I have a racquet for outdoor use during wet conditions as well, and since I use all VS gut, at 64lbs. I keep the most worn string racquet of the VS, for the wet weather and still use all VS. It really never effected my strings , granted I don't hit in a downpour, but have hit in a light rain a good # of times over the past couple years, and the gut still holds up fine, as I just sprinkle baby powder in the racquet cover after I wipe it down, and the strings hold up fine. Granted I am not a typical stringbreaker, as I hit a relatively flat ball, but the gut holds up fine even when it gets wet.Possibly the strings may have lasted longer, but they last a long time for me anyways, and none last forever. Todays nat. gut is much improved over years ago.You should just use one of your normal racquets with the gut for this.
I do just like Jim e does - I have 6 racquets in my all strung with VS TEAM 17 nat gut mains and a CoPoly in the crosses. If I play during a very light rain or just after it has rained, I simply use the 2 racquets in my bag with the most worn out strings with the VS TEAM 17 nat gut hybrid and expect them to break either while I play or within the next day or two, while in my bag.
More often than not, they don't break and I can play with the same stringjobs once or twice before they eventually break and have to be restrung.
However, when I sometimes end up playing in more than light rain - and this happens once every month during the outdoor season, I pull out my 2 'rain wet weather racquets', which are both strung with X-One 1.24 mains @ 56 lbs and Alu Power crosses @ 53 lbs.
X-One, while probably for some the worlds best multi string, it is not the closest string to gut, but I like how it feels and plays in wet weather, where the balls are heavy, the red clay is slow and the combo of X-One 1.24 mains and Alu Power crosses works very well for this type of situation.
NRG2 and Xcel Power probably feels more like natural gut, but as you should know - NOTHING really feels like natural gut besides natural gut of course
But for really wet rainy weather, I find the combo hybrid of X-One 1.24 mains and Alu Power crosses to be the perfect blend for me and my game.
I've more than once played on with a hybrid of VS TEAM 17 mains and Hyperion 1.24 crosses for hours in very HEAVY rain and the strings didn't break. Babolat VS natgut is much more durable than you think!
But to be on the safe side, avoid using expensive nat gut in wet or humid weather conditions - but as stated - VS NAT GUT is much more durable than people think!
The coating on the VS strings for extra protection really works very well indeed.
