Vent: pit zips on my rain shell almost ruined a trip until a guy at REI showed me what I was doing wrong
So I was up at Mount Hood last month on a 3 day trip and it rained the whole time, like not hard but that steady mist that soaks you. I have this rain shell I got about 2 years ago and I always thought the pit zips were busted because I'd still get soaked underneath after a few hours. Turns out I was wearing it all wrong. I stopped at the REI in Portland on the way home and this employee asked me how I layer and when I told him I just throw a cotton tee under it he kind of laughed. He said the shell is fine, the problem is my base layer soaks up sweat and then the rain gets in through the zips anyway. He showed me a $20 synthetic tee and told me to try it. Did a quick hike in the Gorge the next day in the same mist and I was dry, whole thing cost me way less than a new jacket. Now I want to know what other gear problems I've been blaming on the gear when it was really me. Has anyone else had a piece of gear work fine once someone just told you the right way to use it?