Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Raingear

I've never been really satisfied with my goretex raingear...It's better than nothing, but in a steady rain I still get wet, or at least damp... I'm thinking about replacing it before my caribou trip this September...
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<br>What is a good, lightweight packable raincoat that will keep me really DRY ??
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<br>I've heard good things about Helly Hansen specifically the packable jacket, but I'm open to all suggestions....
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I have a line on Patagonia Ether jackets, Gore-Tex XCR, listed at 13 oz. in weight, retail for $375, $190 if they have your size. Can't beat that with a stick, and it's Patagonia.
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<br>The Helly Hansen Impertech stuff is great, as far as it goes. I have a bib that I keep in the emergency bag. But it doesn't breathe. Like, at all. Think of it as wearing a thick Hefty bag that stretches. It's waterproof all right, but it doesn't mean you won't be wet. I absolutely baste in mine with any physical activity. I prefer the Gore-Tex, even though I agree that the stuff is not always what it's cracked up to be. It just happens to be the state of the art at the moment.
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<br>Rick

I have wasted a lot of money on Gore Tex here in Alaska
<br>and have gotten wet. In our typical Alaska rain that will last for days on end Gore Tex outside barrier gets saturated and will not breathe then you get wet. HH
<br>Impertech is OK for the first couple of seasons then the seams tend to leak I was told by Helly that it was made for fishermen and designed to tear! That was customer services response when mine tore! I asked why was it sold in Camo as I have not seen to many camo fishermen? HH factory store replaced it but Helly would not. Ask Big Stick again what rain gear he uses if it works in his weather it will work anywhere!

What kk said.
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<br>Rick

Thanks, Rick and KK.......

Gotta agree with the post above.
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<br>Except that getting a season or two ain't bad for the Impertech, given the fact it's lightweight, it works, and it's fairly low priced.
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<br>I only have the bibs, but plan on getting a jacket too, mostly for the boat, where the North Face jacket just doesn't feel right (getting all salty.)

The only thing that keeps the rain out is a milsurp poncho, and ankle fit hip waders. In addition to the rain and drizzle, wet grass and brush will soak you like nothing else.
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<br>Two comments about goretex, it wears out with time. Equally important is most folks, myself included, where way too much under it while physically active, and it simply doesn't vent well enough for heavy persperation.
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<br>Assume you will get wet, either from the rain, or from presperation, the quest therefore is staying warm, and having a means to dry out.

I cannot remember the name of the fabrics combined to make the Tundra Fleece that I have been using for 4 nasty Kodiak seasons so far, but it is far superior to any Gore-tex product I have wasted money and wet days in...
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<br>The stuff is not really light weight, and it is not easy to pack, but when you need to keep dry while active in the most adverse conditions, there is nothing else as good. And it will allow you to dry off in warmth when the exercise stops...
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<br>You can play with the junk all you want, but gore-tex will always let you down when things get nasty.
<br>art

That's kind of been my experience with Goretex...
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<br>On a supercub drop out of Dillingham in '99 we weathered 5 straight days of rain ....We were camping in the open with no real way to rig a tarp to dry out under..
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<br>One product I used that worlked well was Cabela's DRY PLUS pants....They kept me very dry from the waist down, and I had a wool shirt that kept my upper body warm despite being somewhat damp....One item I'd NEVER hunt without in Alaska is a wool shirt,,,,
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<br>Thanks to all for your comments...Keep 'em coming...
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I answered your question on another forum, but not really in detail... 458 Lott said it ...you ARE going to get at least "damp" no matter what you wear in a continuous rain... if you're doing any kind of physical exertion. What works best FOR ME is: Patagonia Capilene underwear (expedition weight) under nylon pants & shirt, and Impertech over that. At least with the Capilene you don't FEEL wet, and it all dries out quickly after you get back to camp & shed the rainwear. If that's not enough to keep me warm, I add additional layers of Fleece over the nylon. I usually carry an extra layer of fleece in my backpack, just in case I need it. And you can always shed a layer if needed. But I've worn this stuff along the coast, interior hunting, even up on the slope...and it's always worked acceptable for me. Not perfect, but it does work! I haven't used a lot of the expensive stuff, so there's probably something out there better. The fleece seems to work nearly as well as wool, but is lighter and dries quicker.

I've been hiking, and snowshoing all winter here at altitudes of up to 7500 ft.
<br> The weather has been sub-zero to well into the 60's.
<br> I've been using a complete Patagonia outfit. You can't possibly imagine the difference.
<br> The Capliene underwear, mid-weight, is all I wear under their Ether pants. Just that, good boots, and Cabela's Gore-Tex Gaiters.
<br> On the top is a Capliene long sleeve, mid-weight top, either an R-1, or an R-2 fleece top, and an Ether Jacket. Topped off with a Cabela's Fleece Baclava, and R-1 glooves. The fleece is peeled as I warm up, or the wind dies, etc.
<br> The only areas that gets damp, for any lenth of time, are the head, and under the gaiters. They don't pass moisture well. I do get damp when I'm moving fast. But, in say 20 mins., I'm dry.
<br> The secret is opening the pit zips-on the Ether Jacket they run from the elbow to the pockets- and venting. And the pit zips on the pants. Their inner layered clothing passes the "inner storm" rapidly.
<br> Another plus is that this stuff is about 1/5 the weight on comparable wool, or 1/3 the weight of conventional fleece.
<br> The downside is their very high cost. The Ether Jacket, for instance, retails for $375. Rick has the only discounted prices I've seen in the last 10 yrs. of looking.
<br> Gore-Tex doesn't wear out. The outer DWR coating does. This can be restored easily. I've got a Mil Surp. jacket I did this to. E
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Good advice from everyone. Rick - I'd like to know about the
<br>discounted Patagonia. Where can I find it?
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<br>Dave

I may be presumptuous in revisiting this, but maybe there is a newbie around that will benefit. Gore-tex doesn't stop anything. It passes water vapor, and water molecules may be forced either way through the membrane. Theoretically, your body heat keeps it going out, but practically, we all know that isn't true in heavy rain, wind, vegetation, etc. - and it doesn't pass vapor rapidly enough to keep up when exercising. What "stops" the water coming in is the outer fabric, which is treated with a Scotch-guard like chemical - In fact - that's what I use to restore the "waterproof" in mine - Scotch guard. About twice a season, if I am using it regularily. Haven't used the more expensive Yuppie restorers - do they work any better?
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<br>Personally, I'll never buy that high tech crap again - no matter what they call it. Scotch guarded fleece works just about as well as Gore-tex and is a lot quieter when slip-hunting - otherwise, its Helly Hanson for me, or if I get rich, Peter Storm, with venting at the neck and front, and moving a little slower to keep the moisture down- not a big deal anymore, as I age and lose steam anyway. That side-vent stuff sounds intriguing, tho, if I could afford it.
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<br>If you were snagged on a 1,000lb crab pot going over the side, would you want your gear to tear?

I will agree. Gore-Tex, by itself will not, in my experience, pass the "inner storm" fast enough. You must have pit zips, or something similar. I have, however, used Gore-Tex, with pit zips, in heavy rain while working/exercising heavily. It will keep you dry, if you have inner layers that function to pass moiture. Given a choice, I'd skip the fancy outer layers, but stay with the high tech Capliene Underwear. I've used it in all kinds of wet and cold weather. It has to be used to be understood and appreciated. It really works. E

Not only does the Capilene work good, it seems to last forever! I've yet to wear-out any that I've had, some for 6-8 yrs (can't remember exactly when I started using it). If you need to wash it, it drys out quick, too. Before that I was using fleeced polypro, like the military stuff...no comparison!!! I gave my son all the polypro, with no regrets.

I believe Stick uses Saddle Cloth rain gear. He "lives in it", I think he said.
<br>I took his advise, and bought a set, with "Storm Seal" membrane, sort of like gore-Tex, I think. The set was made in Canada, and on sale. It kept me very dry last fall.
<br>What I also did, as an experiement, was to spray the set with a water proof spray. For the first few days the water shed off like the rain gear was coated with grease. After a few days the water proof spray seem to wear off, but the Saddle Cloth gear kept me dry. ~~~Suluuq