The morning had been clear when we started up the trail. The forecast looked calm, the temperature was comfortable, and the pack already felt heavier than we wanted. So the emergency rain layer stayed behind.
By late afternoon, the mountains disappeared behind a wall of dark cloud. Within minutes the trail was taking heavy rain. There was nowhere nearby to get completely dry. Jackets soaked through, the temperature dropped, and every gust of wind made the cold feel sharper.
What had begun as an ordinary day outside became a long, uncomfortable descent in wet clothes. The lesson was difficult to ignore: the piece of gear we decided was too small to matter that morning was exactly what we wished we had when conditions changed.