Walking commute and inclement weather...

[CB2152]

I start a new job in a few days which has a 1.2 mile commute. Obviously I'm not going to be taking the car and am most likely going to be walking.

I'm after some lightweight waterproofs (jacket and trousers) for those days where it's either borderline monsoon weather or just too windy to make an umbrella a practical choice. I'll be wearing "office attire" underneath but not a full suit. Can anyone who walks to work/has done recently recommend anything?

Also I hope this is a suitable sub-forum for this, it didn't seem to fit with many of the others.

Thanks!

[NDA]

CB2152 said:

I start a new job in a few days which has a 1.2 mile commute. Obviously I'm not going to be taking the car and am most likely going to be walking.

I'm after some lightweight waterproofs (jacket and trousers) for those days where it's either borderline monsoon weather or just too windy to make an umbrella a practical choice. I'll be wearing "office attire" underneath but not a full suit. Can anyone who walks to work/has done recently recommend anything?

Also I hope this is a suitable sub-forum for this, it didn't seem to fit with many of the others.

Thanks!

Many, many moons ago, I used to walk this type of distance to a train station.

In monsoon conditions golfer's wet weather trousers were the thing. Big elasticated waist and easy over suit trousers. A golfing umbrella kept the rest off.

[MitchT]

Did the same for several years. Light waterproof trousers, light waterproof cagoule and some Nike Structure Triax II trainers which are mostly Gore Tex and never let any water in. Work shoes and other bits in ruck sack. Job jobbed! Biggest challenge for me was staying cool.

[CB2152]

I hadn't thought about golf gear, thanks!

MitchT said:

Did the same for several years. Light waterproof trousers, light waterproof cagoule and some Nike Structure Triax II trainers which are mostly Gore Tex and never let any water in. Work shoes and other bits in ruck sack. Job jobbed! Biggest challenge for me was staying cool.

Do you remember who made the jacket/trousers you used? I've read a few things around and some articles of clothing seem to be "waterproof" but end up staying damp themselves...

[aberdeeneuan]

I wanted a lightweight waterproof last year, picked up a Jack Wolfskin Arroyo. Doesn't look like a hiking jacket, lightweight and doesn't leave you a sweaty mess. When it's cold I wear a down gilet/jacket underneath, that saw me through nearly all the cold weather last year.

[ForZiE23]

I feel your struggle there. I work around the same distance from the office and dread the rainy days. Luckly they are few enough between i suck it up and take the car if its raining in the morning. Walking home - well heading the right direction so end up pretty drenched! Always take a plastic zippy back for your rucksack / pocket. Keep the phone and wallet etc in there, rest dries out when home!

[Angrybiker]

I have the perfect thing for you, although not the cheapest. Patagonia do very lightweight waterproof jackets and trousers (which you can also use for practically any activity you can think of). Their stuff breathes and when I say it's waterproof, I'm talking you can literally stand in blattering rain all day and not get wet. I speak from experience. Their DWR thing makes all the water bead and fall away so the stuff itself never gets drenched and dries off really quickly. I have the black stretch rainshadow jacket and matching trousers which both fold up into practically nothing.

In some shops in the UK but mostly online. Not the cheapest but you really do get value.

[boyse7en]

Any of the outdoor shops do waterproof trousers and overjacket - Trespass, Mountain Warehouse, Millets etc.

Any of the trousers should be waterproof for the 25 minutes it will take to walk to work or home.
Get some with full length zips up the legs. Much easier to get off.

[Truckosaurus]

Keep your decent work shoes at work and wear more suitable footwear for the walking - more comfortable and doesn't matter it if rains.

For rain, in summer just have an unlined rain jacket and baseball cap in your bag - the cap is the crucial piece of equipment, if you have a dry head then even heavy rain doesn't bother you.

In winter a more sturdy coat (or the same unlined rain jacket over a fleece) and a wooly hat to keep you warm.

[MitchT]

CB2152 said:

Do you remember who made the jacket/trousers you used? I've read a few things around and some articles of clothing seem to be "waterproof" but end up staying damp themselves...

Just checked - here's the label ...

[sc0tt]

If it is raining just drive?

[CB2152]

Thanks all, that's definitely given me something to go on! It's certainly going to be a change from my previous 10 mile waft in a Jaguar

sc0tt said:

If it is raining just drive?

among other things, we get parking permits based on how far away we live. My friend works there and he said his allows him to park Fridays after 3pm and on weekends. He lives about the same distance I do but the other way from the site. Due to the number of people working there the parking has to be very well managed it seems.

[DonkeyApple]

I use one of those waterproof ponchos. It's the only way I e found to not end up soaking with sweat. You do feel a bit of a chopper but I'm not sure any more so than looking like a golfer or a sailer who's lost his boat.

[Podie]

I walk about 1.7 miles in London.

I've generally found that for a lot of the year a 3-in-1 jacket works well (fleece that zips into a waterproof shell), along with a lightweight shell for the summer.

A decent umbrella helps as well. The Totes Big Top was quite good, but recently went for a Blunt XS Metro.

Don't skimp on the walking shoes either...

[SHutchinson]

I have a similar commute. In the summer it's too warm and I'm sweating when I get in and in the winter it's too miserable and I get drizzled on. It's a 1.5 mile walk or a 3 mile drive. During the winter I use my S5, the summer sees me on my GSX-R. I quite often leave them at work and run (the very long way) home though.

Do you have anywhere at work to leave a push bike?

[Robbo 27]

I used to walk some days between Canary Wharf and the City, about 2.5 miles. Leave your jacket on your chair and have a light coat for the walk. have a small umbrella in your desk drawer, Presume that you wear leather shoes for the office, for the walk I would buy some all black trainers so you dont look like a dipstick with trainers and a suit.

I used to time myself for the walk and aim to reduce by 1 minute a week, it was 51 minutes walking and 16 minutes on a bike, but bike parking was a PITA around Lloyds, 1.2 miles should be an easy 29 minutes,

[CB2152]

SHutchinson said:

I have a similar commute. In the summer it's too warm and I'm sweating when I get in and in the winter it's too miserable and I get drizzled on. It's a 1.5 mile walk or a 3 mile drive. During the winter I use my S5, the summer sees me on my GSX-R. I quite often leave them at work and run (the very long way) home though.

Do you have anywhere at work to leave a push bike?

I'm sure there will be, it is something I'm considering after I've walked in a few times and got the feel for where everything is.

[AlasdairMc]

Robbo 27 said:

I used to walk some days between Canary Wharf and the City, about 2.5 miles. Leave your jacket on your chair and have a light coat for the walk. have a small umbrella in your desk drawer, Presume that you wear leather shoes for the office, for the walk I would buy some all black trainers so you dont look like a dipstick with trainers and a suit.

I used to time myself for the walk and aim to reduce by 1 minute a week, it was 51 minutes walking and 16 minutes on a bike, but bike parking was a PITA around Lloyds, 1.2 miles should be an easy 29 minutes,

Boris bikes for the win between Canary Wharf and the City. There's a blue route almost all the way and it saves having to risk leaving your own bike on the street.

[Yex 450]

I have a very good set of waterproof golf trousers and a jacket I occasionally use for a commuters walk to the station, made by Sunderland Golf. They are not cheap but are both 100% waterproof:

https://www.glenmuir.com/sunderland/online-store/m...

[lufbramatt]

All this over a 15-20 minute walk? reading some of the posts make it seem like prepping for an expedition to the North Pole!