To Walk Far, Carry Less : Camino de Santiago (6 page)

Ponchos come in a range of styles. Some ponchos reach the thighs. Others extend to the knees. Serious ponchos fall all the way to the ankles.

Packing Tips

Many pilgrims specifically recommend the Spanish-made Altus Atmospheric Poncho (you can buy them at
www.barrabes.com
—click on Barrabes International for language options, including English). This particular poncho has a pouch-like space at the back to cover a backpack, but you can also make an adjustment to cinch that bulky part when you’re not carrying a backpack. Depending on how tall you are, and the size you get (they come in two sizes), the length drops below the knees to cover the legs to mid-calf or to just above the ankles. That length helps to prevent the poncho from severely flapping or billowing in strong winds. Although the Altus is not made with a breathable fabric, there is some venting that occurs through design features, and hopefully from the bagginess of the poncho itself. There are some drawbacks to any poncho design like this: you might feel hot while hiking during rainy but warm weather, and it might not feel warm enough when it’s cold and windy but not raining.

One poncho style even provides a pouch-like space at the back to allow room for the bulk of a backpack. Look for back-panel snaps if you choose this style; that way you’ll have less bagginess behind you while wearing it without a backpack. Most backpacking ponchos, however, are simply longer in the back to allow the poncho to cover a backpack and fall to the back of the legs at about equal length to the poncho’s front. It’s a good idea to check the length of the poncho when you’re not wearing a backpack to be sure it’s not so long in the back that it might cause you to trip.

Some poncho hoods have a short bill, along with a drawcord, to help the hiker maintain some degree of peripheral vision. Many poncho hoods only have a cord to cinch the hood tighter around the head. In that case, hikers often wear a waterproof hat with a bill underneath the hood to improve their vision.

Poncho sleeves also vary. Some are short and narrow in width, with the length falling to the mid-upper arm. If you’re wearing a long-sleeve shirt, this is not a great option: your shirt’s sleeves will get wet. If you roll up your shirtsleeves, your arms might feel cold.

Most ponchos I’ve used, or have seen other pilgrims use, have formless sleeves. A snap secures the fabric underneath the arms to provide a sleeve-type structure. In this case the length covering the arms will vary depending on the poncho size and the length of your arms.

Whatever poncho style or model you choose, keep in mind the goal: the best rain protection for the least weight.

Poncho Benefits

Ponchos are popular with pilgrims because they’re lightweight, use little space in the backpack, and cover both the body and the backpack. Quick to throw on when the rain begins and quick to take off when the rain stops, they’re perfect for intermittent showers. And because ponchos are so baggy, they provide more ventilation than a zipped-up rain jacket.

A unique benefit for women: a poncho is like a personal tent, making bathroom breaks easy. Use a tree or a large rock to help keep your balance, and you won’t have to take off your backpack and poncho in the pouring rain. A poncho can provide the same cover when it’s not raining—especially handy on the barren plains in Spain or on a part of the Camino that is crowded with other pilgrims.

Poncho Drawbacks

Ponchos do have some disadvantages, however. Perhaps the most difficult challenge is when strong winds turn the poncho into a flapping sail, exposing your body and backpack to the rain. Some backpackers tie a cord around their waist to hold the poncho in place, though the material hanging below that tie could still be whipped up by the winds. Whether it’s windy or not, lower arms are exposed through the baggy arm holes of a poncho, making it likely that the sleeves of your shirt (and your watch) will get wet.

Another drawback, although perhaps how much of a problem this is depends on when you walk the Camino, is that the thin poncho material and baggy fit mean that ponchos are not much help in keeping you warm. You could need extra layers underneath when it’s cold. A poncho is not a lightweight option after all if you need to carry heavier clothing to wear underneath the poncho for cold days or nights.

Finally, a wet poncho is a big and awkward thing to deal with. It’s best to spread it out to dry at the end of the day, but there’s usually limited personal space in pilgrims’ refuges.

Essential Poncho Features

• 100 percent waterproof fabric (avoid “water resistant”!)
  
• fully taped (sealed) seams
  
• snaps on bottom hem to diminish that billowy effect in the wind
  
• snaps underneath the arms if the arms are not a defined fit
  
• a hood that cinches with a cord
  
• a bill on the hood if you don’t have a waterproof hat with a bill to wear underneath
  

Now let’s compare a rain jacket to a poncho. By doing this we’ll also see the benefits and drawbacks of wearing a jacket.

Rain-Jacket Benefits (Compared to a Poncho)

• warmer, due to closer fit that helps retain body heat
  
• better performance in the wind
  
• more comfortable and versatile for evening wear on the Camino
  
• more comfortable and versatile before and after the Camino journey (when visiting European friends, sightseeing)
  
• easier to hang for drying
  
• no worry about a wristwatch or sleeves getting wet
  

Rain-Jacket Drawbacks (Compared to a Poncho)

• warmer (though if you get a larger-size jacket it could mimic a poncho’s bagginess/ventilation, which would make it less warm)
  
• heavier (depending on jacket features)
  
• doesn’t cover a backpack (more later on ways to overcome this drawback)
  

Rain Jackets: Essential Features

If you decide to take a rain jacket rather than a poncho on the Camino, here are some important features to consider when choosing that rain jacket.

Your rain jacket absolutely must be both waterproof and breathable—even though the fabric technologies used to create that combination are sometimes imperfect. Grime on the surface of the jacket fabric, for example, can diminish the effectiveness of the waterproof fabric and could allow water to seep into the fabric.

Another (less preventable) imperfection of waterproof-breathable fabric becomes apparent when high humidity levels in the air coincide with high levels of exertion on the trail. This combination can overwhelm the fabric’s ability to breathe, and you can get wet inside the jacket from your own perspiration.

Pilgrim Stories

Rain Jacket “Fail”

I once crossed the French Pyrenees (high level of exertion) while it was raining (high humidity levels). I wore a jacket that was made by a respected outdoor-gear company. The photo that advertised the jacket showed a man standing under a waterfall—implying “waterproof”! But, even though it was raining only moderately that day in the Pyrenees, I felt chilled and wet, as though my rain jacket had completely lost its waterproof quality. The problem was really caused by the combination of high-level exertion and a high humidity level—the jacket fabric simply couldn’t breathe. So I wasn’t wet from the rain, but from my own perspiration.

In other circumstances, that lightweight waterproof and breathable jacket worked well. Unfortunately, the technology to make a perfect waterproof and breathable fabric that works all the time doesn’t yet exist. But you’re more likely to stay comfortable and dry—most of the time—with a jacket that is waterproof and breathable.

Other jacket-fabric choices, such as waterproof but not breathable, or a fabric that is water resistant rather than waterproof (read garment labels carefully!), will be less effective. Water-resistant fabric is for light rain only; water will quickly penetrate it in a downpour. Again: look for waterproof. You want to be able to wear the jacket in the rain for hours—a not-uncommon situation faced on the Camino, unfortunately—without getting wet!

This highlights a key difference between ponchos and jackets: waterproof but not-breathable fabric is fine for ponchos. Their ventilation is in their bagginess, which makes it less likely that condensation will form inside the poncho.

More Rain-Jacket Features to Consider

Lightweight construction.
To determine the weight of a jacket, read product specifications when shopping online or ask the clerk in a store to weigh it for you. Your insulation layer, like a fleece jacket, will keep you warm. The jacket is a shell to protect you from wind and precipitation. Get a lightweight jacket.

Full-zip jacket.
It’s easier to put on and take off than an anorak (pullover) style. One can also unzip the jacket to cool off.

Larger size.
A larger size allows for more ventilation and space for layering. The longer sleeves can cover hands to keep them warm and dry.

Jacket length.
For complete coverage, choose a jacket that falls below the waist of your rain pants.

Hood.
Look for a stiff bill that keeps the hood from collapsing around your face and making peripheral vision difficult. I also use a rainproof baseball-style hat underneath the hood to further improve my vision and to provide cover for my old-lady reading glasses when it’s raining and I need to check the map or route guide.

Fully taped (sealed) seams.
Make sure
all
jacket seams are taped. Some jackets have “critically taped seams,” which means only the most exposed seams are protected.

Zipper flaps.
These prevent water from seeping in between the zipper’s teeth. To save weight, look for a zipper that is itself fully sealed to prevent leaks, rather than being covered with a flap.

Storm flaps.
Pockets with flaps are less likely to leak.

Vents.
Since they’re often found under the arms, these vents are sometimes called “pit zips.” Zippers and flaps add weight, but if you tend to overheat it’s worth considering pit zips. Otherwise, a larger-size jacket may be the better option for ventilation.

Two-way zipper.
An option to unzip from the bottom and/or the top of the jacket provides more ventilation. Velcro or snaps on a flap outside the zipper also offer more ventilation options, but remember that these features add weight to a jacket because of the extra materials used.

Face guard.
A high front collar protects the lower part of your face from cold winds and rain.

Adjustable hood and cuffs.
Additional warmth or ventilation can be achieved by adjusting the hood and cuffs of a jacket.

Pockets.
Two are sufficient. The more pockets, the more weight.

Keeping Your Legs Dry

While backpacking in New Zealand some years ago, I noticed that many Kiwis (as New Zealanders often call themselves) wore shorts under their rain ponchos. The idea was to stay cool while hiking and to avoid wet pant legs by eliminating the pants.

But when I tried the shorts-under-poncho method my legs felt numb in the cold. I also had to avoid rest breaks, as the inactivity made my bare legs feel even colder. In addition, the top of my socks got wet and that wetness soaked into my boots. Blisters-to-be love that moisture. So I returned to a combo of poncho and rain pants.

The idea of wearing shorts under a poncho or a jacket can still be tempting in warm temperatures, and the wet-socks problem could be solved by wearing gaiters (more on these in a minute). Still, spring and fall weather and high elevations can turn too wet and cold for my cowardly legs. And even Camino summers can bring cool temperatures.

If you have Kiwi rather than cowardly legs, try the poncho-shorts-gaiters combo. But try this at home first, in the cold. It’s best to feel confident in your gear once your Camino journey is underway.

If this combination doesn’t seem right for you, consider rain pants or rain chaps.

Rain Pants

Avoid “rubber pants.”

That’s what one pilgrim called her rain pants. They were waterproof, but
not breathable.
They kept the rain out, but kept in the perspiration. The consequence? Wet, clammy legs.

Get lightweight, breathable rain pants. Again, the key word is
breathable.

Find a rain-pant style that has zippers (some rain pants use Velcro) on the sides of the legs so you can quickly pull them on over your footwear and hiking pants. You’ll appreciate that feature on days with intermittent rain showers, when the rain gear goes on, comes off, goes on, comes off...

Rain Chaps

Not familiar with rain chaps? Think of a cowboy on his horse, rustling up cattle and wearing leather coverings over his blue jeans. Those are chaps.

Rain chaps consist of two separate fully enclosed leg coverings—basically, two pant legs. Typically, each leg is secured to the hiking pants with a cord that ties to a belt loop. They’re quick to pull on over hiking pants and footwear. The advantage: they provide a bit more ventilation than rain pants.

Baggy is best, for that good ventilation—and to fit over footwear.

If you use chaps it’s essential to have a poncho or rain jacket that’s long enough to protect the exposed inner thigh and your rear end and keep your hiking pants from getting wet. The distinctive cut of rain chaps doesn’t cover these areas.

Gear Guide

Rain chaps are difficult to find, so I once made a pair. First, I sketched out a pattern on butcher paper. Then I cut and sewed waterproof fabric according to the pattern.

But it turned out the fabric was only water resistant, not waterproof. The homemade chaps worked fine in light rains, but they failed in an hours-long downpour one day. I got soaked and had to buy a pair of rain pants at the next town along the Camino route.