Testing Wildcraft’s Rain Gears in Agumbe, the wettest place of South India!

Last Updated on September 3, 2017 by

Testing Wildcraft’s Rain Gears in Agumbe, the wettest place of South India!

When I visited Agumbe in September 2016, I was ill prepared. It is also known as the Cherrapunji of South India because it is the wettest place in South India. I was mostly wet as I hopped from one destination to other. This time when Mumbai’s i Travel group invited me for a rainforest expedition, my first worry was not the promised snakes and leeches, but a proper rain gear. Since one of the main agenda was to take shots of well camouflaged tiny reptiles, snakes, amphibians etc, I knew this would be my wettest assignment till date.

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Green vine snake in the rain-forest of Agumbe, The Cherrapunji (Wettest place) of South India.

As it turned out, I spent 3 days in heavy rains as we ventured at least twice a day to spot the many tiny gems of Agumbe. We even went out on 2 nights. I had to leave my camera behind on the first night, because of the torrential rains. I had no protection for the camera. However, despite our hour long walk in pitch dark under heavy downpour, I managed to keep myself dry, thanks to the Wildcraft ’s newly launched rain gear.

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Me wearing Wildcraft’s rain-gear. Overlooking rain-forest of Agumbe, The Cherrapunji (Wettest place) of South India. (Pic by: Rochna Poddar)

When I visited the Connaught place (New Delhi) store of Wildcraft, I instantly picked the grey pants and dark green windcheater, the combo which promised me protection from rains. The color mattered because I want to blend in with natural tones. So, bright and flashy colors were out of question for me.

I wanted to buy something long lasting and multi utilitarian since I often find myself in rainy terrains during high altitude treks such as Roopkund Trek and Everest Base Camp Trek which I did some time ago.

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There is a bull frog camouflaged here. In the rain-forest of Agumbe, The Cherrapunji (Wettest place) of South India.

Its strong material, design and classy looks appealed to me. Fortunately, it turned out to be a good choice. My co travelers complained of their rain coats and rain gears not helping them protect from rain. While after removing the Wildcraft’s rain gears post rainforest expedition, I was surprised to find myself 100 % dry. Despite the fact that I had to bend a lot and even sit on a shallow water stream to click pictures, the water failed to seep in. The sealed seams don’t allow water droplets to seep through the stitching. It is waterproof up to 5000 mm. The zippered pockets were shielded with flaps. It helped me keep my cellphone dry even in extreme rains. What better place to test a rain gear than to try it in Agumbe, known for its excesses with water.

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Me wearing Wildcraft’s rain-gear. background shows rain-forest of Agumbe, The Cherrapunji (Wettest place) of South India. (Pic by: Rochna Poddar)

Since the rainforests of Agumbe are infested with leeches, I was also looking for something which would shield me from the nasty blood thirsty weirdoes. On one of the days, I had around 30 leeches outside my wind cheater. Thanks to the strap around my wrist and waist of Wildcraft’s unisex rain Pro jacket, none of them managed to reach my skin. Its PU coated Nylon fabric not only made it rain proof but also aided in better breathability. The superior fabric has nanopores which are small enough to keep rain out but large enough to allow the sweat to evaporate. The jacket also boasts of adjustable cuffs and inner mesh lining. The packable hood also came handy. It kept my head dry even after suffering a downpour. Another great feature is that the entire jacket and the track pant can be rolled into a small pouch when not in use, hence helping me manage my packing. Wildcraft’s Hypa Dry Men Rain Pro Pant (Pewter Grey), which I wore, has similar feature as the jacket mentioned above.  Wildcraft’s Men’s Trekking Shoes Amphibia Sphere protected my legs from slushy ground beneath my feet.

My trip to Agumbe would have been messy and clumsy had I not carried the proper rain gear. In fact, it is the most important thing to pack when you are traveling during rain. I am looking forward to carry it to the ambitious Annapurna Base Camp trek in Nepal and other high altitude treks which I am contemplating doing soon.

The view from my #SoulWindow is dew drop fresh!

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Me wearing Wildcraft’s rain-gear. Overlooking rain-forest of Agumbe, The Cherrapunji (Wettest place) of South India. (Pic by: Rochna Poddar)

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57 thoughts on “Testing Wildcraft’s Rain Gears in Agumbe, the wettest place of South India!”

  1. Pingback: THE MIND BLOWING NIGHT TRAIL IN THE RAINFORESTS OF AGUMBE WITH i TRAVEL GROUP: INCREDIBLE INDIA | A Soul Window - Travel Blog from India!

  2. Wildcraft is a trusted brand for sure and I like it for its stuff. I am glad you tested its rain gears at the right place. And this definitely looks like a must-have for all those who don’t want rains to spoil travel plans. Everything about Agumbe looks adventurous and thrilling.

  3. Leeches!!! I dont even think I have enough courage to venture into agumbe even with this super cool gear. Though I might find some use for it back in Seattle, since it sees rains 300/365 days a year 😀

  4. Trekking during the monsoons is our favorite adventure and high on this list is Agumbe which we hope to make soon. You chose a superb rain gear which gladly stood up to your expectations and yes the color really impressive. This detailed review will definitely help us choose Wildcraft as the rain gear for our upcoming trips.

    1. I am glad that so many people in the above comments like my choice of color. Yup, you must try this rain gear not even in Agumbe but any place on rainy days, especially if you enjoy trekking in rains. Like I do 🙂

  5. Wow it does look super wet! The rainforest is beautiful and magical but I went once and really didn’t like it- I was there for 30 seconds and had leeches over me, eek! Maybe I should give it another shot- I’d love to see a vine snake like in your first photo!

  6. I always worry about getting wet when hiking. I can’t sleep if I’m soaked, and its typically colder if you are. Can you get this in the States? Ps- I am very jealous of your trek in the Himalayan mountains – its on my bucketlist

  7. sounds like it could have been a very uncomfortable experience if you did not have the right gear one. it seems you very prepared, but the rain sounds insane that you couldn’t take your camera out. cool photo with the frog, though.

  8. Wildcraft’s RainGear looks cool and durable too. As it does not allow water inside and have better readability, I will try for it because most of time I travel to Europe half of times it is raining. Good it has pocket to keep the mobiles and wallet waterproof. Thanks for sharing this wonderful product.

  9. Followingtherivera

    Sounds like this raingear was the perfect choice. I can’t believe you had all those leeches on you at one time, yikes! Wildcraft raingear really seems to be the perfect choice for this type of weather.

  10. I must say, there can’t be a better place to test your rain gears than Agumbe .. the wettest place in south India … great to know that your rain gear worked well in protecting you from the constant rains.

  11. The wildcraft merchandise are definitely quality products. I can see that you have really done a thorough test of them, exposing them to the elements of nature in full fury. Nice to see that they emerged with flying colours.

  12. We really like Wildcraft products but still had never tried their rain gears. You are right that if you would have got drenched in rain and bitten my leeches, you would have quoted this trip as messy and clumsy. I like its color and style and would love to purchase the same for my travels. Thanks for writing a detailed review on the same.

  13. Improper rainwear would be the worst nightmare one could experience in the leech and reptile infested forests of Agumbe. I m really surprised you could venture out into the forest and click such amazing pictures even in the continuous downpour typical to the western ghats.

    1. Thanks a lot Sindhu. I can’t imagine how I would have fared if I were not wearing the rain gears by Wildcraft. It just made my trip easier. You are right. Clicking in the monsoons of Western Ghat ain’t easy at all!

  14. India is really full of surprises. I went to this place called tahmini ghat and we were soaked under frequent rains while we are exploring the place on a motor bike. Definitely need this gear. Will let my friends there know about this.

  15. Wildcraft clothing looks perfect for travel. You chose a good colour, green is the one I’d choose as well. I have problems getting wet in heavy rain, I’ll check out the wildcraft range.

  16. That looks like the best gear for rainy days/hikes! I have a very old one that no longer works so I should really look into this one for my next travels and walks especially for its breathability which is crucial in a good rain jacket. thanks for sharing

  17. Being out there in the wilderness is not easy task! Kudos to you for your passion for exploration and photography to brave the torrential rains!

  18. Hi Abhinav, I have so much to write now. Firstly, thank you for letting me know about Agumbe. This entire monsoon I have been hopping around the outskirts of Mumbai. I had been to Kalavantin in Panvel, Kalsubai and Bhandardara in Igatpuri and very soon I will head to Kaas. I have also meandered around the thousands of waterfalls in Kharghar of Navi Mumbai. I know what it feels to get wet during a trek. I know the plight of handling the camera in that condition. It is a wild chaos! Just before going on the last trek (Kalsubai) I got myself some rainproof stuffs from Decathlon. But I am 100% sure I need more so thank you so much for letting me know about the Wildcraft gears. I will definitely check them out. Also, I have no idea how on earth you managed in spotting that green snake. It sent a shiver down my spine. I and my husband usually goes on the treks all alone and for the life of me I never thought such dangerously camouflaged creatures live in the forests of Western Ghats. I remember how many times I got into the bushes to take some freaking stupid photo. Now I will keep myself away from the trees!!

    1. Hi Tania, Thank you for your wonderful comment and sharing your personal experiences. I love Maharashtra in monsoon. When I was in Navi Mumbai for 7 years, I always used to go out and enjoy the monsoon on weekend. I have done some memorable treks in Maharashtra about which you can read here – http://asoulwindow.com/2016/07/09/6-exciting-monsoon-treks-in-sahyadris-maharashtra/

      You must try the Wildcraft products. I am addicted for sure. Wish you many more treks and adventure! Just be careful of who is lurking in the bushes, haha. Cheers!

  19. What a great experience! It’s great you were protected by gear to keep yourself from being drenched! We once hiked a volcano in Costa Rica and were caught in a storm with no protections. It was quite funny actually. Anyhow, I love the pictures here. The hike looks beautiful and so green! The only thing I wouldn’t like would be the leeches!

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