Aug 08

Make the Cavemen Jealous.

It will happen one day.

On a quiet morning, halfway through your vacation, you’ll wake up to the soft pattering sound of raindrops falling outside your window. You’ll turn over, smile, and slowly fall back to sleep before a revelation hits you. “It’s raining, and I have a six, to eight hour hike ahead of me today.”

It’s inevitable. It WILL rain. It simply must rain in order to preserve the beauty and natural order of the mountains that we love. But it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. With a little advance preparation, you’ll learn to welcome regular precipitation. You might even ask for it by name.

One of your greatest assets on a long hiking tour, aside from quality rain gear, is a good dry bag for your pack. There’s something intrinsically satisfying that comes from the knowledge that your gear sits properly stowed, protected and dry during a storm. I like to think that such comfort stems from a connection with much older, primeval memories buried deep within our psyche. I often wonder what coziness our Neolithic ancestors felt when they lit their first fire, huddled deep inside their caves, and braved the long, slow advance of the ice days.

I use the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Pack. They come in a variety of sizes so pick the one that works best for you. You basically want it to line the interior of your bag. I use the 20-liter version inside of my compressible 50-liter pack and it works well. Remember that rain gear doesn’t need to go inside the dry pack during the day. Keep your rain gear in a place where it’s easy accessible in case a sudden storm blows in.

The best thing about these bags is that they’re extremely light, they’re durable, they have a nice watertight closure system, and they’re relatively inexpensive. I can tell that I’ll have mine for a long time, barring any unexpected theft or loss. You could get away with using a garbage bag, but why bother? Do yourself a favor, and line your pack with one of these bags.

You might even find yourself connecting with the primordial stirrings of mankind, and the very roots of all that has gone before.

You Might Also Like...
A trip to the peaceful Engadine valley located in southeast Switzerland never fails to delight,
Our Favorite Lesser Known Hiking Trips That Avoid Crowds Are you looking for a unique,
Our Favorite Hiking Trips for Food Lovers If you know us at Ryder-Walker, you know
Food and Drink Pairing Favorites from the Alps To celebrate the first few days of
When Ryder-Walker was first founded in Telluride, Colorado, we set out on a journey to
There is nothing better than going for a swim in the ocean after a full
Discovering the best inn-to-inn hiking has been Ryder-Walker’s ambition for decades now. We, like you,
Many hard-core hikers these days are searching out adventures in remote areas where they can
Happy New Year from Your Friends at Ryder-Walker Explore our 2023 catalog with new treks! View
The Gift of Travel 2023 is going to be another epic travel year with most of
Ten Delicious Holiday Cookie Recipes from Across Europe  With the holidays upon us, it’s the
7 Reasons the Algarve is One of the Most Unique Regions in Europe Ryder-Walker’s hike