Seeing as it is supposed to be the middle of winter, I shouldn’t be writing an article about rainy days. However, this topic actually works for both rain and snow, so we should be fine!

Umbrellas are a NO-NO

There should be printing on all umbrella packaging that says, “for emergencies only!” Umbrellas are fine for a little bit of drizzle, but they make life difficult in most circumstances. What if it’s raining at an angle? What if you need to use both hands? What if it breaks??? Proper rain gear does a much better job of keeping you dry than an umbrella. Make sure the material is breathable and a little loose, so that you can fit your regular clothes underneath.

If the Shoe Fits…

You don’t want to be walking around in the rain in a pair of old tennis shoes. As soon as you misjudge a puddle you’ll have soaking feet for the rest of the day! A pair of rainboots or waterproof high tops will do the trick in most areas. Just make sure to have a pair of regular shoes on you to change out in the office. You don’t want to be trekking water all over the place!

Gor-Tex is the Key!

“Gore-Tex is a waterproof, breathable fabric membrane and registered trademark of W. L. Gore and Associates. Invented in 1969, Gore-Tex is able to repel liquid water while allowing water vapor to pass through, and is designed to be a lightweight, waterproof fabric for all-weather use. It is composed of stretched polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is more commonly known as the generic trademark Teflon.” –Wikipedia

You will find Gor-Tex in a lot of weatherproof gear. It is a lightweight, breathable fabric that does wonders for repelling rain and snow. The key here is breathability. It’s one thing to keep the water off your exterior clothing, but if you’re sweating underneath, especially in the cold, you’ll have difficulty staying warm on a cold day.

There are a lot of brands out there using Gor-Tex, for its many features. Check out Frogg Toggs if you are looking for an inexpensive way to stay warm (or cool, depending on the weather) and dry.

Make Sure You Have Backups

Sometimes bad luck happens. It’s always a good idea to have a change of clothes at the office, especially socks, if the weather takes a turn for the worse. The most important key here is to keep as much of that bad weather out of the workplace as possible.

Stay warm and stay dry!