Rain gear in spike camp

lyingflatlander

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Sep 25, 2017
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Like a number of you, I found the weather hot and dry the first couple weeks of season. I carry a light set of raingear in my pack in case it does rain however it is not durable (Kuiu Teton series). While spiked out 5 miles back we had a brief rainstorm one evening. The next morning with everything wet I chose to stay in camp until the sun dried things out a bit. What do most of you do, do you pack better quality rain gear when you spike hunt? Do you bring a second set of dry clothes after drowning the first set? It sucks to be wet and cold but with limited time, I want to wring out my inner “Sally” and get after it. What’s a better system or plan to get it done? I wear Kutanya pants (awesome pants) and gators.
 

fngTony

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Big fan of the kuiu peloton 97 fleece. For rain gear I used BD storm line that is very similar to your teton. It’s never caused moisture buildup under the jacket (same membrane as the teton) but it does have pit zips which helps a ton.
 
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lyingflatlander

lyingflatlander

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Thanks Tony, the silence on this thread tells me I’m missing something in plane sight. I’m looking at upgrading rain gear from the Teton to the Kutanya series rain gear. Good reviews light weight (but slightly heavier then the Tetons) and love the standard pant. I punched holes in all my shirts this year and attack pants last year. But not the Kutanya’s.
 
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I have the Skre nebo jacket and the newer Kuiu chugach rain pants. Both are excellent but the Kuiu is super light and packable. Very impressive specs on the new Chugach as @fngTony mentioned above. We had lows in the 34-36 range at night and it rained in the evening so I wanted good rain gear. From now on I will carry a jacket and pants for rain gear. Skre had some rain gear in their outlet awhile back as well. Lastly I bring a light and heavy base layer so if one gets wet can swap.
 

JayTx

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Sep 24, 2018
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Second week in the mountains in Northern Co. It's rained 6 or 7 days here all day where I've been. I have sitka storm front pants and dew point jacket. Before the trip I didn't want to pack them in because of the weight but glad I did especially as much abuse as they've seen on this trip.
 
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I think it was 2015 and I spent the last three mornings of my hunt in my little 2 person tent just trying to get by. My solution was a bigger tent and a wood stove.
 
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lyingflatlander

lyingflatlander

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I think it was 2015 and I spent the last three mornings of my hunt in my little 2 person tent just trying to get by. My solution was a bigger tent and a wood stove.
Thankfully in our modern era a person can find cell reception somewhere. I diligently watch the weather in spike camp. In my case the rain was the kind of random downpour that really is difficult to predict and wasn’t. With good rain gear I would just leave the spike camp and head back to the truck after a 24 hour soak. Slipping and sliding on all the beetle killed timber. 😉 Thanks for the input, I’ll add it to the potential upgrade list.

“Every adventure invites more questions “.
 

drra

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Aug 7, 2022
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I use a Sitka Kodiak rainjacket that comes down way past the waste - I don't bring rain pants (second pair of pants if I get too wet to wear the next day). Use it as my "jacket" if its too cold to go with a hoodie. I use it a lot even when it isn't raining since when you sit down your but isn't on the ground its on your jacket. Its an older model so they are being clearanced - not nearly as expensive as the current models.
 
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Even if you have nice rain gear, the DWR can wear off pretty quick. Its a good habit to hand wash your rain gear then hit it with some water repellent like Nikwax before you go out hunting. That will make the water bead off your gear and not wet out which can happen with even top of the line rain gear. Also make sure to get a good pack cover. It makes a huge difference in keeping your items dry.
 

Kleos

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Nov 28, 2021
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I would suggest posting your rain gear question in the clothing thread for more responses.

I am a fan of the Sitka Dew Point. If I can remain in one spot for a time then use a tarp.

Rain gear is only so effective and you can still end up wet from either sweating or the rain finding a way inside no matter how great the gear.

Notes for next time is wearing clothing that dries quickly. All the gear I use I can be soaking wet and if I get hiking around my body will dry the clothing. Look at layering systems.
 
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