Is high-end rain gear worth the $$$?

[@fulldraw]

I am looking into rain gear that I can throw into the bottom of my pack "just in case." I'll be hunting NM this September, which seems to be their "wettest" time of year but with that in mind, I also hunt other western states. My question is, unless I intend to hunt the pacific northwest, BC or Alaska, is the high end rain gear worth the price?

Do the high end brands (Sitka, FL, Kuiu, etc.) provide a product that is significantly drier, more breathable, quieter, than any other rain jacket that is an earth tone color? Or is it all largely marketing?

 

[pchrisla]

Following. I've been asking myself this same question. Is something from REI in earth tones just as good for western hunting.

 

[Whaledriver]

My opinion for west hunting is no. I have used high end Goretex and low end goretex and have seen minimal difference. I have used Neoshell and it does breathe better but will soak out after extended use in the rain. I have used the OR foray and it is okay. I like the pit zips the best but it will soak in high exertion and rain. Right now I run a Beyond goretex jacket and pants, mainly because it is a tall and super durable. Plus I snagged it off of Ebay for cheap.

 

[TheCougar]

I mean, push come to shove, I don’t think there is a proprietary fabric in the hunting industry that is better than what you’ll find in REI. The hunting industry has basically used the camping/hiking/mountaineering community for R&D, then done the same thing in Camo patterns, slapped a different brand on it, and put it on Instagram. There are some proprietary fabrics -Kuiu and FL have other-than-Goretex fabrics, but if it’s
Goretex, chances are it is identical to
what you will find elsewhere. I’m interested in others’ thoughts on this. You could make the same argument for basically any hunting apparel product. Not that it stops me from buying them!

 

[robie]

The fancy breathable stuff that is very expensive is meant to breath, IE you can hike in it and not die of sweat.

If you are going to stop when it rains and hang out under a tree while a shower blows over get a poncho or tarp and just hang out. If you want to keep hiking buy the fancy stuff.

If you are ok with some weight and get Helly Hansen Impertech. It is 100% waterproof but you don't want to go on a long hike in it.

The breathable stuff will all eventually start to leak so just take longer to leak than others, rubber (helly hansen impertech) never will.

 

[Russp17]

I am looking into rain gear that I can throw into the bottom of my pack "just in case." I'll be hunting NM this September, which seems to be their "wettest" time of year but with that in mind, I also hunt other western states. My question is, unless I intend to hunt the pacific northwest, BC or Alaska, is the high end rain gear worth the price?

Do the high end brands (Sitka, FL, Kuiu, etc.) provide a product that is significantly drier, more breathable, quieter, than any other rain jacket that is an earth tone color? Or is it all largely marketing?

I've lived in Alaska and Wyoming. (Alaska currently) I don't think it is. I think it is much better, but you won't see the difference unless you are spending time in places that it rains for days on end. That is not the norm in the western states (minus the coast).

 

[Runningwater]

I have high end rain gear and love it. I also hunt in the Kenai area every other year or so. I've appreciated in on some CO hunts. That said I got along pretty good with discount Marmot Precip for a long time in CO and WY, and even made it work a few times in AK (along with HH Impertech). Just depends on your budget and your priorities. I'd think in most circumstances Marmot Precip from STP would suit you just fine in NM - light weight too! FWIW STP has the jacket in bomber green right now (somethings its hard to find good neutral hunting colors).

 

[*zap*]

For a just in case in the pack I would purchase Marmot percip top and bottom used in good condition or new, depending on your budget. For being outdoors for a while in rain I think Kuiu is a good choice from what I have heard from people whose opinions I trust.

 

[1shotgear]

You get what you pay for in hunting but with that being said you might get away with some rain gear with 15 or less days of hunting a year. Then there is the year were yo go everywhere and see everything. These years were your doing these Alaska, New Zealand hunts you need to be out in the field in bad weather and be able to stay able to hunt with a strong mental and fiscal wellbeing. Sure you can power throw 7 days of rain in Alaska with cheap gear but you wont be happy and spend all your time trying to get off the mountain. I run the Sitka Stormfront system (Jacket and Pants) and when I go to these places my mind and body stays in good shape and I can stay in the field and turn a good hunt into a great one.

 

[@fulldraw]

Thanks for all the responses. This is very helpful. Like many of you mentioned, it makes complete sense to me to shell out the money for the high-end gear if you’re hunting in locations where you’re going to be wet a lot—and I would always prefer to pay more for quality gear that lasts a long time. I was generally curious of opinions from those that have more experience than me in the area, so thanks again.

 

[MuleyFever]

I would also look at Marmot and Outdoor Research for good options.

 

[Kronos]

I have Gortex Pro Shell mountaineering/ hiking gear from Arteryx and Stormfront Sitka stuff for hunting. Before that I used Marmot Precip. Once the Gortex gear and other expensive breathable fabrics gets wetted out (it will if it's raining all day and it'll happen even faster if your wearing a pack or beating through vegitation) the gortex material will have have no advantage over the cheap stuff. People will say that the gortex/ other expensive breathable fabric leaks when it gets wetted out, but that's not true; it just stops transferring water vapor to the outside.

TLDR: Before the expensive materials gets wetted out, it provides a noticeable advantage. Once the expensive materials get wetted out, there is no advantage. No matter what I buy, it has to have pit zips.... they expel a ton of moisture.

ETA: The reason I like buying Gortex gear is for the Gortex warranty. They have an outstanding warranty. I had a 7 year old $600 Arteryx shell get warrantied with a brand new replacement. You can't beat that!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I live in southwest Alaska so I say yes, it’s worth it. When I was living in the southwest USA and spending my hunting time in NM, AZ, CO etc, I was perfectly happy to stuff some. Armor precip stuff in my pack just in case. I’d look at the kuiu northridge for hunting raingear if I still lived there.

Last year it rained almost the entire moose season, I decided to get the best rain gear I could afford so I scored the kuiu yukon during the anniversary sale for ~ 600 dollars and used the active junky cash back to get ~ 80 dollars back. IMO it was 500 dollars well spent.

 

[Macchina]

I would say go cheap. For a true emergency waterproof setup I like a fully waterproof poncho (a high quality PU fabric one, not a plastic one). They are extremely small packed, cover your whole body and backpack in a pinch, and because they're open on the bottom they don't need to breath. I bring mine when backpacking and there is a slight chance of rain. I've never worn it while stomping through brush but would assume your pants would get soaked fast if there were ferns/grass.

When hunting I bring a 5'x8' ultralight tarp and with pre-rigged lines I can throw a roof shelter with a back wall in about 2 minutes. Great for sitting out a few hours in the rain and being able to glass/hunt without getting sweaty in rain gear. This tarp is a MUST HAVE in my hunting bag: https://bushcraftoutfitters.com/mest-woodland-camo/

I also bring a Goretex jacket and pants if there is rain in the forecast. Make sure you know how to treat Goretex as it gets wetted out if the DWR finish wears out. It has to be clean and retreated from time to time.

 

[Wireman07]

Look into the slumber jack rain gear. I got a top and bottom in sale for $140. I used to have a Kuiu Chugach set, and i think the Slumberjack is almost better and more durable

 

[JWP58]

If you live or hunt in Alaska or the PNW, I would pay top dollar (like arcteryx) . For the occasional afternoon shower, marmot precip has worked for me.

 

[mcseal2]

I think you could get by with the Marmot Precip jacket or something similar. I carry a Precip in my saddle bags when working this time of year for the spring storms that pop up. If you plan to hunt during rain and not sit it out, I'd go with a stouter pant personally. Even after a rain the vegetation is wet for a while and so is anything you sit on. I have the Kuiu Yukon pants and they have worked well. I pretty much pack either a durable rain pant or just pack gaiters and wear a fast drying pant. I don't want to be worrying about tearing up a light rain pant while trying to focus on hunting. I'd maybe try the Chugach or the new Kutana for what you are doing. The Yukon is durable but heavy. In Alaska we had the First Lite SEAK jackets and Kuiu Yukon pants and were happy with both.

Helly Hennsen is cheap and tough, but it is pretty heavy and I sweat quickly if active wearing it. I've worn HH bibs and the Precip jacket before when I'm trying to stay dry and active at the same time. It somewhat works.

 

[MtGomer]

The high end stuff is nicer but I used a $60 Columbia coat for a long time before I got nice stuff and it always kept me dry

 

[Poser]

I buy the higher end hunting shells mostly because I want to support hunting specific brands, but, honestly, in SW CO, my shells get used way more for alpine Bike trips, peak bagging, and snowboarding (general outdoors) when I tend to get caught out in weather more then in hunting season when the weather tends to be more stable. The worst weather I encounter by far in CO is biking in the high country in July and August and that’s mostly because that on a bike, I’m much more willing to push my luck sense I can cover ground so much more quickly and beat storms or push through them and out the other side. That being said, I’ve definitely encountered groups of pinned down cyclists in the high country where I, in my higher end rain gear, appear to be the driest and most comfortable. In the end, goretex is goretex and DWR last as long as it’s gonna last and, at the Nikwax level of retreating, probably not much of an advantage of one brand over the other when talking multi ply, breathable layers.

 

[MTCHIRO]

I run the Sitka Thunderhead jacket and Pant and love them for a multitude of settings but based on where you plan on doing most of your hunting i would invest the money into other systems and get a cheaper set of rain gear. Spend the money on the other layers and be happy with them instead of expensive rain gear that sits in the pack and not used.