Were the kids you appear to be referencing in your comment taught to fear rain for some reason...by adults?
My experience has been the opposite...
(just curious)
Getting wet or cold; neither "causes" sickness...that theory was debunked years ago...
I commute to work in cities for some of my gigs, but don't live in them...my leisure time is mine...getting wet..?...It's just not that big of a deal when I have no pressing business...fear of getting wet is no reason to miss the magic of standing out in the rain...
We lead different lives, my friend...and both are OK...
Absolutely and thank goodness for that variety. I was just putting up an explanation for why kids like playing in the rain and why adults typically do not.
Nothing bullet-proof definitive here, but the consensus certainly seems to be that colds are caused by virus entering the respiratory system, nothing more.
You deserve a pat-on-the-back for the careful and tedious thought required to join such disparate topics, much like the constant struggle against the elements you had to face, step by step, and the invaluable rewards you must have received on your epic journey!
Brave, smart, enlightened... not to get off topic, but what other interesting qualities do you have, and the stories and wisdom to go with them, oh great "Outdoorsman"?
Edit: o why the downvote o great master? What thou request of thine?
Also, the HN guidelines ask you not to go on about getting downvoted. See the two rules at the bottom:
I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail years ago...admittedly, I was walking, with a pack, not running...
If I was within sight of shelter (a rarity) I sometimes trotted, and stayed a bit dryer...usually I just walked on, smiled, and tried to find things to enjoy...
One thing I learned was that it didn't matter one whit if I got wet when hypothermia was not a factor...the only important thing was whether or not, once I'd enjoyed the rain, I had dry clothes in my pack to change into while I cooked my supper...
I think we undervalue the good feeling rain falling on us offers...kids instinctively experience it as something special and dance around in it...imagine that...
We could re-learn things from them...rain's nothing to fear...