Wear Appropriate Wet Weather Clothing When Travelling Outdoors

When traveling to places with unpredictable rainfall like New Zealand or Australia’s Snowy Mountains the difference between a happy trip and a miserable experience often comes down to the quality and appropriateness of your wet weather clothing.

wet weather travel gear
Great Fun During Wairaurahiri Jetboat Trip photo credit: Jules Lund

A few years ago I joined a UTS Outdoor Adventure Club trip to Kosciuszko National Park in Australia’s Snowy Mountains with the aim of spending New Years Eve on top of Australia’s highest mountain and taking a photo of sunrise on New Years Day.

We were still an hour or two away from the top of Mount Kosciuszko when a big thunderstorm gathered overhead and it started to rain heavily.

My previous experience was doing bushwalks around Sydney in good weather so I was wearing really inappropriate clothes and wet weather gear (cotton tshirt, fleecy jumper, thin pants and cheap basic raincoat) which meant I was sweating heavily inside the cotton tshirt and my raincoat let in a fair bit of water (see photo of me bottom right).

bad wet weather travel gear

In the years since then I have learnt a lot about enjoying travel during potentially wet weather.

The key is to wear layers of clothing with water repellent features on the outside (make sure they use quality seam seal tape) and moisture wicking features (non-absorbent synthetic fibres that insulate while wicking liquid away from your skin) on the inside.

I was recently invited on a whirlwind week exploring New Zealand South Island via Dunedin and wore:

Halo Effect
Neerav Bhatt – Photography in Milford Sound photo credit: Craig Mullis

The result? I had a great time despite the cool weather and constant rain because I was wearing quality appropriate wet weather clothing throughout the trip.

DISCLAIMER: I was not paid for the NZ trip and have sole control over what I write and say about it. All expenses for the trip were covered by Tourism New Zealand and regional subsidiaries. Camera gear was loaned by Canon (except for my own personally owned Canon S90 camera). Some clothing was sponsored by Goretex


Comments

10 responses to “Wear Appropriate Wet Weather Clothing When Travelling Outdoors”

  1. Redfish Slayer

    Hey, thanks for running this blog, its really a good read for me at work 🙂 !

  2. Great info here. The only waterproof thing that i carry is my Nikon and its bag. Not good….

  3. Hi to all dear readers
    I would like to comment For cyclists, as rain comes from all directions: down from the sky, up from the bike wheels, and sideways, both driven by wind and splashed by cars. Therefore, before a commuter cyclist even leaves home, there are steps to take to protect themselves and their clothes from all that water with some of this cycling rain gear.

  4. Totally agree – be prepared for the worst. Nothing worse then a trip being ruined by being cold and wet

  5. Without a doubt the best material for rain and wind is Goretex. They are doing a lot of research. You won’t regret buying them.

    Guys please check out my website when you have a chance.

  6. zanecoreshi

    well, if you are not prepared for the things like rain and sort, you are risking your fun time.

  7. Jack Wolfskin

    Looking at your gear list you are well prepared, Getting wet on holiday can be miserable but using a plastic mac on top of Goretex maybe going a little too far!! (top image) 😉

    EDITOR: I was a in a speedboat and the driver said he’d do some spins so the plastic mac on top of Goretex came in handy!

  8. Cool camera Canon S90, I have the same

  9. Regnkläder

    In Sweden we have a saying I think you will like. “There are no bad weather, just bad clothes.”

  10. Milford Sound looks amazing beautiful.

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