What is the normal attire in wetter countries?

[Monvelo]

I'm sick of getting wet through. I want to invest in some good clobber that I can have for years. I'm just wondering what gear / styles / brands people typically wear in places like Denmark or alternative suggestions of places, somewhere where it's wet most of the time but you still have to walk the dog and do the school run.

Me too. I think I want properly waterproof trainers now, so sick of cold wet feet.

Didriksons are a scandi brand, they have fabulous warm and waterproof winter coats, and good light weight raincoats. Finisterre are also good.

A decent pair of hiking boots should be waterproof. And you can get waterproof socks 🙂
Goretex coat that you can re-proof.

You could take a look at LandsEnd which sells in the UK online. They are a US company with quite a few options which are clearly designed for inclement parts of the USA. Apparently, their origins were in clothing for sailing.

Allbirds trainers have some water repellent styles. Acai trousers are for walking and are very quick drying. Decent but nice looking waterproof coats /jackets, I like finisterre too

For autumn & winter wet, I have hiking boots, tidy leather ankle boots and brogues.

Coats, I have a decent trench style rain coat, a sailing jacket, a shooting coat and a long heavy riding Mac that covers everything. All are waterproof, just vary in terms of warmth.

Hiking people wear 'paramo' they really rate it, google and have a look

Is it that you don't have waterproof gear? Or that the gear you have isn't suitable for your lifestyle (so you don't wear it enough)? Or that the gear you have isn't weatherproof enough for your lifestyle?

I'm not a hugely outdoorsy person but the kids and I cycle the school run in all weathers, so we do have all the gear, it's not specific/fancy brands though. Most of our stuff is decathlon branded. We all have proper raincoats - both pacamac style for when it's warm but wet and decent waterproof coats for when it's raining in spring autumn. In winter we use skiwear for warmth. We have waterproof trousers - just basic, cheap ones. We wear either hiking boots, wellies, or snowboots depending on the weather plus hats, scarfs and gloves as needed.

One thing we have that I would recommend is a 'boots and gloves' dryer - got it in Aldi ski sale one year. It does what it says on the tin, you plug it in, stick your boots or gloves on it and it blows warm air into them to dry them. Handy if you've been caught in the rain not wearing waterproof shoes or gloves.

The skiwear mention above is a good one and Aldi and Lidl do skiwear every year. I have a pair of salopettes despite not having skied since I was 16 (long ago). I wear them in the garden when it's cold or when the ground is wet. They came into their own when a relative decided to isolate for long after lockdown (wasn't health compromised in anyway) and the only way to see him was to sit in the garden during winter.

If you are on a budget, I find charity shops are surprisingly good for walking clothes and shoes that have a 'worn once' look about them. I think people decide they'll go walking, do it once and then never again. I recently picked up a North Face waterproof jacket for £3. It doesn't look like it was ever worn.

I guess most of my gear was mid range or cheaper side within the category. My boots aren't goretex and can't cope with torrential puddles, my trainers ARE goretex but water now gets in the ends of toes and can get down the top, my coats, well one is pretty short more of a town waterproof, one is longer but too narrow at the bottom so I end up undoing the zip at the bottom and then it flaps plus it's not amazing waterproofing and the sun faded part of it so it's basically not brill now. I've got a Tilly hat that needs proofing 🤠

I have to admit that in desperation this morning I wore my old dryrobe and a pair of wellie boots to walk the dog.
I came home bone dry.
I've always avoided using my dryrobes, as I'm a sea swimmer and hated the non 'proper' use of them, but it was lovely this morning 😳

The rain seems to be so heavy these days (climate change) and last winter where I live many areas didn't come out of floods for multiple months. This year is already starting up. But people live where it rains as standard. What do they wear?! How do they dry things?!

It took me till I was in my late 20s to realise that waterproof shoes, warm socks a proper warm waterproof coat (north face Suzanne), and occasionally waterproof trousers made for a happier winter!

Interesting question but if I may add

i wonder what waterproofing they have that isn’t horribly sweaty

i really feel the cold but the only waterproof trousers I’ve had have left even me feeling like I’m in an oven!

@Fartooold I also caved and wore my dryrobe out in torrential rain the other week and, annoyingly, it was both dry and warm, so I suspect I'll be wearing it for non-swimming purposes this winter.

Google tells me annual rainfall in Denmark is 746mm. My part of the Scottish Highlands gets well over 2000mm, so I don't think it's the Danes you need to ask!

Any brand of waterproof is fine, but you need taped seams and the hydrostatic head should be over 10,000. Personally I go for at least 20,000 but I go on long walks. The label 'waterproof' is not enough - retailers are allowed to claim it's waterproof if the hydrostatic head is over 5000, but this is classed as 'light rain' and is insufficient for where I live. Might be enough for where you live though.

I've got a long Didrickson parka. It was expensive but worth it when it's very wet. Then I wear Toggi boots or good wellies so ther is no gap where the water can get in.

About 800mm rain here annually, found some cool info! So Denmark might suffice @Pyroleus
Thanks for the info on hydrostatic head, I understand that from a stint selling tents in 2003!

There's no such thing as bad weather, just insufficient Goretex....

I live in the NW of England so I think that qualifies as being in a wetter country.

My default outerwear all year is a goretex berghaus walking jacket with a good hood, default shoes are goretex merrell walking shoes, goretex berghaus walking boots. Don't often need the overtrousers but I'd wear them if I had to walk in heavy rain.

I've got a lands end raincoat which is a bit smarter for town wear.

Definitely recommend https://www.rains.com/ . Inpenetrable

Don't people wear raincoats or macs anymore?

This is a conversation about raincoats and other waterproof wear.

I’m afraid I’m a Dryrobe wanker, and I don’t care because it is extremely waterproof. I never swim in the sea (despite it being 400m from my house 😂) DH bought it for me one birthday so I could wear it for dog walks. It’s very warm though so I’ve not worn it yet this season. I have a Vaude waterproof jacket which is much thinner and that does the job for wet mild days. I wear walking boots when it’s very wet (I have a leather pair and a fabric pair, both are excellent, the leather are better in the wet).

For the greener option, look on ebay/vinted. Nikwax for reproofing goretex.

I was recently inspired by a fellow dog walker to pop a baseball cap on when it's raining with your coat hood up over the top. Means you can see with glasses on!