I hunt the high country of western WA in October, that is probably one of wettest places to hunt outside of SE Alaska. I can't think of a day in recent years where I wasn't wearing rain gear all day, whether from wet brush, snow falling from trees of just plain old rain. No breathable rain gear is perfect, the combination of wet brush or high winds with heavy rain will eventually wet out even the best rain gear. I have run 3 pairs of the kuiu chugach and it has worked well, however for the absolute wettest, nastiest conditions the Tarkur has been my go-to and the 'most waterproof' of all the breathable rain gear I've tried. I have a relatively new set (only worn on the worst days) so I can't speak to how it will perform after a few seasons of hard use. The Tarkur has kept me dry underneath in all day rain, with frequent tall brush, it also kept me totally dry when I hiked an exposed ridgetop in 50 mph winds for 4 hrs while it was raining .5" per hour (serious downpour). It has only wetted through pretty minor after a few days of use where it got dirty. If you get breathable rain gear dirty, it will wet out quickly no matter the brand. I have found frequent washing and dwr treatments to be the key to maintaining a 'waterproof' piece of gear. When my rain gear wets out right after a wash and dwr treatment, then I know it's time to be retired.
