Has anyone tried Rain Chaps?

[BrianLe]

Mostly an old thread (2007), but FWIW in the interim I've found that I tend to carry rain chaps a LOT more than I ever tend to wear them. One nice thing about chaps is that they're easier to put on and take off than rain pants, but handlebar's comment about a rain skirt is right on --- even easier to put on and take off, and more breathable.

I suspect that if you're in a situation with a lot of wind that you would prefer the chaps, but for most situations I think I like the idea of the skirt better (of course, those that use ponchos effectively have a skirt built in).

I just bought a cuben rain skirt from zpacks.com, very very light, so kind of a no-brainer to carry on trips where I'm not using a poncho. I suspect this will become my more common lower-body raingear in future, though for trips around home ... well, a rain skirt looks a little odd to wear walking to the store or something like that!

Of course, rain chaps look pretty deviant too if your rain jacket doesn't go well below your hips.

[Tinker]

Chaps + hot weather = poached eggs. (For the guys ).

[kayak karl]

Chaps + hot weather = poached eggs. (For the guys ).

tinker....i said cold weather.
matty,.... your way off for cold weather.

[mweinstone]

winter warmth requires function. chaps require constant wresteling.

[Slosteppin]

I used Equinox chaps for a week hike in Florida the first week of February 2010. It was a mistake - I thought I had packed my rainpants.

The second day on the trail it rained hard for nearly 26 hours. It was not a warm rain either, the temperature stayed at about 50 F all day. My rain parka is not long enough so I got very wet. When I was bending over to set up my tent I got even more wet.

Two days later another storm was predicted. I stopped at a fishing supply store and bought a set of Frogg Toggs. I don't like the weight but I did stay dry in the second storm.

[earplug94]

Can't get over the fact that I look like a Harley rider gone bad.

[sbhikes]

I love the chaps. I get a lot less hot in them. They make great wind pants. There's no irritation from the elastic waist cord because I put that OVER all other waist bands. They are great for when you're walking through wet brush and just need to protect your legs. I wore them on the PCT through Washington in combination with a Houdini and an umbrella. Temps were in the 40s. I was so hot with the chaps I had to wear them with shorts under instead of pants, which was good because then my pant legs stayed dry for sleeping.

The only thing I don't like about them is your butt is exposed so you can't sit down and you can't wear them while doing laundry on a long hike. Otherwise, I take them everywhere with me, day hikes, backpacks, for extra warmth even if it's not going to rain, etc.

Regular rain pants have gotten my butt wet sitting down because water came through the seam. I guess you have to seam seal them, so what was the purpose of the seam tape then?

[jujapa]

[QUOTE=mweinstone;1116959]please take my crit as helpfuly ment.

<<chaps have no place in either rain protection, or hiking.>>

I worked for Olympic National Park for three summers and did many morning trail patrols. The underbrush was usually dripping wet and my waterproof rain chaps were wonderful to keep my trousers dry. I didn't need a poncho or raincoat, just the chaps. They did the job.

[TechNaBill]

I have a pair (Equinox Ultralite "Full Moon" Chaps), and in cold weather, they tend to build up condensation to the point of getting me very wet. That's ok while you're hiking, but man, you get pretty cold fast when you stop. Not bad in the summer tho, but you still sweat. I found them hard to get on because you have to think, and the belt slips out of one side or the other. I don't like thinking, but I can get them over my boots. Work well with an umbrella and there very light if you get the right fabric (1.1 oz. silicone-coated ripstop nylon). The condensation with a light rain jacket and the chaps is my biggest complaint.