How did medieval people keep dry?

Answer 1

Just as modern people try to avoid the heaviest rain, medieval people always tried to take shelter if they could. Their clothing was generally of pure wool, which has a natural resistance to light showers but will become sodden and heavy in a real downpour.

For those who were forced to work outside in all weathers, additional protection was added: carters, shepherds and others would wrap their legs with cerecloth. This was linen cloth saturated with beeswax, acting very much like modern waxed jackets and very effective at keeping out wet and mud. The same material may have been used for hooded chapes (a kind of cloak with sleeves).

Shepherds sometimes made hoods and capes of sheepskin with the fleece left on - this has additional waterproofing properties.

Shoes were expensive and could be ruined by mud and water, so wooden pattens could be worn over them. Pattens had a thick wooden sole, sometimes in two parts joined with a hinge, and leather straps which fitted over the ordinary shoes. This gave additional height to the soles and kept the leather shoe out of the worst of the wet. In some areas wooden clogs were worn instead.

Shoes and such items as belts, horse harness and pouches could be given a dressing of tallow and beeswax to waterproof them to some degree.

The link below takes you to a 12th century image showing shepherds in various cloaks and hoods, some with their legs wrapped with cerecloth. The third man, who turns his face away from the angels appearing above, has a hood made of sheepskin: