Prepare for Inclement Weather

It's almost April Fool's Day, but weather on the west coast is not joking around.

It was just snowing a little bit ago and overnight temps might dip below freezing. What does that have to do with hiking? Well, weather has a huge impact no you when you're outdoors. It could mean a beautiful sunny day, or a sudden bout of snow flurries. Worse a sudden downpour.

No matter what the weather is "supposed" to be, be prepared. Maybe that just means a poncho and extra clothing for if you get rain soaked. Other times it might be base layers you can get down to if it's hotter than expected.

A Preparedness Example

While I was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, my brother joined me on the Desolation Wilderness section near Lake Tahoe. It was supposed to be a clear night so he decided against bringing his tent.

I had all my stuff, including a 1-person tent (which wasn't setup). It was clear and nice when we made camp for the night. We had setup to cowboy camp (sleeping under the stars).

Something woke us up in the middle of the night. Flashes of lighting and thunder rumbling through the mountains of rock surrounding us. Uh-oh.

It didn't take long for us to kick into high gear and get my tent setup. Yes, my 1-person tent. Throwing the rain fly on and our gear into the vestibule, we shimmied in just as the rain started to fall. A tight fit for two (head to feet), but it kept us out of the elements. It rained pretty good.

That night up and down the entirety of California was one of the largest lighting storms ever. If we were just out for an overnighter and "the weather looked good", deciding against a few extra pounds of a tent, this would be a different story.

Keeping stuff in a pack while on your adventure and in your car at the trailhead is just smart. Being unprepared is a fast way to take a nice hike and turn it into a uncomfortable and possibly dangerous situation.