ONE OF the drawbacks of liv-
ing in the ecological Disneyland
known as “temperate rainforest”
is datit actually does rain.

By John Moore

Contributing Writer

Frequently. Heavily. At any time
ofthe year, (As southwestern BoC.
residents Know too well.)

For the unprepared: eutdoorsper
son, getting caught ina cold shower
in the woods or mountaias is ab best a
miserable experrence. At worst, it
ean be fatal.

Outdoor guides and instructors
offen refer to “Killer Colton”) cause
cool cotton Cor denim clothes
donned for a hike Gn aw sunny sum-
mer day are literally worse than use-
less if the weather turns foul as it’s
apt to do in alpine areas. When wet.
cotton not only provides no insula-
fion whatsoever. it actually leaches
heat out of the body.

Can you say “Death from expo-
sure”?

On the other hand, wool Cor
acrylic). continues ¢.. insulate even
when soaking wet. No matter how
balmy the weathe:, no hiker should
venture forth without at least a wool
sweater and long wool pants stuffed
in the bottom of the knapsack. Leave
them there for the season so you
don’t forget — they might save your
lite.

Be sure to toss ina wool watch-
cap of toque us wells you lose up to
30% of your tola} body heat through
your uncovered head.

a

Not getting wet in the first place
is Wickier. Some tips:

42 By all means. carry a sturdy goll-
style umbrella as a walking stick if it
doesn’t blow your image. However,
it will be more trouble than its worth
on narrow overgrown trails or in high
wind. In the alpine. you're that much
closer to potentially charged clouds.
so if your brolly has a metal shaft.
you're packing the Jightning-rod.

@ ikubber-coated “work” rain gear is
bulky. heavy and impractical. Lighter
plastic fined nylon combinations are
avidlable at most outdoors shops in
designer shades. but they don't
“breathe.” so you fl sweat heavily,

& So-called “miracle fabrics” like
Gore-Tex do “breathe” beter while
remaining relatively waterproof, but
the cost makes hypothermia an
attractive alternative to facing the
Visa bill.

@ The simplest and cheapest soiution
Ive found is to buy a couple of plas-
tic hooded emergency ponchos. They
ure reusable. but at under $5 you can
afford to trash them and toss them in
the plastic film-recycler. They keep
the rain off you and your pack and
the loose poncho styling allows air to
circulate around your body.

They come in flat sealed packets
that weigh nothing in your pack, so
slip one into one of the small conve-
nience pockets of your knapsack
along with the first aid kit, cocktail
shaker, laptop and cell phone. etc.

Look for these ponchos at mili-
tary surplus stores for a bargain. | get
mine at the B.C. General Store (ex-
Midland Liquidators) on Esplanade.
just west of Lonsdale, for $3.99.

PSC PPS a ae Come

NEWS photos fell Lucente

| WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED... |

FORGET THE !uxury-priced Gore-tex raingear, writes John Moore. This $3.99 rain poncho from
the B.C. General Store is ail you need, according to our, some say, well-soaked adventure writer.

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