Keeping it dry

The lack of rainfall hasn’t made staying dry outdoors too much of a problem this summer. But it’s better to be prepared than have all your gear soaked during a summer shower. There’s a couple ways to keep your stuff dry while backpacking. For the best success, use both of them in concert.

One is a rain jacket for your backpack. Pack covers are light-weight and come with their own stuff sack. Keep it in an easily accessible outside pouch so you don’t have to hem-and-haw about whether to go to dredge it out of your pack if a shower crops up while hiking.

The other is trash bags. Line the inside of your pack with trash bags so you can set your pack down in a puddle without being phased. Wrap your sleeping bag, food and clothes in their own respective trash bags as well. Just be wary of them getting poked or ripped.