Hey guys, I am signed up for the Riley Appleseed this weekend with a couple of buddies and I see that it is most likely going to pour on Saturday.
What suggestions do you guys have on preparing for attending a rainy appleseed? I have attended one appleseed already so have an idea of the kinds of situations we will be faced with, but was wondering what types of items I should bring to help deal with the rain.
Of course, we will be bringing our perseverance and sense of humor, but besides that any suggestions?
Thanks,
TBE
Where I am (Massachusetts) we seem to have a tradition of horrible weather (snow, tropical storms, etc) at our Appleseed Shoots, so I have a bit of experience that way.
One thing seen frequently is a motorcycle-type rainsuit or hunting rain gear. These seem to be the best in terms of keeping yourself dry. I'd avoid the cheap plastic ones, as they don't breathe at all. Something better quality than the $29.99 ones is recommended. (I use Hein Gericke FirstGear riding pants, myself).
Be aware that you will likely be LYING in a puddle as you shoot - make sure your shoes are waterproof, too - spray 'em down again a day or two before to renew the waterproofing. Not to mention your hat. Have spare clothes in your car if your raincoat gets soaked through. Bring a spare hat or three, too, if you wear a ball cap to shoot. I have a boonie cap that's pretty water repellent, AND it keeps my neck dry.
I tend to wear "shorty" fingerless gloves - you get better trigger control that way AND your instructors can see what you're doing with your trigger finger that way.
Wear wicking-type undergarments - something that will keep you warm even if you're soaked.
You might want to bring a tarp to put under your shooting pad; this can help if you wind up lying in a stream of water (saw that during our Tropical Storm Danny shoot - and the shooter I'm thinking of also shot Rifleman that day, too. She'll be getting her Red Hat any day now...).
Some folks bring a popup to put over their shooting position if the firing line isn't covered. Make sure you stake it down and that it doesn't have guy wires for people to trip over if you go this route. Check with the local instructors to see if that will be allowed on the line.
If you're bringing a 10/22, the magazines are VERY susceptible to mud. I don't have a solution for this other than to suggest that a tupperware bowl (or something similar) might be a good thing to put them in... and make sure you catch them when you drop them, too, so they don't hit the mud). Putting your ammo in a plastic tub of some sort is a good idea, too - cardboard cartridge boxes WILL melt in the rain.
Oh, one other thing - make sure your rifle gets cleaned on Saturday night, and make sure your rifle case stays DRY!!! - leave it closed and under shelter while you're on the line!! Otherwise, the foam padding in the case WILL retain water and rust the hell out of your rifle.
And last... be thankful you weren't at this shoot (http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=4468.msg53240#msg53240).
That was some excellent advice. Here's all I have to add to it:
Avoid cotton. It soaks up the water like a sponge and keeps it there.
Put the gear on before you get wet (or cold).
Have several dry spares ready for the most important parts. I find I get disproportionally crabby if my hands are wet/cold, so I bring several pairs of liners.
There are these magical socks (seal skins I think) that can be soaked on the outside while your feet are dry and warm inside. These worked real well for crunching through snow all weekend.
Typically we will have a popup on the equipment line and if others bring more, that will be great. We usually do not cover the shooting line. The range does well in all weather and has decent drainage. Bring a poncho at least and a hand towel. If you have a popup bring it, if not, don't sweat it.
The temp is supposed to be in the upper 70's so we will not freeze and the wind is not going to be all that much. It will simply be interesting. If things go torrential we will do our histories in the clubhouse. It is an easy range to be at with bad weather.
Techres
Thanks for the advice people! I am beyond excited for the opportunity.
Re: dwarven1
What an ice/snow/COLD looking Appleseed, yikes. It looked like everyone really toughed it out, a really nice opportunity to become stronger by overcoming adversity. I hope that we are not offered such opportunities this weekend.
Also add a can of your favorite gun lube to the mix - this after watching a couple rifles "dry out" and malfunction from all the rain then coming back to life with a couple PSHHT's of spray oil
Ross had a great idea of a shallow wide Tupperware(r) tub - sandwich size might do well - for catching mags and keeping them out of the puddles/mud while shooting.
A spare full set of clothes to change into after the shoot is a great thing too
If it's gonna be wet, think dry = warm: from hot soup for lunch to spare socks and outer layers.
Unless you're a duck hunter, then think "KEWL!"
I like the rain. Only wish it could be cold as well. :D
I plan to bring a sense of humor and some extra tupperware for my bacon.
Sunday of my first Appleseed was ~ 40f and raining....
The guys in their hunting gear didn't seem to mind at all. I was in some 5.11 pants, a jacket, and a long sleeve cotton t-shirt.
The advice above is great! I've since found that frogtroggs also work pretty well... Much better than the DriDucks I had before.
Thanks again guys! I had a great seed and we got quite a bit of rain this weekend at Riley. All of your suggestions were proven true. Thanks for making my weekend that much better.
Quote from: TBE on April 25, 2010, 11:59:24 PM
Thanks again guys! I had a great seed and we got quite a bit of rain this weekend at Riley. All of your suggestions were proven true. Thanks for making my weekend that much better.
You are welcome!
Make sure to check out the AAR at this link:
Riley, IN April 24-25, 2010 (http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=13421.msg111399;topicseen#msg111399)
It has a ton of pictures in it.
Quote from: TBE on April 21, 2010, 07:37:54 PM
What an ice/snow/COLD looking Appleseed, yikes. It looked like everyone really toughed it out, a really nice opportunity to become stronger by overcoming adversity. I hope that we are not offered such opportunities this weekend.
Looks like you got wet enough, though! Congratulations on sticking it out, and I'm glad that our advice helped you out.
Quote from: Lars on April 22, 2010, 08:04:09 AMI've since found that frogtroggs also work pretty well.
There was a shooter in FrogToggs at Harvard last weekend, too.