Got caught in a thunderstorm on the Appalachian Trail near Roan Mountain last fall

My cheap poncho ripped apart after the first five minutes and my map turned into mush. I ended up huddling under a rock overhang for two hours until it passed - anyone else ever been caught without proper rain gear in the backcountry?

3 comments

3 Comments

felix_jones1mo ago

wait but honestly your poncho ripping is on you a little bit lol. you gotta get the heavy duty ones if youre doing the AT, the little disposable ones from walmart are basically just for festivals or whatever. but yeah the map turning into mush is a real problem, i always carry a ziploc bag or two for that exact reason so i can seal up my map and phone. though honestly getting pinned under a rock overhang for two hours sounds kinda rough, i probably would have just kept moving if the lightning wasnt too bad and tried to find a shelter. next time just grab a frog toggs jacket from the outdoor store, theyre like 20 bucks and way better than those disposable ponchos.

sean_murray1mo ago

Read an article that said most thru hikers switch to silnylon tarps by like week 2 anyway. More durable and you don't get that soggy plastic feel.

olivia_chen351mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh totally agree with you on this. I switched to a silnylon tarp around day 10 of my PCT hike because I was so tired of waking up in a puddle inside my tent (the condensation was brutal). The tarp was way lighter in my pack too, which made a big difference on those long uphill stretches. And honestly the soggy plastic feel is real - my old tent walls would drip on my face all night, it was gross. Plus with the tarp I could set it up in like 2 minutes when it started raining, instead of fumbling with poles and stakes forever.