When you are in it for the long haul. Say several weeks outdoors in Western Oregon, camping and snowshoeing in rain with snow, you start to appreciate rubber garments layered over Goretex. Either one by themselves will leave you damp.

I agree with using tarps whenever stopped too. Especially if you can get a fire going to dry out.

The old bunny boots work great for dry feet. I like two pair of wool socks inside. Dry them in the sleeping bag at night. Plastic double boots work too.

This last weekend our Scout troop had a fire building contest in the snow. The matches of today are not up to the old Boy Scout requirement of building a fire with two matches.

Ferro Rods worked, but only with ready made tinder. Pine pitch was key in wet snow conditions. A hatchet was fastest in getting larger amounts of dry wood from stumps. Pocket knives, sheath knives, machetes and saws were slow.