Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska rain jacket question

Of course. hit some stupid button on pad and whole post gone...

Rain. Jacket. They are almost all lined. HH imperfect 3/4 guide is what I've used for years. This year was so wet it just kept drawing all the moisture up the sleeves and got my under layers soaked. Plus you put on a rain jacket thats as wet inside as out every day.

I condensate enough in waders that the pants get damp between top of pants and inside of waders but so far have been able to deal with that.

But this top layers thing getting wet after dang near 2 months of rain in the field and usually no way to dry the clothes every night, IE sleeping bag eventually gets wet and stays wet too when you sleep with your wet gear...

Looking for an option. Used to be rain gear was not lined and we worried about noise maybe. And if you turned arms up it could run down into the sleeve. But not this damn draw up the tricot type lining and the whole coat remains wet. Praying for a day of sun to dry inside and out.

Thanks for any input/options.

Does need to be not safety orange but don't give a flip about camo.

And while at it cold feet in stocking foot waders I think I asked earlier too.... waders every day. Temps as low as 20. In the water its not a big deal, but rain. Wet wading boots. Feet just got cold and stayed. Toe warmers seem to die inside waders eventually due to lack of oxygen I suspect. No way to recharge chargeable basically. I have batteries for phone and Garmin but thats limited weight out where we guide basically.

Here ya go:

https://olefloridaflyshop.com/shop/on-sale/simms-closeout/simms-g3-guide-tactical-wading-jacket/?msclkid=344a67a5c68c1e1aaabe020f5ae3eca8&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=**LP%20-%20DSA&utm_term=olefloridaflyshop&utm_content=All%20Webpages

Simms jacket leaks eventually. Have worn them for years as a fishing guide because we are supposed to support the company per our boss. I don't even take that jacket out in the hunting fields.

This may have no solution.

Bottom line is If you are going to be moving and out in a driving rain all day — you are going to be wet !

The best solution I have found is to wear a really good goretex coat like a Simms, and keep a rubber Helly Hanson or poncho to wear over it in the wettest conditions

Very interesting, Phil! I used the Gore-Tex/Helly Hanson combo on my Alaskan grizzly hunt and it worked well....

Sorry, I didn’t realize you used it daily as a professional. I’ve worn mine hunting , fishing, and working for the last 20 years, and it’s never leaked.

But of course, you and I both know it doesn’t rain here in TX like where you work in Alaska.

I’d send that jacket back to Simms. They have an excellent product guarantee. Seems like there stuff is Lifetime warranty ???

Sounds like 458Win / Phil’s suggestion might be the way to go.

I have bought gore tex and dry plus items several times and are great when brand new. Doesn't take long before they start leaking if worn much. Cabelas wouldn't honor the warranty on the dry plus gear. I switched to rubber commercial fishing rain suit. You sweat in it but it doesn't leak.

Thats really interesting solution. Will be duly noted. The peninsula wasn't that wet this fall but after the summer of rain followed by moose rains and then ending up there I"d just about had it. Especially once the sleeping bag itself was wet.

Wet is what it is. Not being able to get dry in a wet tent situation isn't great at all. Especially for the clients but thats another thing. No cabins allowed where we hunt.

I expect wet if its driving and I"m out all day and moving. I don't expect it when its lighter rain and sitting still glassing and it just seeps up inside. But the goretex and HH will be duly noted. May buy a Stone Glacier top and cover it with HH. Its just more weight and bulk to carry right LOL

Simms gear doesn't have a problem Its the fact that folks keep thinking goretex is great. Its not. Even when brand new. Found that out at Camp Perry one rainy championship. Found out why and were it seeped too.

That’s tough when you can’t do a solid dry out. My annual 7 day moose hunt in the rainforest in October puts everything to the test

Simms waders and a pullover grundens rain jacket with neoprene sleeves is less miserable than other options and will keep you dry if not doing a crazy amount of hiking. You can get the jacket dry overnight if you flip it inside out and have a hot tent.

Everything goes out the window when you are packing meat though for long days. You just hope it isn’t pouring and you can take the rain jacket off.

I’ve learned to just tolerate being completely soaked. Even the highest quality stuff won’t keep moisture from wicking up through wrist cuffs, into your gaiters and thus boots/socks, etc. If you wear waders, moisture will eventually wick up your shirt and then down the inside of your waders.

First Lite SEAK works well for ‘light’ rains but normal rainstorms and walking around in wet veg? I have concluded there is nothing a guy can do but wear something besides cotton and learn to deal with it.

As far as your sleeping bag, keep a set of ‘sleeping’ cloths in a dry bag and only wear them when in the sleeping bag. Putting on wet cloths the next morning sucks but unless you have a seperate set for everyday, they’re going to be somewhat wet when you put them back on the next morning.

I’d love to find a better solution myself.

Gore-tex isn't "waterproof" at all. It allows water vapor to pass through it, either way. The outer fabric shell is supposed to keep "water" away from the Goretex membrane, but once the repellant in the fabric is compromised (about 2 days, mostly) no more "waterproof." Plus, exertion can (wiill) overwhelm the "breathability", even brand new. Heavy, wind blown rain.....well, just forget it.

Almost as big a marketing scam as the last "election".

It's fine, when new, lightly worn, in light rain or mist, sitting on one's ass. I like my Goretex stuff when snowmachining. There, it keeps me dry and wind-proof. I quit buying it years ago, making do with what I have for snow machining or ATV riding in light conditions.

Mostly I just wear HH if it's going to be wet. Worked on the fishing boats. Plus I now really do try getting dry again at the end of the day or a couple times a week. For hard-hitters in the field without cabins for extended periods (BTDT) all I can say is "YOU POOR BASTIDS!"

Hadn't thought of topping the Goretex pieces with "Rubber" rangear. I'll take the word of those still enduring harsh conditions, like Phil and and ROST. I'm of sufficient age, I probably ain't going there anymore.

KUIU has a few at different price points like this one, camo is on sale, https://www.kuiu.com/products/yukon-tr-rain-jacket-gunmetal?variant=42101991800990 or https://www.kuiu.com/products/chugach-tr-rain-jacket-gunmetal?variant=40479493816478

4 Way stretch doesn't hurt either, I have the Chugach TR Rain Jacket and wear it with or without rain, very comfortable.

A frustrating issue. I can wade chest deep for hours in my fabric waders and come out dry. An hour out in a raincoat and one is soaked.

The problem with that is if I don't put my damp wet layers in the bag they never dry out. So its loose loose. I keep switching layers of clothes though and socks. But when I get wet enough to compromise the bag it sucks.

I'm not at the age where I can just get wet and deal with it.

As to packing out and being soaked, its a goal. I have a bear hide. We are done and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Or moose as is. I don't mind that end of it so much. Granted I"m fortunate not to have to pack much very far. Couple miles at the most.

Like I've said sweating wet inside I expect and play a few games for that. But just glassing all day and still being wet and cold sucks. May have to give it up.

The one thing that made the biggest difference for me was setting up a nylon tarp and glassing from underneath it. I just use alders to tie to. Some glassing knobs this wont work obviously but with a little time I can usually find a place to set it up in the majority of places I glass from. I still wore rain gear underneath it but it helped with the rain running down my sleeves when glassing. Being that much more comfortable makes me glass much harder and be more productive. When its dumping rain and blowing sideways like most nice days on the peninsula its hard to stay focused when you're soaked and you cant keep your glass clean. The tarp solves this.

I was surprised how little it spooked brown bears. Several times in the fall we've actually shot bears on the creeks from under the tarp. Spring time was a non issue.

I use a Kelty Noahs tarp. Relatively cheap and durable. The bigger size(12x12 I think) is better because often I find a clump of alders and drape the tarp over the whole clump then cutt most of the middle of the clump out and sit there. The outer alders create the "poles"

I would take it down at the end of the day or it might blow away at night!

Works good on most of the Peninsula and Kodiak. Tougher on Unimak but Ive made it work there too.

My first thought was a jacket like Calvin mentioned. I know I love mine when out on the river in an open boat on wet days.
Another option I've seen is wearing long gloves that go up over the cuffs of your sleeves.

I'd be scared to have a tarp up most of the time cold bay for never seeing it again. LOL. We do that all the time at moose camp though.

I may have to give that some thought to attempt. Our knobs are rare to have vegetation on them. But I can figure a way to make it work. Just a few more pounds of tarp and stakes. First Soldier for us.

Gloves under maybe. Not over. That would drain into the glove. Its the water going to the end of the sleeve all day and just sits there as it drips off. Then it starts crawling the lining fabric on the HH back up my sleeves. Thankfully the outer Kifaru top is mostly water resistant but after enough time...

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