Originally Posted by
Puddlefish
I don't really have a problem walking all day with rain. I use an umbrella, a windshirt, rain skirt, and shorts. I hated traditional rain jackets as I'd just get soaked with sweat, and overheated. Maybe it's the bit of extra body weight I tend to carry, but I find if I keep moving at a consistent pace I'm not at all cold. I typically find the rain refreshing, and I don't get waterlogged. It kind of sounds like I'm saying embrace it, but it does mess with my routine. Stopping isn't so much of an option, this screws with my normal one hour lunch and foot care regimen, where I normally let my feet dry out for an hour. I tend to stop an hour earlier as a result.
So, I have to prepare differently in the morning. Pre-treat my toes and soles with some sort of body glide to keep out the wet as long as possible, to avoid pruning. Can't switch out socks, so I'm really careful about having an alcohol swab to dry my feet/remove traces of the body glide, and a dry pair of socks for the tent, even if I have to put wet socks and shoes on the next morning. I have a tiny clothesline across the top of my tent, which is semi effective. I might boil some water, bottle it and wrap my wet socks around it. I don't bring the wet socks into my sleeping bag, as it's not worth risking getting the bag damp and ineffective.
I try to get a lot more food in my hip belt, so I can just eat my lunch on the move, unless I'm sure there's a shelter I can stop at lunch for (usually isn't.)
I also step in the middle of puddles as a matter of routine. Chances are the ground is flatter, and I'm less likely to slip on that thin layer of mud at the edge of the puddle, by trying to be clever and sneak off balance around the puddle.
I don't know what videos you're watching, but I just don't find the rain to be all that annoying. On the AT you almost always have the option to just get off the trail every three days and wash and dry out all your stuff, and start fresh.