Have not the cloak to make when it begins to rain.

Make necessary preparations before trouble arrives. A person caught in the rain cannot count on having time to make the cloak that would keep them dry.

The proverb warns against postponing a precaution until the very moment it is needed. Planning ahead leaves room to act effectively when circumstances change.

Use it to urge someone to prepare for a foreseeable difficulty while there is still time. It can also point out the risk of leaving an essential precaution until a problem has already begun.