Thought rain pants were a gimmick until my first wet March commute in Portland

I bike about 8 miles each way to my job downtown. For two years I just wore jeans and changed when I got to work. Then last March we had that week of nonstop drizzle and I was soaked through by mile 3 every single day. A coworker lent me her old pair of REI rain pants and I couldn't believe how dry I stayed. Picked up a pair for $45 at the REI garage sale last weekend and now I get why people swear by them. Has anyone else had a piece of gear they ignored for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

perry.jessica20d ago

I mean, I felt the same about glove liners until I realized my fingers were going numb at 7am for no reason.

simon_coleman20d ago

Totally agree. I was stubborn about it for way too long, thought I could tough it out. Then I spent a whole morning loading gear and my pinkies went completely dead, couldn't even feel them for like an hour after I got back inside. Picked up a cheap pair of wool liners at the hardware store and now I won't leave the truck without them. Makes a huge difference when you're gripping cold metal handles all day.