Oh this is a fun one because it’s a gear post!
Who doesn’t love talking about their gear, right?
So here are the three absolutely must-have items for sustaining an indoor-outdoor (I mean, I guess I’m cat now?) lifestyle in Portland, Vancouver, or other similar towns in the Pacific Northwest.
- Rain Boots. Rain boots are essential to you retaining your freedom to walk out the door. Nobody wants wet toes and that is what will happen if you aren’t wearing waterproof shoes. While I will also include my favorite waterproof hiker and sneaker options, at the very tippy top of my list of absolutely must-have essential items, is boots. Pull em on, and head on out!
- Rain Coat. Again with the water-proof gear. You can have pretty much anything on underneath, but if all you’ve got is a waterproof rain coat and a pair of rain boots you can pull on, you can handle anything! There are so many good options here, we will list a few of our favorites. The most important thing is that it’s waterproof. You might also consider sizing up to make sure it’s roomy enough for the sweater you’re going to be wearing underneath 🙂
- Hat. So simple, right? This doesn’t have to be waterproof, obviously. A knitted hat that is warm and well-fitting is all you need, bonus points if you also look & feel 10000% adorable in it.
Aside from these three essential items for living in a rainy climate, there are a handful of other wardrobe staples that I’d recommend.
4. Merino wool base layer, top and bottom. Mostly, I use these for camping, but occasionally I’ll be headed out and either want to layer up because it’s cold, or just want to not wear a bulky outfit. In all these cases, the thin, non-itchy, super-warm comfort of wearing merino wool is worth the investment, and these are clothes that I wear year after year. Favorite brand: Smartwool, of course!
5. Waterproof hikers. These are probably the shoe that I wear most often, aside from my rain boot. I recently bought a pair of waterproof hikers from Sorel and I get compliments on them everywhere I go. Love!
6. Lined, water-resistant or water-proof trousers or pants. I was slow to adopt these because it’s hard to find a pair that are flattering, and then if you do, it doesn’t have enough pockets. I think there’s probably room for improvement in this category for women (the men are doing ok in this category). I have a pair that is very comfortable and flattering enough, that I bought at Columbia.
7. Merino wool, or similar, cozy socks to wear with your rainboots. I know you can wear ANY socks with them, but rain boots aren’t known for being warm and cozy, so I like to cozy mine up by wearing thick, soft, warm socks that reach most of the way up my calf, so that they stick up out of my rain boots. The best!
