Running in the Rain: Waterproof Gear & Tips to Stay Dry

Wondering how to make running in the rain a little more enjoyable? 
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You know, when you're...

• 🌧️Running in a steady drizzle
• 🌧️At the track during a downpour
• 🌧️Caught in a storm on the trail
• 🌧️Show up on race day with heavy rain in the forecast

🏃‍♂️Here's the thing. With the right gear and planning, running in the rain doesn't have to be a slosh-fest.
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In this article, Pacific Northwest runner Michael Young shares his top picks and tips for waterproof gear & running in the rain.

I’m Pacific Northwest born and raised so rain, sleet, and snow has always been a part of

my running life.
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🏔️I have also been:

• Backpacking
• Mountaineering, and...
• Fastpacking for a long while now

🌦️In the Pacific Northwest, you can expect huge changes of weather in the Cascades, from:

•  Sideways sleet
• Heavy mist for hours, and even...
• Anow in July on top of a mountain

🏃‍♂️If you want to enjoy running in the rain & exploring the outdoors...
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• You have always made sure your waterproof gear is in tip top shape. 
• New gear works great for a while, but eventually it will wear out.
• You can either buy new gear, which can get expensive, or you can...
• Learn to re-waterproof the gear you already have to extend its life for years to com.

So to start with, let’s discuss:

• Waterproof vs. Water Resistant

Both types of gear will have a Durable Water Repellent (DWR).
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DWR helps bead up water on the surface of your gear and has a two-function purpose.

• 1️⃣First is to repel the water, so it doesn’t soak into your gear. This helps make water resistant gear, like a wind breaker, handle light mist or rain before it soaks through and “wets out” making it no longer water resistant.
• 2️⃣The second main function is for waterproof gear, and that is to help with breathability. If rain beads up on your waterproof gear it has less surface area compared to if the rain was just a thin coating across your jacket. So all that fancy breathable material can actually breathe. 

👉EXAMPLE: Think about that childhood experiment where you put water droplets on a penny. 

• You can stack a lot of water if it is all one droplet, same principle.

So with waterproof gear from a basic shell, to your 3-layer fancy Gore-Tex/ Per-Tex, they all work on a basic principle to keep you dry when active.

• A single to multi-layered membrane that is breathable on a microscopic level. 
• Your sweat becomes vapor and is able to make it through the microscopic layers and evaporate keeping you dry.
• While it is still raining on you in non-microscopic form outside your waterproof gear, keeping you dry from the outside.

😭This is the big rub with running and rain gear.

• How do you balance your sweat/heat with the membrane to do its job? 
• Most waterproof gear is not made, and just can’t handle the heat running produces. 
• So the majority of time you may be blocking out that rain/snow, but the sweat can’t escape fast enough and you just get drenched from the inside out instead. 
• Kinda like wearing a plastic garbage bag. Sure it stops the rain, but your sweat has nowhere to go as well.

🌧️I live in the Pacific Northwest, so most of the time it is cold enough to let the membrane in my gear work effectively.

• You have to have a warm inside and a cooler outside or products like Gore-Tex just don’t work.
• The membranes need that temperature difference to let the sweat vapor through. 
• So sorry for people in warm wet climates, you will just always be disappointed in how the gear works.

So besides the vapor membrane in most waterproof gear, running gear and other high-aerobic output gear typically uses extra vents or holes to help that sweat escape, but still keeping you dry from the outside. 
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Here are a few of the items I use to try to stay dry even on high-aerobic outings when I’m sweating a lot and the rain is coming down.

• Price: $40
• This cap is waterproof, breathable and made from the same material as their waterproof running jackets. 
• I’ve had mine for a few years now and it is still keeping my head dry from rain without overheating.

• Price: $50
• It’s named after my current city and is my go to hat on rainy days. 
• Made from Gore Tex, so it is waterproof, breathable, plus they have a really nice built in headband that wicks away moisture super well to keep me sweat free and dry.

• Price: $160
• This jacket has a great price point
• It's waterproof, with an adjustable hood. 
• It isn’t the most breathable jacket, but it has pit zips which really help getting out the heat and sweat on really rainy runs.

• Price: $180
• This is my main go-to jacket for its breathability while I'm on most runs in NW rains. 
• Heavier than a mist, but not a full on downpour. 
• The hood lets me keep my hat underneath, but is still snug if the rain is sideways to help me stay dry.

• Price: $109

So it rains a lot here in the PNW, but it isn’t a super heavy rain the majority of the time. Mainly, it is just a heavy mist. 

• I use this jacket on almost all my trail runs with this kind of weather.
• The DWR coating and tree coverage is typically enough to keep me dry. 
• It has a great adjustable hood if need be, blocks the wind, and breathable enough that I’m not drenched in sweat on colder moist days.

• Price: $99.95

When Springtime comes and it is warmer, but the rain is still coming down sporadically I grab this jacket. 

• It can shed light rain and mist well, and is a pretty breathable material. 
• Not Gore-Tex/Pertex breathable, but it has an added bonus of built-in vents on the back shoulders and pits to really help with sweat vapor escape without letting in the rain.
• I have a few other similar jackets from REI and Salomon with the vents, but the one from Ultimate Direction has worked better for me.

I’ve tried fully waterproof gloves and my hands just always sweat too much to make it viable. 

• I now go water resistant and vary the glove by how cold it is. 
• Merino wool liners most of the time, and a few different Gore-Tex wind-stopper ones on top depending on temperature. 

My go to merino wool right now is Smartwool Merino Glove.

• It stays warm when wet, and has phone friendly finger tips.

• I have a few pairs of trail shorts that are water resistant, but with puddles and the rain itself, I've never felt a need to go full waterproof on my lower body. 
• A big part of my waterproof gear is to stay warm.
• I’ll run in tights if it is cold as well, but I know I can't stop the wet down there. 

Same with shoes and socks.

• I wear merino wool socks.
• When they're wet, they are still warm over a synthetic.
• But staying dry on a trail or road with puddles and rain just isn’t going to happen.

So all these items worked great brand new, but over time a few things happened to make the gear less efficient. 

• All those little pours that your sweat vapor goes through get clogged with dirt and everything else. 
• Making your gear have that Garbage Bag Effect. 
• Yes, you are dry on the outside, but all that sweat is soaking you on the inside, making the rain gear pointless.

Fit of your gear can make a difference as well

• Under that waterproof gear is a little microclimate. 
• It needs to be warmer on the inside for it to evaporate through to the outside efficiently. 
• If you wear your rain gear loose, it won’t work as well because the excess space cools down the sweat vapor and will just stick to the inside and not make it through the layers.
• Note: Again, if you live in a warm, humid climate this type of gear just doesn’t work very well. Having that temperature contrast is key to the gear working efficiently.

Wondering how to take care of your waterproof gear for running in the rain?
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Here's a few tips and things to keep in mind.
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🌧️All DWR treatments wear out over time
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• It’s a chemical chain that has a finite usage. 
• There are a few main types of DWR’s and how they are bonded to waterproof gear like Gore-Tex, Pertex, OutDry, etc. 
• Different products can be reenergized in different ways.

👉TIP: Wash your gear
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If your waterproof rain gear doesn't seem to be performing as well as it once did, wash it.

• So many times people think their gear isn’t waterproof anymore, when really it is just dirty clogged gear. 
• Technical gear needs a technical wash. 

All the brands I used for re-waterproofing also make various tech washes for your gear.

• Do this first, especially if it is newer gear.
• More than likely it will be back to its original waterproofing performance. 
• The reason for a tech wash is most other normal detergents clean, but they leave residues that will keep all those tiny pores clogged and you still won’t have that breathability that you need when running/sweating.

👉TIP: Put your gear in the dryer (check label first)
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So the next easy/cheaper way to help with waterproofness is, after washing with a tech wash, throw it in the dryer. 

• Check the label first, but the heat from the dryer can re-melt/distribute the DWR across your gear and revitalize your waterproofness.
• Old backpacks, and fishermen’s coats use a waxed canvas that is waterproof. 
• Not at all breathable, but if you add more wax when it starts to lose its waterproofing, then melt it in, the canvas is as good as new. 

EXAMPLE: I have a Fjallraven daypack with waxed canvas and re-wax it each season for 100% waterproofness. This heat principle is the same for some DWR treatments. An alternate way is to use an iron on dry and a towel to reactivate the DWR as well.

When I fastpack, backpack, or do longer runs with a vest the rubbing from straps will wear down that DWR coating pretty fast. 
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So I eventually have to re-seal and treat my rain gear with a new DWR treatment. And it's pretty easy to do.

There are two main ways to retreat your waterproof running gear

• 1️⃣Get a product that uses a spray bottle, and spray down your gear to re-seal. 
• 2️⃣Use a wash-in style treatment, where you wash a few articles of clothing at once and let your washer do the work.

👉TIP: So like I mentioned above, I would throw your gear in the dryer per the labels instructions to help distribute and seal the gear. I have forgotten before and it just doesn’t work as effectively.

As far as the two methods go I decide by each piece.

Spray Method

• With my three-layer mountaineering jacket and other heavy duty/multi layered membrane gear, I use the spray method.
• I don’t want all the pores being clogged by the new DWR. 

Wash-In Method

• For things like my windbreakers, gloves, hats, and other water-resistant gear. I use the washing machine method.
• Why? I’m not worried about the breathability of the clothing. I may also do a light spray on heavy-friction areas to help reinforce that DWR, shoulders, hoods, etc.

With the following products, always follow the instructions on the label to get the best out of the reproofing.
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✅Use Nikwax Tech wash

• This is what I use to to wash all of my gear before starting any pre-waterproofing treatments. 
• A big key before you even wash is to clean out where you put your laundry detergent so there isn't any residue that can hamper your gear.

✅Start with the wash-in method

• Use a bucket. After a decade plus of doing this I have stopped using my washing machine and now use a bucket that can handle a couple pieces of gear at a time. 
• This is for two main reasons. One so my washing machine doesn’t end up with a coating that I have to try and clean out after using the products. And Two, is that the chemicals used are more concentrated and I can control how things are being done a lot better in a bucket with a small or one item. I can also typically use the same base and re-waterproof more gear with less wasted product that happens with using a washing machine. 

👉TIP: Nikwax TX Direct Wash-in, is my go-to, mainly because it can be bought in a larger bottle so you save some money that way in the long run. 

• My other pick is Gear Aid Wash in Repellent. It comes in a 10 oz package that can easily handle 15 pieces of gear if using the bucket/soak method.

1. Wear gloves, this stuff is sticky
2. Pour warm water and appropriate amount of Wash-in into the bucket.
3. Add gear, and mix/stir. Typically I soak and occasionally mix for about 60 min. Just to be safe 
4. Depending on the brand of Wash-in I rinse or throw directly into my dryer on medium heat until dry. I feel this is the crucial step to really reseal and lock in that new DWR coating.
5. You are ready for the elements. With the spray-on method I prepare an area in my garage so the spray can dissipate, It isn’t the best stuff to be breathing in so a well ventilated area is pretty crucial, and also when spraying if I miss some I want the product to not ruin or make anything nice sticky and tough to clean up.

Here's another way to retreat your waterproof running gear:

• Use Granger Performance Repel Plus, and Toko Eco Textile Proof Waterproofing treatment. 
• Both work great and in a similar fashion as above.
• Note: Always read the directions to make sure you're using that product correctly.

1. Wear Gloves and a face mask to help with fumes in your well ventilated areas.
2. Use a hanger or other method to prepare your item.
3. Spray on liberally and wipe off excess.
4. Let dry for a few minutes and reapply on heavy wear areas like wrists and shoulders.
5. Let dry for 24 hours, then throw into a dryer on medium. Again the dryer I feel is a crucial step to really bond that new DWR.
6. You are ready for the snow and rain.

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