Useful tip for spring and summer rain.

[eddd]

 

When getting ready for last weekend's rainy ride to Death Valley, I had the opportunity to use a clever solution I'd picked up along the way to putting on overpants while wearing boots. It worked so well I thought I'd share (or remind those of you who already know the tip.

 

If you've ever tried to put on rain or over pants while wearing boots, you know how frustrating that can be. The sole and heel hang up on the inside legs of the over pants. The tip is to carry along a couple of regular plastic bags like you get at any store.

 

Slide the bags over your boots before you start to put on the over/rain pants. Providing the leg opening is large enough the bags let the boots slide through easily.

 

[cavediver]

Good tip I use them when putting on wet suits. I never thought of it for riding pants.

 

Jack

[Steve Kolenda]

I can remember the days when those plastic bags were my rain boots. Didn't hold up well but they were better than nothing.

[elkroeger]

I recall doing that as a kid with my snow suit. Plastic bags inside the boots works okay and they last a lot longer.

 

I haven't carried special rain gear, or had trouble putting it on, though, since I got my Aerostich.

[Kathy R]

Good tip, thanks! I usually accompany the struggle of getting my boots through my over pant leg with %$#@!!!

 

I was once on a trip and discovered that due to day long drenching rain fall I was getting a little water into my boots. My socks dried out over night on the hotel heater, but what to do for the next day, to prevent a repeat?

 

Often times the housekeepers at hotels stash spare bags in the bottom of the waste basket under the current can liner. These are less porous than those coming from the grocery store.

[eddd]

To clear up any confusion, the bags over the boot tip I'm referring to is just to make it easy to get the pants on not for wearing as you travel.

[tallman]

And, you can carry the rain pants in the bags.

Dry before use, and wet after use.

Keeps wet pants from the rest of your gear.

 

The bags can double in summer as wwet soaker for cooling vest.

[lkchris]

With the red and gray BMW two-piece rainsuit, the pant legs have zippers that widen them substantially, making getting on over boots a piece of cake. Then you zip them down to the narrower size.

 

The gray pants, BTW, are a significant improvement over the previous all-blace two-piece suit, as the material is more robust and much less likely to get pinced in the zipper.

[Kathy R]

To clear up any confusion, the bags over the boot tip I'm referring to is just to make it easy to get the pants on not for wearing as you travel.

 

I doubt the bags would stay on anyone's boot for long after they took off on their bike

[elkroeger]

They work okay on the outside of the boot if they're not too big. At some point they just flap around. Helps to put the top of the bag inside your pant leg. If you're doing that, just put your feet in the bag, then pull on your pants. Bags are in place.

 

Generally speaking, avoid this maneuver. You gotta look for bags that fit just right: walking ruins them, they're prone to excessive flapping, they melt on your exhaust pipe and they tend to hang up on things like foot pegs, gear shifters, etc. DAMHIK.

[na1g]

Thanks for the tips! And considering you get a plastic bag every time you shop at a convenience store (juice, lunch, snacks, etc) you will never run out of them.

 

All I can add is... duh! Why did I never think of this before?

 

pete

[eddd]

I wish I had heard of it when I was sitting in front of an abandoned gas station north of Roswell, NM, in a cold driving rain, taking off my boots so I could get into the rain gear.

[Oldironken]

I rode 2 days from Houston to St. Louis in 25 degree February weather on my Suzuki GS 750. I used plastic bags over my wool socks inside my leather boots. My feet were the warmest part of stooped frozen me.

[EddyQ]

Nice tip !

 

But wouldn't getting the bags over the boots be a bit of work also?

 

I have fought getting boots through rain pants, and I'm going to give this a try. It sure sounds like the way to go . .

[EddyQ]

I rode 2 days from Houston to St. Louis in 25 degree February weather on my Suzuki GS 750. I used plastic bags over my wool socks inside my leather boots. My feet were the warmest part of stooped frozen me.

 

A similar tip is to put the bag inside your wool sock to prevent foot vapor from soaking them leading to cold feet. This does nothing for rain soaking through, but works in very cold weather.

[tallman]

I'll use the plastic bag over socks in freezing weather at times.

You can also stuff extra pair of socks or whatever around

ankle, but hand feet warmers stuck in there are the cat's meow.