Rainproof-related Issues

This article is about tips regarding rain-proof while hiking and trekking in western Sichuan.

A. Rainproof for Yourself

IIn different seasons your preparations for rain is different. From October where you hike when the rain comes down it won't be rain but rather snow. Each year from May to October there is possibility of rain with June to August more rain. Rainproof is therefore very important to keep yourself dry when you travel in raining seasons. You are recommended to bring umbrella or raincoat on top of your "water-proof" jacket (water-resistant is different from water-proof) especially when you are traveling in raining season (June to August) here. Some people who are used to wet and cold weather may get used to the wet condition quickly even without rainproof but for safety reasons we always recommend rainproof on top of your jacket because when elevation gets high in the mountains the temperature drops quickly and low to 10C or even lower even in prime summer time.

Walking in wet clothes may seem fine but after arrive to Campsites you won't be moving around so make sure you have extra clothes to change if you do get wet. It is the same deal with shoes. Wet shoes/clothes are not comfortble and we can't ganrautee there are places to dry them.

Choice of umbrella or raincoat is up to yourself. As hiking guides and trekking leaders we tend to choose umbrella over raincoat because of the changing weather here in western Sichuan: it rains and stops and rains again and sun comes out in between. Umbrella is a lot easier to take down and open up quickly than a raincoat. And umbrella is a lot more convenient while at campsites.

In dry seasons the rainproof is less of an issue because it doesn' rain much.

Rainproof Choices of Our Hiking Guide:

Jian Lang: Umbrella+Water Resistant Jacket, umbrella is much easier to use than a raincoat, raincoat difficult to fold and much more effort to wear up and take down constantly. Raincoat is not comfortable while walking.

Hai Zi: Umbrella, easy to use and easy to take away; cheap umbrella still useful, cheap raincoat useless.

Heng Chuan: Decent Raincoat but not the cheap ones that are easy to break, umbrella too inconvenient when it's also windy.

B. Rainproof for your Clothes and Gears

Rainproof for your spare clothes and sleeping gears that go on the porter especially your sleeping bags. There are two reasons we need to keep our gears and dry clothes properly wrapped and water-proofed. One is from the rain, the other is from the unpredictable actions of pack animals normally the horses. Sleeping bag is critical, without it there is nothing to keep yourself warm while camping. Dry bags or plastic bags are very useful to wrap your sleeping bags and dry clothes up. Make sure they are properly water-proofed before you pack them on to the horses. The horses will have horseman to take care of them normally but these are above all animals we don't know when they decide if they want to have a bath in the river while carrying our stuff.

C. Rainproof while Camping: Sleeping Tents

01. From Above: if your tent is set up by your guides, make sure your tent has not been damaged or put up inside out. Despite that tents are usually provided by us and guides are normally with experience but under certain conditions there maybe mistakes while setting up your tent, for example in the circumstance to inevitably set up tent in the dark that we could make mistake by putting inside out (water comes down when it rains) of your tent; and if tent is not set up properly the outter cover is sticking to the inner tent, water soaks in over time...... You are recommended to check your tents by yourself before you check in.

02. From below: Make sure where you set up your tent has no pot, basin under neath; make sure around your tent has proper draining; we normally recommend you to set tents by a slight slope where water can run by and don't stay while raining. This is very important as it has happened before that it was dry and sunny when tent was set up by a lower part of a flat area but rain comes down by mid-night and everything is soaked......

03. Keep wet things outside of your tent: Tent is a good shelter while raining. If it keeps rainning before you sleep then you will have wet raincoat or wet umbrella or wet jacket or wet shoes. Please try to avoid taking the wet things inside your sleeping tent as it has only limited space normally and it can make your other dry stuff wet. Keep the wet stuff under the flyer outside of your inner tent.