Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Whats the BEST rain gear set up out there right now?

Hi guys,

Im looking to upgrade my rain gear, it rains where Im at and I want the best stuff I can get for hunting and fishing and even just hiking around. I need something that fits well because I hike a lot when I hunt but I also need to get it a little bigger so I can throw the jacket on over a down jacket.

I was looking at the Kuiu yukon set, seems durable and Id imagine the jacket could serve as a general shell jacket. I had the Chugach set but it got torn up after like 2 hunts last year, it just couldnt hold up to the thorns and branches.

waht are you using? what the top of the line right now? anybody have the Kuiu Yukon?

FWIW, my insulation layer is either a patagonia down jacket or a Kifaru lost park parka.

Thanks guys!!!

I am still trying to figure that out, but I have been fairly impressed with my Westtcombe shell jacket. It's e-Vent rather than GoreTex, and it's been solid in some good downpours and repeated rains. I'm using the Kuiu Chugach pants but they're about on their last leg. My favorite rain gear is a Hilleberg Tarp UL-10 over my head when it's really raining hard, though

Firstlite SEAK. However, we will see when Kryptek Altitude gets in to Sporties.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, I'll check borhbof those out.

Is the Kryptek altitude that new high end set they are comin gout with?

That first lite SEAK looks pretty sweet.

Despite what advertisers want us to believe, the truth is there is no best, just different. Every membrane and coating has different vapor permeability and water permeability attributes.

Match the membrane characteristics to your environment, durability needs, and activity level, maintain a good DWR, and that's the best you can do.

My favorites are Neoshell, eVent, and Powershield Pro--but they all do different things.

I got a yukon jacket about this time last year. It has kept me dry all over the state. I use it as a general shell as well as rain gear, and it does well in that role.

Jury is still out on durability.

Thanks, I think right now, the 2 best options are the SEAK and the Yukon. Seems like first lite dosent really make rain pants, unless I missed something.

Pnuma is a new company but I gave its Selkirk rain gear a try last season and have only good things to say about it. It is a quality piece of gear and is unbelievably breathable. The only down side is it is heavier than most of the other quality backpacking raingear but I think its durability and breathability more than makes up for its weight.

Before I bought the rain gear I emailed Pnuma Labor Day weekend with some questions. The VP of the company answered my questions within a few hours and gave me his contact information in case I ever needed to reach out to him in the future. I later put a rip in the back of my jacket with a big musky lure - don't ask, and Pnuma repaired it pronto with no questions asked.

Checked them out. They look pretty solid but it would be cool to read some more reviews since theyre so new. I like the design and 600 bucks for the set ends up being cheaper than a KUIU or a First Lite set up.

You did http://www.firstlite.com/boundary-stormtight-pant-july-2014.html

I haven't used these, but may give them a shot this year. I've heard good things from a few guys that have tried them.

Tanner

Wow, the Pnuma rain shell weighs 33 oz. My shell, mid layer, and 3 season puffy weigh 31 ounces total. Could be great for some but no thanks.

If I wanted a camo shell, I'd be looking at First Lite, and I'm not sure anywhere else. Cocona's 37.5 WP/B fabric generally gets decent marks and it's been around a few years now.

There are some very cool new fabrics out there. This is too light for a hunting application but the thru hikers (who can afford it) will love it, look the breathability stat.

http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/wpb_jacket.shtml

Yes, I'm curious to see field results. Along those lines, the NW Alpine Eyebright, eVent jacket at 4.5 oz. Has been out for a couple years, priced above value for dang near everyone, but reported impressive durability. Agreed the number of options is amazing.

That deserves a WOW on both cost and weight! Glad to hear it is working for people.

I don't think they can afford to put it on sale real often! It's hand made so I imagine it never is.

I keep wanting to order a Neoshell jacket/pants from this place for $150/ea. Just have never pulled the trigger.

http://foxwear.net/fabrics-and-colors-2/clothing/rain-gear/

I think that I it is safe to assume that Pnuma will come out with a lighter version of its raingear. Most new companies initially come out with basic gear that has broad appeal then start offering more specialized gear. To date the quality of their gear has been very good. Their raingear works well for me but I am not backpacking for days at a time.

The Sitka Stormfront Jacket has great reviews, but I haven't wanted to shell out $600.00 for it yet.

I've had great success with a couple of different Patagonia jackets.

I hate wearing rain pants when I'm moving, but when necessary I use Marmot Precip pants.

I think I going to get that first lite SEAK jacket, not sure what ill get for pants yet though.

$600? Does that include a servant to follow you around holding a large umbrella?

I have been using and abusing a set of the Sitka Dewpoint gear in Alaska and throughout the Rockies for the last three seasons and it has held up great. I would buy another set in a heartbeat.

Chet

I got the jacket and pants for 1/2 price a few years ago from Midway. Worked good for a day or two busting thru brush on the OR coast, then the DWR was shot and pants started leaking. Both jacket pockets were literally full of water, even fully closed/zipped.

Midway didn't want to hear about it. Sitka gave me a full refund. They offered another set to try, but I passed.

Anyone here still like using HH Impertech from durability, waterproofness, price perspective?

YES

HAHA I hear ya about the shelter. My Westcomb jacket is like 4-5 years old now and not quite as waterproof as it used to be after 250-300 days in the field, but thats quite a bit of use.

Looking to replace mine with the SEAK jacket.

As for rain pants I have yet to find anything that truly keeps me dry in busting wet brush for long periods of time. So I just keep using and abusing Marmot Precips with fully zips to keep the bit chunks off

Whatever you get makes sure its has full length zips up the legs. I hate 1/4 or even 1/2 zip pants.

+1

The sad truth about all rain gear is that if you're hiking/moving and generating moisture inside of it, especially if you're wearing a backpack, you'll soon be as wet inside of the rain gear as you would if you weren't wearing any. Breathability works pretty well if you're skiing and the outside air has essentially zero humidity and the temperature differential between inside the rain gear and outside is very large. Doing anything that causes sweat while wearing rain gear in the absence of such differentials results in you being wet one way or the other.

Back in 1978 I wore my first GoreTex rain gear while spring brown bear hunting way out on the AK peninsula. On one long day far from camp while up in a snow field chasing a nice bear I damn near died from hypothermia because of the moisture failing to pass out through the fabric.

Since then I've owned 100% waterproof heavy fishing rain gear, Sitka Gear rain gear, Kuiu rain gear, HH Impertech, and REI E-vent rain gear. It's all a compromise so don't expect to remain fully dry and comfy inside if you're working up a sweat in the rain. So far the best option I've found after 4 decades of buying and trying everything is E-vent. YMMV so take it for what it's worth but that's my opinion based on first-hand experience.

My experience is that a guy's satisfaction with rain gear is directly tied to their style of hunting... if you are really active then what you wear MUST move moisture outward via vapor permeability and/or venting, and, conversely the guy who wants to sit for hours in the rain watching a spot MUST have actual waterproof gear... they are at odds IME... the two considerations have been locked in a zero-sum battle in every piece I've ever worn. Meaning, the more breathable, the less waterproof and vice versa.

I typically move slowly or not at all when actually hunting blacktails in the rain (my favorite time to hunt them) so I've put the premium on actual waterproof-ness and durability. That can be a bummer if strenuous exercise is required to GET TO the area that I'm gonna hunt slowly. I've yet to experience a shell that moves enough vapor out (especially if it's actually raining, where that mechanism usually breaks down as the fabric saturates) to be effective AND then keep me dry in an all-day drizzle. Not doubting what has been listed here is excellent and I'm certainly hoping for that miracle garment someday but I'm pretty jaded about it truly existing.

Not mentioned yet is the fart-chimney effect of most raingear. Wow. Manufacturers need to address that one before somebody dies out there.

Jeff_O is correct. How the rain gear is to be used has a lot to do with what kind/brand/type of rain gear you choose. If you're going to be backpack hunting (the heading of this blog) you'll be wet no matter what kind of rain gear you choose if you're hiking/sweating in the rain while wearing a backpack. Don't expect miracles because they haven't been invented yet. TANSTAAFL

I agree with it really depends. Lots of brush calls for heavier denier (and heavier overall weight) rain gear; lots of heavy rain typically calls for stouter (heavier) rain gear. In the mountain west our rain typically is sudden, but generally doesn't last very long- for these conditions I use the lightest weight 3 layer rain gear available.

For lighter rain/drizzle/wet snow I prefer using a windshirt on the move over a rain jacket. It has enough water resistance (in the 300 HH range), but has many times the breathability (~20-40 cfm) of any rain jacket.

The military's clothing system has adapted the same strategy- they only call for using rain gear when they are stationary- on the move they utilize a water resistant windshirt or softshell.

Absolutely.
The highest air permeability ratings (CFM) in a waterproof/breathable are in the tenths (like 0.2-0.5). Something like the Patagonia Houdini is in the 4 range. Some windshirts push 40-50 cfm as mtwarden noted. It's not good or bad, it's about picking what works for a given situation. Windshirts are so useful in the western US.

I know I live in dry , sunny Colorado, but we have had a few spells of spring snow / rain mix that lasted about a month each time. During a couple of these spells, I took it upon myself to wear or borrow anything that could be construed as waterproof or water resistant enough. In this there were softshell jackets, GTex, Event, FirstLite and others. For me, when real active the first lite 37.5 usually worked best followed by event. When conditions turned slushy it was probably event. Note, I didn't have the newest / greatest GTex.

Personally, I think a pine tree and a tarp are the best. The others just sort of depend. Some work really well in some conditions but not so well in others as alluded to above.