Wet Weather Clothing
By now, you’ve probably come to appreciate the need to stay as dry as possible in wet weather. That’s why your wardrobe consists of a lot of synthetic undergarments and mid-layer garments, clothes that wick body moisture away from your skin and dry quickly with body heat if they get damp.

Specifically for wet weather, your best choice as an outer-layer upper garment is a waterproof/breathable rain parka or a coated nylon rain parka. The parka should have a roomy hood. Synthetic shells are often advertised as being waterproof and breathable at the same time. Waterproof/breathable fabrics are produced by laminating an extremely thin film onto a more durable material.

The film, with millions of microscopic pores, allows tiny sweat molecules to pass through while keeping out larger water molecules, such as rain and snow. How well they work varies, depending on the ambient air temperature and moisture level. You may find these garments comfortable on a day when it’s cold and dry outside, but dirt and sweat can block the pores. You may find yourself wet with sweat inside one of these shells when a warm rain falls on a dirty, sweaty parka.

Coated nylon is 100 percent waterproof, but it does not breathe. It allows no water to get in and no sweat to get out. You will not get wet from the rain, but you may create a sauna inside your coated rainwear if you’re exercising hard. In an environment known for heavy rains, choose coated nylon rainwear.

For the bottom half of your body, choose rain pants of waterproof/breathable material or coated nylon. Full-leg zippers on the sides provide easier use and better ventilation. Half-leg zippers are almost as easy to use.

Always carry rain gear.