waterproof. completely waterproof gear will be like a heatbox and u'll eventually get soaked from ur own sweat

It's simple. If you turn right to go down a side trail, you turn right to get back on the trail and not head in the wrong direction. Same if you turn left, turn left to head in the right direction.

When hiking in cold weather I always wear merino wool underwear, T-Shirt and sweater, and moleskin (cotton) pants and jacket. This combination keeps me warm and dry even in a light rain. In case heavy rain sets in I always carry a military style rain poncho in my backpack. I also find it important to bring a good hat in case it rains. Over time any hood of a jacket or poncho will limit your vision so much it just gets annoying, while your face still gets wet. Hats were made for rainy weather, why don't people wear them more often nowadays?

most advertising/marketing is 90 to 99% lies

I never went on the Appalachian Trail, but I used to live in West Virginia, and I know that it was always really humid there, so like you said, even when it's not raining, you can be soaked with sweat. But it also doesn't surprise me to hear that rain gear isn't working, because all clothing is getting worse and worse in quality. I believe that making clothes at home is the solution, and there aren't enough people in the USA starting their own local businesses to make clothing. That's what would be needed to guarantee that it was good quality - you won't be able to buy good clothes from any large retail stores anymore.

In 2025, I only have plans to finish my '23 thruhike attempt (from Katahdin down through Shenandoah). I might drive south of there to visit some hostels which helped me north in '23. Ramdino's channel has some content about the treadway that you might not have, and vice-versa. Thank you for your service and perspective about the social activities on the Trail. I noticed a degradation of awareness and respect of others over the nearly 50 years that I have been hiking the AT and associated trails. 🙏

good report. I live near Damascus. they are open for business and patronize shops that are open. But the damage to the trails is severe. the Virginia Creeper trail (Rail trail that shares a treadway with the AT for 2 sections) is severely damaged. In places is non existent. The trail was closed from the Tennessee line to elk garden (almost 30 miles). The sawyers have cut thru but there will need to be real work on the trail to make it stable. ALDHA held their meeting in Abingdon just after the Damage. Most of the help we did was to give aid to the people whose houses had washed away. that is also still a thing in this area. Thanks for your good reporting. The flip flop is definitely the way to go this year

Thicker rubber won't keep you dry but will keep you warm and it holds less water then a pile of wool. Different types of rain gear is helpful. Don't be unrealistic.

I'm glad I'm not hiking that area this year. How do you see a white blaze when all the trees that the blaze was on are down or cut up? It is unreal that our government sends millions if not billions of dollars to other countries when we are running a deficit but they can't find the money needed to clean up after a disaster on a public well known trail. I had a very disappointing experience in Maryland on the AT. I was going down a steep set of stone steps and someone (a human) had taken a dump ON A STEP. What kind of person does that? Unbelievable. John

so glad to see you posting again...great topics...great advice!

I think the only thing working for hiding from rain is thick rubber you make yourself like seaman or farmer. Sorry for my shit english

wool the rain gear

milsurp works and is tested to work. go for milsurp from countries with small but rich forces that go for high quality gear. british army goretex is brilliant. belgian, Netherlands, germany all do qulity boots and raincoats. commercial gear is univerally overpriced, underperforms, has poor durabilty and as this video shows, will actually work against you if you get into difficulties

How do you avoid/deal with ticks while sleeping in a floorless tent? I'm very curious since I've also considered similar setups before, but stuck to closed tents from fear of ticks

It is always true that most gear doesn't work. You have to test everything using the scientific method!

Thank you for the video.

Great information. Thanks.

Wet gear never works properly, the question is should we expect it to ? when I was a kid I fished and hunted, and was always damp, when I was a young man I worked outdoors, and I was always damp, when I was a little older I worked somewhere hot and was always damp. From whence did I get the idea I always needed to be dry ?

i havent really done a big hike in a long time, but in boy-scouts we always just had those green plastic button-up ponchos.. not an amazing piece of technology but keeps water off while allowing for ventilation.. all these crazy high tech “breathable” waterproof fabrics suck and just become a sauna.. “keep it simple, stupid!”

Not a hiker so I can understand there may be differences but I worked outside long days in pouring rain for weeks on end. I just used a Gortex Raincoat with a hoodie underneath as a vapour layer. This wouldn't protect my legs at all but I would be warm and dry all day as my chest wouldn't get wet. Partly the warmth was from doing manual labour so I imagine if you are hiking it would be similar. Just my 2c

The ATC denied a buddy of mine the section hiker completion rocker he earned because he dared to hike some of sections during the COVID "shutdown" -- I suspect he will not be donating to the "resiliency" fund.

Yep, there’s some damage. It’ll take a while to repair, roads and homes have priority. Thank you for this public service announcement…from an old veteran, retired in the foothills of the Smokies.

Good update and info! Very thoroughly explained as well.

Happy New Year Flat Broke! Hope to see you on trail!

Gear that sheds rains is hot and stiff to wear. A canvas duster treated for rain proof works well, but you will still get wet.

Ramdino has done long in depth videos on this subject and he has also brought on members of local clubs and shown all the work that has been done. Things from what I see are coming together very quickly and things will be fine. People hike the PCT every year and have to avoid sections because of fires every year. If I was hiking the AT this year that is how I would approach my AT. Things will be fine and everything will work out. Will there be issues sure, but no one ever said it would be easy. I plan on hiking the Colorado Trail this year and if there are issues I will just hike what is open. Check out Ramdino Hikes, he has lots of information on this very subject.

I imagine more funds should go towards repairing roads, replacing bridges and housing people before trail repair. I40 between Asheville and Tennessee is going to take a year and hundreds of millions of dollars. I26 between Asheville and Tennessee will take a similar amount of time and money. Erwin's hospital got destroyed. People are homeless in Western North Carolina, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. Those should all take priority over a trail in terms of federal funding. If you value the trail, step up and volunteer.

If only the AT hikers actually helped to fix the trail, instead of focusing on a hike to get a worthless piece of paper. Its like all the hikers who expect trail magic, but would never create any trail magic themselves.

I decided on a flip-flop starting in Central Virginia for 2025 for some of the very reasons you layout in this video. Plus, I was actually on the AT, in late Sept 2024, and hiked through the start of Helene's damage, just south of the Smokies. I think it will really take the trail a decade to fully recover.

How bout commissioning low level offender prisoners to do a lot of this trail work. When I fought forest fires for the forest service in California in my 20s, we were diggin line right alongside men and women prisoners. I’m skinny so some of the women prisoners liked to vocalize some of their goals and objectives with me!😅❤️😅. My fellow firefighters got a kick out of it and so did I!😁. NQU

Good video I have had luck with keeping my feet dry using the wicking sock liners used by runners (polypro?) and wool socks (not the heavy ones.) Runners have been getting wet forever. Most of my experience is doing dayhikes in the SE. I also dabbled with using trail running sandles to give my feet a break. In the summer feet and chaffing are the issues not hypothermia, so I can see just not worrying about staying dry but protecting the feet..

I love how my favorite hiking channel (this one) has no actual video on it. Never change!

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Happy new year

Well there doing the best to clean up the mess it not a walk across the street it a trail the old time didn,t have it that great! Shut up and deal with it! It's not the the country club😊

What they don't want to talk about is the contamination from the floods, but apparently that's a controversial subject. People should look into it to determine what safety measures they want to take while hiking a contaminated trail.

Shared! Thank you!

Happy New Year!

I switched to umbrellas many years ago and never looked back. Shell gear is over-priced and under-performs.

“The AT is an inherently inconvenient place.” lol great description.

What the F'.. this is a surprise. a good one mind. I could watch the backlist all over again. thanks for posting made my day.

I mean, umbrellas work for me.

Poncho and a hat, my friends. But if you are moving in the rain, you will get wet...so a change of dry clothes in pack covered by a rain fly is probably better.

Reject nylon, embrace tradition (miserable but warm Scottish highlander wool lmao)

The only rain gear I really like is Thorogood (formerly NEOS or New England Overshoes) or my waterproof boots, rain pants, and a rain cape with a water repellant hat. I'm a former great plains letter carrier, so I have torture tested a ton of gear and shoe leather. Keeping your feet dry is critical, hence the overshoes. Rain pants and a rain cape are the lightest rain gear I can wear so I don't sweat so much I defeat the purpose, and rain leggings help keep your socks dry.

If anyone is in comment section is sick of goretex you should try paramo! I’ve stayed much drier this winter in comparisons to last year. For ref I’m a gardener in the uk, if I went home when I got wet I’d be unemployed

I don't mind getting soaked, I just hate the process of getting wet. I bet most of the complaints come from just bad gear, the cheap rain suits, that are basically plastic bags where you are really getting wet from your own perspiration condensing on the interior of the rain suit.

Don't buy raingear from the USA or from China. They are manufactured by the lowest bidder. Try northern Europe. Scandinavian countries. They know how to do raingear.

Nothing else than good old pvc or oilskin-wear, keeps the rain out. I have some gear that I only wear for certain lighter conditions, and some other that I know exactly what their properties are. So it's kind of specially chosen for, when used. It's just common sense. Lightweight rain gear that are advertised today, Never has and never work and never gonna work. And the companies are lying bigger and bigger to cover their stock value, as they promise more and more, while the tech keeps getting better and better fooling absolutely everyone. It's only the SO-ME-generation that keeps complaining, because they simply feeding off of the notion that everything is easy and everything is supposed to work as advertised and as they say. Well, you've officially got Punked ppl! )=

I've not hiked the Appalachian Trail, but I've always thought waterproof layers are best for when it's really truly cold and wet- that extra layer of protection isn't perfect but it keeps that much more water from freezing off you, and it makes drying your clothes slightly easier.