Legs when wearing a poncho?

[Chris Melbourne]

I start my first Camino on May 18th from Pamplona. Just over 2 weeks to go!

Having looked a various rain gear options I have opted for a Packa which covers the backpack and has good breathability. It reaches about knee level.

What should I do about my legs? I will be wearing zip off walking trousers and it should be fairly warm by the end of May.

Should I:-

1. let my trouser bottoms get wet?
2. Put long gaiters over my trousers?
2. zip off my trouser bottoms and let my legs and boots and socks get wet?
3. zip off my trouser bottoms and put on long gaiters?
4. zip off my trousers and use short gaiters to keep boots and socks dry?

Maybe I'm over thinking this?

Advice from seasoned peregrinos would be helpful.

Chris

 

[bunnymac]

I have worn shorts with a poncho & no gaiters. It can still get a little chilly on high ground. Another option is to get waterproof trousers which cover to the top of your boots (my preferred option). Allegedly gaiters are the most discarded items along the Camino Frances.

 

[NavyBlue]

Hello,

For me, option 1 for moderate rain. And option 2 for downpours, with chaps such as :
http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-category/ponchos/chaps
(provide - somewhat - better ventilation than waterproof trousers)

I have got long snow gaiters but I don't use them for hiking.

 

[Chris Melbourne]

Thanks for your reply. I had considered waterproof trousers but was trying to save on weight and felt it may get too warm. I will reconsider. I do have well ventilated trousers with a full length zips on each leg and poppers to allow airflow.

 

[SYates]

Water proof trousers are my preferred option also, if too warm you can always wear them as your only trousers, with no hiking trousers under them. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Seabird]

I am on the Francis now. I chose to leave my water proof trousers at home and so far have not missed them. I wear ultralight short gaiters and a pocho that comes down to my knees. Having wet lower legs has not been a problem, even though it's been chilly. It's your trade off to make, though.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Another optin: zip off the legs, wear sandals amd keep your walking shoes dry. But I also am a fan of rain pants. Anything really not to have wet, cold, sticky trouser legs sticking to my skin.

 

[gittiharre]

I usually just wear shorts. No gaiters. Socks with padded ankle part which stops water running into shoes. Nike drysocks.
I love the freedom of legs getting wet and drying off. This is during May to end of September time of year.
P.s. on my photo I am wearing 3/4 pants which are my evening pants. I hadn't washed my shorts that day!

 

[Spinningwoman]

I just walked the Norte from Santander to Oviedo then the Primitivo. It poured with rain for the first two weeks, on and off, and the mud (mixed with Asturian cow dung) was often over ankle deep and I was very glad of my light waterproof trousers and waterproof jacket and my lightweight gaiters. I don't really get the poncho thing. I used the same waterproofs I use for lightweight walking in England and Scotland and they seemed perfectly suitable to me - maybe later when it is hot they wouldn't be. Poncho wearers always seem to need a friend to arrange it over their pack!

 

[jirit]

If it is lightly raining I would wear my shorts otherwise if it really pouring ( and windy) then I would wear my rain pants

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Legs should never be worn with a poncho. Visible feet and ankles are true rainy-day fauxes pas on any Camino! If rain is heavy, zip off the legs and pack them in the topmost part of your pack. If it's only drizzling, wear shorts under your poncho -- underwear is optional, just beware of drafts!
Walking is difficult in any kind of weather without legs, but this is why we have hiking poles. A truly authentic pilgrim can glide along over the ground in his poncho without ever touching the ground; he has no fear of his gear getting wet, as a truly authentic pilgrim has no gear -- this leaves plenty of space in his 30-liter Uber-Lite Osprey OgrePak for his zipped-off legs, cow dung (Asturian or Galician). socks with padded ankle, surgical mask, and electrical coils.

 

[domigee]

You made my day

 

[Bradypus]

A truly authentic pilgrim can glide along over the ground in his poncho without ever touching the ground;

Conjures up a bizarre image in my mind: some strange cross between a Dalek and 'the Penguin' from The Blues Brothers. Not something I want in my head as I go to sleep tonight

 

[kmrice]

We carry waterproof trousers and use them, as necessary, with our Packas. Frequently, they are not necessary, but sometimes your wet legs get cold. In heavy rain, they keep the water out of your boots. If I am not mistaken, our Packas are a little shorter than some ponchos, so waterproof trousers may be needed more. They also provide warmth on very cold days whether it is raining or not.

If you do get waterproof trousers, be sure you get the type that you can put on over your boots.

 

[BlackDog]

I went for option 4. No problem in May/June/July/Sept.

 

[t2andreo]

In four Caminos, I prefer to wear zip-off nylon hiking trousers, and to allow them to get, wet, muddy, whatever... They dry in about 30-minutes while walking.

If muddy, you can zip the bottoms off, wash and wring them out. They dry very fast, and can even be reattached when wet, allowing them to air dry while worn.

I have seen many folks with dedicated rain trousers. To me, they look like snow pants you wear when skiing., and are IMHO overkill. However, if you are so sweet as to be made of sugar, and you will melt if you get wet, then this solution could be for you...

My view is that bringing or wearing anything that does not have multiple uses is wasted weight and space, for you to have to carry every day. But, I respect their opinions.

I also considered and used gaiters on my first Camino. They lasted about a week, until I discovered the handy wash and wear capabilities of my nylon hiking pants. The gaiters went into a donation box shortly thereafter. It was simply too much effort for a small return, and on an item with a single use.

So now, I wear a poncho, and let the lower legs just get on with it.

I hope this helps.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I sometimes walk in early spring and late fall. That is when gaiters come into their own. And bluejeans. When hiking those seasons in rough mountain conditions, nothing holds up like jeans. They take a while to dry, yeah, but they don't catch on barbed wire and sticker-bushes like "technical" fabrics do, and they don't smell, either, if you can't wash them out very often. Some "uber-hiker" gear-heads sneer at me, but I just smile back.
I know what works for me!

 

[Bedl0w]

I start my first Camino on May 18th from Pamplona. Just over 2 weeks to go!

Having looked a various rain gear options I have opted for a Packa which covers the backpack and has good breathability. It reaches about knee level.

What should I do about my legs? I will be wearing zip off walking trousers and it should be fairly warm by the end of May.

Should I:-

1. let my trouser bottoms get wet?
2. Put long gaiters over my trousers?
2. zip off my trouser bottoms and let my legs and boots and socks get wet?
3. zip off my trouser bottoms and put on long gaiters?
4. zip off my trousers and use short gaiters to keep boots and socks dry?

Maybe I'm over thinking this?

Advice from seasoned peregrinos would be helpful.

Chris

I walked the Portuguese route from Porto in autumn 2014. There was over a week of 'solid' rain, more or less non stop. The second night I thought of getting a taxi to a Holiday Inn and waiting there until the rain stopped. I was inspired not to by a German couple I saw setting out again the next morning. This was lucky for me - if I had stayed in a hotel until it stopped raining I couldn't had paid the bill.
I don't like shorts and my trousers don't zip off. I rolled the trousers under my poncho, and fortunately, had had the foresight to bring a pair of very old short gaiters (which in Ireland I don't like wearing) which, when I rolled down my socks, kept the water out of my boots.
- David