Getting wet in Winter

[Tony]

Do you avoid getting wet in winter or just get stuck in, get wet and sort yourself out? There's obviously a danger to being wet, cold, having wind on you etc, how do you avoid that and if you've got wet and you're out camping or trekking what do you do to keep yourself safe?

I tend to avoid getting wet if I can, especially my feet, unless I know that I can get dry relatively soon, usually that's just a towel of some sort or I'll be going home. I get in the sea at least weekly, cold shower etc so feel fairly toughened to cold but I'm still fairly cautious...

Anyone had experiences around getting wet in the winter?

 

[Herman30]

I don´t go out during the winter unless I must; to work or shopping food. That´s about it. Otherwise I stay inside.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Do you avoid getting wet in winter or just get stuck in, get wet and sort yourself out? There's obviously a danger to being wet, cold, having wind on you etc, how do you avoid that and if you've got wet and you're out camping or trekking what do you do to keep yourself safe?

I tend to avoid getting wet if I can, especially my feet, unless I know that I can get dry relatively soon, usually that's just a towel of some sort or I'll be going home. I get in the sea at least weekly, cold shower etc so feel fairly toughened to cold but I'm still fairly cautious...

Anyone had experiences around getting wet in the winter?

Quality question Tony.

I've been in some sketchy scenarios before being wet and cold, so it's always in the back of my mind. We've had quite a few deaths with folk wild swimming in the middle of heat waves so it's worth thinking about regardless of the time of year.

If I'm static in winter it's usually not too hard to stay dry, you layer up, put a tarp up, keep moving, hot drinks and food etc.

The killer is when your active. Sweat build up in the summer usually dries off easy enough, but in winter when it's raining the breathability of your clothing does nothing, the humidity etc won't allow anything to dry. Best thing you can do is have some spare dry layers in this case I think. That's subject to how long you are going to be out for.

P.s. wool layers in winter are awesome. I love the British army arctic socks

 

[FerlasDave]

I suppose it depends on the activity, the duration and my means of getting dry/warm.
I think adjustments in equipment choice should be made too, extra dry layers, decent waterproofs etc. too many times I’ve seen “outdoors people” who cheap out on waterproofs or who don’t even own a proper pair of waterproof trousers/salopettes!
Once you have your equipment sorted the next step I think is avoidance, can you detour an obstacle, or wait until the rain eases. Or should you change your activity/venue all together?

 

[Erbswurst]

I avoid to get whet.

It's far easier to keep your clothing dry than trying to dry them in forest and field.

 

[Tony]

There has been occasion where I'v dried over a fire because I'm stuck, the difficulty is having just one set of clothes!

 

[Erbswurst]

You can dry the clothing by the fire if you keep them on. But afterwards you smell like a bacon.

 

[Dogoak]

Just got on with it, when I was younger!
It was never pleasant but it’s funny now reflecting that having an ‘epic’ never put me off.
I’ve learned the lessons over the years and also I now live 600 miles further North, not a good idea to get wet in the winter round here!
Occasionally I find it’s just too easy to forget to regulate your temp. and avoiding sweating. I’m out and just getting on with things, focused on what I’m doing and the next thing I’m too hot and starting to sweat. I try and discipline myself to consciously think ahead on this.

 

[Wander]

I suppose it all depends on what you are doing and where you are doing it.
Out for the night - then getting wet makes it more of a hassle.
Out for a walk somewhere remote - could potentially be a risk to life.
Just out for the day - then no big deal.

If it's raining when I head out, or if it looks likely, then I'll goretex up.
But there's also something liberating about getting absolutely drenched or covered in mud. It means you can stop worrying about keeping dry and can just enjoy what you are doing. Again, with the caveats mentioned above.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

When I was younger, much younger & urban I used to like to walk in the rain & get soaking wet, summer like winter. But now I do what I can to keep dry if I have to walk under the rain, with the help of rainproof gear. As for camping I'm able to choose days when it isn't raining so no probs there. I also live in a region with relatively low (compared to the UK) rainfall, so I don't often get caught out.

 

[Ystranc]

I’m fine with the cold, I’m also fine with being wet but both at the same time is unpleasant and can be dangerous. I try to dress accordingly. Being in mid Wales I tend to err on the side of caution and usually have waterproof clothing to hand. An earlier thread mentioned the problems of exertion and sweating, I get around that by being lazy…it works for me.

 

[Tony]

I agree with the comment son sweating, I sweat loads and it does cause issues, but rarely is it as bad as submersion
I'll often take a coat of fan take the hit from the rain, it's that hit of rain and wind when it's cold that's the problem.
Do you take some spare clothing?

 

[Wander]

Do you take some spare clothing?

I think there's really only one answer to that - yes, if you think you need to.

Again, if I was out for the day, I probably wouldn't (depending on where I was going - if remote then I may err on the side of caution).
If out for the night then I may well do.
Weight is another issue, of course. But often a change of socks and base layers can be enough.

 

[oldtimer]

I was taught that it's easier to keep dry than to get dry and act accordingly if possible. However, I've had times when I've got soaked while on a trek and gratefully snuggled down into a warm, sleeping bag in dry change kit, then had the miserable experience of having to put on wet, cold clothes next morning.

 

[billycoen]

But afterwards you smell like a bacon.

Butty....

 

[Kav]

I attended Arctic Survival School in Alaska serving USCG. I know this isn’t a UK issue. But half the class showed up with damned .44 magnum revolvers ( IMO a useless cartridge) but no spare clothing.
People THINK wool will work wet (not) down will get soaked in a drought and Gortex Joseph’s coat of many colors.
Hypothermia is what happens while you’re making plans. A second set of base layer, mittens, socks and knit hat, FOOD for that internal furnace and a immediate flame source; lighter and lifeboats over the quest for fire bow drill impress your friends.
Fail, and that stupid revolver will finally see use.

 

[Robson Valley]

I believe that staying dry is far easier than trying to dry clothing in a rainstorm. Hypothermia will kill you with no respect for anything else. The thinnest part of your body for heat exchange with your environment is your chest wall, your ribs, and your blood as it courses through your lungs.

Many of you have read my comment over and over to get out of the wind. The deal is, the wind will pull moisture off you with something like 540 calories per gram heat loss in evaporation. Boiling or sweating, the numbers are the same.

Spare dry clothing, shirt and socks in particular, will save your life. Never stop with the hot drinks.

 

[Paul_B]

I take the view there's a hierarchy going on here. Dry and warm, wet and warm, dry and cold then wet and cold. The first two are acceptable to me. Whilst dry and warm is preferable I find that it is impossible to stay dry when working hard in wet weather.

Modern membrane waterproofs mean your sweat will build up. You get wet. Once wet putting on spare, dry clothes only means your activity levels in rain will make dry clothes wet very quickly. That's when wet and warm is your only relatively comfortable option.

Wool base layers? Get wet it won't dry out as quickly when you stop exerting as quickly as synthetic base layers. All my merino base layers simply holds my sweat against my skin and ime stops your wicking clothing system working as well as it could. Plus they always wear away quicker than synthetics. Possibly controversial on here but I've only had one good wool base layer, the excellent Helly Hansen protocol. Polypropylene inner wicks sweat away from the skin where wool absorbs it and holds it away from your skin. Takes a lot to wet out back to my skin.

 

[Jared]

Anyone tried the US Navy SEALs rewarming drill?

Got to be wearing synthetic clothing to do it, and have a synthetic sleeping bag and tent, and preferably a dry puffy jacket.

After being immersed, and getting out, you put the jacket on, take off just your boots and get in the tent & sleeping bag. Eat food, drink hot liquids. Hopefully your own heat and wicking base layer does it work and dries out.

 

[Ystranc]

The re warming takes oodles of calories, I joke about being lazy but running a small holding in winter means that I’m eating upwards of 5,000 calories a day (twice what an office worker eats) and I can still lose weight. Its all about keeping your core temperature stable and for that you need fuel. It may sound counter intuitive but I believe that you are far better eating a huge carby meal before stripping out of your wet clothes completely, drying off and getting into a sleeping bag to warm up. Wet clothes just allow evaporation to leach the heat from your body and wet clothes just mean a wet sleeping bag.