Rain gear

[strattonje2020]

In your guys opinions.
Hands down best rain gear set for backpack hunting.

thinking about getting an Arc’teryx setup.

 

[Dhicklin]

I’ve been eyeballing the Kutana set from kuiu because I’m tired of ripping the cheap ones! But the cost of the kuiu ones is ridiculous.

 

[JNDEER]

Kuiu. No Alaska or WA rain experience but I use it all winter long chasing pigs in the rain in CA.
If you want to hunt in the rain- kuiu.
If you want to shelter and stay dry until the rain passes- any packable rain gear should work.

 

[MAGABOWHNTER]

I have the the swazi tahr xp and really love it.

 

[WCS]

Best rain gear I've owned has been from Simms. Still have an old g3 jacket that weathers storms like a champ. I've had both kuiu and sitka rain gear fail me while guiding. They both had good warranties, but doesn't help when you're on week 2 of a 3 month guide season. I've been toying with the idea of picking up some Arcteryx rain gear to try.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Best rain gear I've owned has been from Simms. Still have an old g3 jacket that weathers storms like a champ. I've had both kuiu and sitka rain gear fail me while guiding. They both had good warranties, but doesn't help when you're on week 2 of a 3 month guide season. I've been toying with the idea of picking up some Arcteryx rain gear to try.

Just curious, if you're have great luck with Simms and it's keeping you dry, why would you want to try something else?

 

[WCS]

Just curious, if you're have great luck with Simms and it's keeping you dry, why would you want to try something else?

I guess because I can never leave well enough alone. Also all my Simms gore tex smells like fish, copenhagen, exhaust, and fuel.

 

[strattonje2020]

I'm curious to see how stone glacier apparel fairs. I think its promising but being since its still first Generation so time will tell.

 

[JNDEER]

Best rain gear I've owned has been from Simms. Still have an old g3 jacket that weathers storms like a champ. I've had both kuiu and sitka rain gear fail me while guiding. They both had good warranties, but doesn't help when you're on week 2 of a 3 month guide season. I've been toying with the idea of picking up some Arcteryx rain gear to try.

could you talk more about the kuiu failure?

Anything those of us who use it could remedy the same kind of failure you had?

sounds like your old jacket was not cleaned often- was that the reason for the kuiu failure?

 

[rmr2k14]

Hard to beat kuiu chugach for backpack hunts.

 

[WCS]

could you talk more about the kuiu failure?

Anything those of us who use it could remedy the same kind of failure you had?

sounds like your old jacket was not cleaned often- was that the reason for the kuiu failure?

My Kuiu Yukon rain gear was great for the first 2 years that I owned it, it weathered some incredibly nasty storms and kept me warm and dry. It was cleaned using Nikwax techwash at the end of each guide season and stored hanging up. I'm actually very meticulous with my gear, my Simms gore tex just has a lot of various smells due to its age. At the beginning of guide season #3 my Yukon suit began to leak through the seat and thighs of the pants, and the seams of the shoulders on the jacket. Not sure there would be anything that anyone could have done to prevent what happened with my rain gear. One of the guys I guide with bought a set of Kuiu Yukon rain gear the same year I bought mine and his is still going strong. I've also had a pair of Sitka stormfront pants that I had to warranty because the seat of the pants leaked within the first 2 weeks of using them.

 

[grappling_hook]

In.

Just looking at the Simms site, it looks like their ProDry Fishing Jacket uses Gore-Tex Pro, same stuff as the Arc'teryx Beta AR (wonder if it's less noisy...).

 

[JNDEER]

WCS- thanks for the reply post. That makes total sense to me- nothing is a for sure thing.

 

[mlgc20]

My Kuiu Yukon rain gear has been bullet proof. I do have Arc Teryx that I use when just backpacking, because of its lower weight. The Arc Teryx stuff is fantastic. Just too loud for hunting IMO.

 

[Jimss]

I've used and abuse my Sitka raingear for years. Super light, breathes well, and has taken lots of punishment. For the price it's tough to beat $50 Marmot Precip. I use them all the time when I want breathable non-camo raingear in Alaska and elsewhere. If on a boat in downpours I grab Helly Henson with pitzips. Pitzips are a necessity if you don't want to get wet from the inside out! I've also used HH pants for hiking through dense devils club thickets! If you've hiked through devil's club you know exactly what I'm talking about!

 

[LJ Buck]

The best set hands down is the Kryptek Takur set, it performs the best because of the textiles Kryptek uses for the Altitude line. The lightest set would be the Dewpoint from Sitka which is being redesigned in the next year or so but for 95% of mountain hunting in the west is more then sufficient.

 

[KMW]

Anybody running the FL vapor jacket and boundary pant?

 

[805Bowhunter]

Anyone use the Sitka Thunderhead pants specifically? I have used the Yukon rain jacket for a year and been happy but was thinking of trying the sitka thunderhead pants. Curious of any opinions/experiences

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I have the kuiu yukon set, stone glacier jacket and the kuiu kutana pants, all of them work well. I had 2 sets of the Yukon but sold one to get a lighter set just for sheep and goat hunts, I started with the stone glacier m5 set, the jacket is really really nice but the pants didn’t fit well so I returned them and got the kuiu kutana.

when I’m moose hunting, im generally wearing my Simms waders so those are my twin pants and any rain jacket will do really.

the kuiu Yukon is good stuff but for backpacking specific rain gear I might look at the chugach or kutana or the stone glacier stuff.

I have no experience with Sitka but know lots of guys who use it and love it, I’d have no problem buying Sitka sight unseen.

 

[Grizzly83]

I’ve had a core4element torrent rain set for about 6 years and last season I took it on a northern Canada moose hunt where it rained and I was on water constantly. Took it all like a champ and didn’t really wet out. The DWR still beads up water, but at some point all DWR fails. I think that brushed tricot face will eventually give up and soak up the water. But it keeps the clothes quiet.

No soft face and it’s probably too loud for close quarters active hunting. Long range rifle hunting, I think most anything would be fine if it keeps you dry. When my cheap stuff fails I don’t know why I’ll do. I know a bunch of guys that have Kuiu and Sitka rain gear. Yukon and cloudburst seem comparable. But I’m not entirely sure I can justify that kind of $$ on rain gear if I’m not going to consistently be hunting in the rain. The last couple seasons I spiked out with nothing but a hooded PVC poncho and it’s served me well.