As much as we may love walking, there are not many walking enthusiasts who would say that a walk in heavy rain was their favourite thing to do. However, whether you get caught in bad weather on a hike, or you have to go out in the rain because your dog needs exercise or you need to get somewhere on foot, sometimes it is unavoidable to get a bit drenched out there!
Caught in A Downpour
If you know you are going out in the rain, then it is a slightly different situation to when you go out on a lovely spring day only to get caught in a downpour. Here are some tips for keeping, or at least getting, your clothing dry if you were not prepared with waterproof overclothes or even an umbrella when you set out:
Stop Somewhere Dry if You Can and Get Rid of The Worst Of It
If you are on a walk in the countryside and suddenly find yourself on the brunt of heavy rain in unsuitable clothes (actually, almost any clothes not designed for wet weather are unsuitable as you have probably found!), try and find somewhere you can stop and get the worst of the water out of your clothes and off of your skin. A pub can often be a very good option, as you can go in their bathroom and attempt to wring out your socks and any other very wet clothing, and use paper towels or a hand dryer to somewhat dry off your clothes and skin.
This won’t obviously thoroughly dry things out, but at least you won’t squelch when you walk, and you should feel a little more comfortable. If the rain seems like it was just a brief but heavy shower, relax and wait for it to end, or consider the option of calling a taxi if you don’t fancy hiking home or back to your car.
If this isn’t an option, it’s generally best to abort your walk if you can and take the shortest route to somewhere you can get dry, especially if it is cold as well as wet.
Once You Get Home
When you get home, you need to dry out your clothes as quickly as possible so they won’t start to smell bad. With most things, including trainers, this is simply a case of putting them straight in the washing machine. However, with some other things like wool or leather coats you’ll need to air dry them quickly. Hang them up as well as you can with something underneath them to catch drips, and turn on a fan if you have one, or place them next to a window that is open with a window actuator rather than wide open, so it won’t be letting further rain in but will aerate your gear.
Then, take a nice hot shower, as being in wet clothes is terrible for your skin!
We’ve all been caught in the rain at some point, but by trying to get your clothes dry during and after the walk, you should be able to prevent any damage to them.
I have to walk most places, and try hard to remember to check, recheck, weather before leaving. That said, sometimes it is sunny and forget – only to get caught without any rain gear and no umbrella. This is good information!!