Clearwater, thankfully I'm here in kentucky, so I don't have those conditions to deal with.

What I really need in the way of rain gear is a way to keep myself and the pack dry in the event we get a shower or two while on the trail. As we get closer to the date I'll know more about whether to expect clear weather, a chance of a pop up shower or two, or a wet, rain soaked weekend. I suspect that is true of any such outing.

I currently have the frogg toggs jacket and pants as previously linked to, and my pack has it's own rain cover, but as I mentioned, I've read and been told by many that the pack rain covers can and do fail. As far as the pack goes, that can be easily resolved by waterproofing and drybagging everything in the pack. However, I'm also concerned that the rain jacket and pants combo will be a pain to deal with on the trail. If it were just me I could take the time to stop and put them on, but as there will likely be a fairly large group of scouts and leaders, that may not be an option, which is why I am thinking the poncho to cover everything might be a better option. Just pull it out, put it on, and keep moving on.

As far as the rain gear goes, it's really a just in case option in my opinion, as I'm really hoping for reasonably dry conditions, but as this is a rain or shine event, I have to be prepared for it.