Wet Weather Gear - is there a need?

[djben9]

its been a bit wet recently and last game i played it was very hot....

as ive yet to play over the autumn/winter months, hoping mid sep will be warm and dry!!

what do you guys do when its raining, cold etc?

MTP smock ok??

Do you get to hot with the various items of clothing/protection on?

anyone go for Gortex and sweat it out?!

I spoke to a guy who plays at Tuddenham, he just wears a t-shirt, ubacs and vest as he gets hot running around?

curious what the regulars do?

 

[Esoterick]

I quite often just get wet if it's raining as it doesn't really bother me. Being cold on the other hand is something I am not a fan of so I have a lightweight jacket that's got some sort of thermal lining and it's waterproof too. I only really pack it when it's cold to the point where it makes your hands ache.

When it's hot I just roll my sleeves up, although I'll probably look for something a bit cooler for next year.

 

[n1ckh]

When it's hot, I wear ubacs shirt

When it's cold, raining etc I wear my combat jacket so I stay fairly warm cause of my PC but I'm investing in a couple of ponchos to wear as it gives ME more freedom than wet weather trousers & jacket plus it covers everything & hold my rifle underneath if it gets to bad

Played a game on the 23rd where it hammered down all day

 

[kerby91]

I played last game in a vest...was 28 degrees and before I'd even got my rig on (lightweight condor) I was sweating like a teen in a strip club. Come 2pm it pissed it down...I got soaked. Last time I played in the rain I was wearin my DPM chemical warfare jacket ? brilliant bit of kit (if a bit warm) and has the added bonus of looking sweet as feck. A mate of mine has bought himself a cheap camo waterproof from a sports store, not quite an exact match for DPM but good enough for the non anal folks not to notice. May buy myself one as it was only a tenner

 

[djben9]

I played last game in a vest...was 28 degrees and before I'd even got my rig on (lightweight condor) I was sweating like a teen in a strip club. Come 2pm it pissed it down...I got soaked. Last time I played in the rain I was wearin my DPM chemical warfare jacket brilliant bit of kit (if a bit warm) and has the added bonus of looking sweet as feck. A mate of mine has bought himself a cheap camo waterproof from a sports store, not quite an exact match for DPM but good enough for the non anal folks not to notice. May buy myself one as it was only a tenner

Click to shrink...

yeah i have an old mac thing you roll up and pack...or a mackapacka!...funny enough its in mulitcamogramtp style, got it in 2006 i think, only thing is you do sweat in it.....

 

[BrightCandle]

I avoid the actual rain. Last winter I did play quite a few games below 0 and used under armour t shirt, t shirts, camo tops and a soft shll jacket. I used hicaps and full finger gloves and stayed warm enough but carried extra layers as well.

 

[TheFull9]

You'll always sweat in something waterproof and the more breathable you go, the less water it'll keep out. There's not really any ideal solution, though I think the main priority should be lightweight uniform that dries quickly once it does get wet, so you're not staying soaked once the sun does come out; really old school gear is pretty bad in that regard usually. Thin and lightweight synthetics do the best in that regard, so if (for example) it hammers down all morning then the sun comes out, you'll be dry again after lunch. I got soaked through standing on parade in denim coveralls once, crappy day that was, darn things literally did not dry the slightest bit; CS95 and PCS however by comparison would dry from just your body heat in very little time.

The best middle ground is probably a non-insulated softshell, would want to be from a reasonable brand though. You can try adding extra water-proofing treatments to garments as well, lots of those on the market that seem to work pretty well (long as you re-apply them every so often).

 

[Happy]

I have a soft shell jacket in olive drab that I use with my boonie hat on wet weather days - waterproof but I do end up getting a bit warm if I'm running around. On rainy days I tend to use a more cautious approach though - especially at woodland sites - so it's not too bad.

 

[jcheeseright]

Depends how long you're going to be out in the rain and how cold it is. I played at a local site a couple of weeks back and it tipped down all day but it was 20 degrees so I just wore what I would normally. On the other hand, I played a 36 hour milsim game at the sandpit in Kent in January and I made 100% sure I carried a waterproof jacket at all times as it was cold and there'd be no easy way to get dry and warm again if I got drenched.

 

[BrightCandle]

Nothing makes you miserable more than being cold and wet. There is a reason so few troops make it through to the SEALs and I suspect most of it is spending days on end wet and borderline hypothermic and still having to perform. For airsoft its just not worth it! I don't like booking winter games much in advance for that reason, I like to know what the weather is going to be so I can avoid the rain, because a whole day out in the wet is extremely hard to stay dry and still get a decent game.

To do it well is going to require waterproof trousers, jacket and combined hood so that there isn't a lot of places the water can get in. Of course then you will have issues with chest rigs and general carry wear. Its doable its just not my thing, I hate cold and wet. Warm and wet was kind of nice at Okto, I actually felt cool for the first time all weekend and gave me a performance boost as a result.