Rain Gear

[ChrisC]

i'm trying to decide on rain gear and im looking at the the big three: First Lite, Sitka, and Kuiu. I'm sure this has been discussed before but i cant find a complete thread on it, no websites come up with the comparison, and I don't know if the information is up to date with the newest options for each company. here are a few questions, hopefully someone has the answers.

First Lite - hows the vapor stormlight jacketand boundary stormtight pant? worth spending $125 more for the Seak jacket?

Sitka - Dewpoint set worth $100 more than cloudburst?

any other brands to consider?

thanks,
Chris

 

[couesbitten]

I don't think you can really go wrong with any of them, it's kind of a Ford, Chevy, Dodge type of question. My girlfriend and I wear the Kryptek Koldo and love it, well built and stands up to a little brush busting in the wilderness areas of the Pacific Northwest.

 

[Weekender]

Hate to be this guy but technically out of your choices Kuiu's is the best breathability wise. Proven over many years to hold up in the field and retail pricing is the best value. All the gear is generally subjective and most choices sure will make us happier hunters. But I do think Kuiu has a solid hold in this area of hunting gear. Good luck


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[boom]

i have a Chacuch jacket. it is pretty awesome in a driving rain..
my pants are a prototype for military/LEO from patagonia..super awesome, but it is a solid color. very close to foliage. i WISH they came to market under some camo gear company. they rip off like basketball sweat pants..

 

[AK Troutbum]

A couple years ago somebody on this forum did a review on the lightweight, breathable rain gear that's currently on the market. All the manufactures that you listed plus several others were vigorously field tested and compared. Maybe if you do a little more searching around on here you will be able to find it, or maybe someone could chime in that knows where that write up is?


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[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Generally speaking (not brand specific) when you ask is it worth it for the more expensive model it depends on your usage. Generally the more expensive model is a thicker and more robust material which can either be good or bad depending on your usage. If just sitting still in rain they all will keep you dry generally. If thrashing brush in your rain gear then the thinner material ones will shred where as the thicker ones will hold up better. BUT that comes at a weight penalty (in addition to the cost) which has to be balanced against your use (are you a back packer, are you in a rare or regular rain area, etc.).

Personally I have the original storm tight stuff, its fairly quite for rain gear and seems pretty robust w/o being overly thick. Luckily its mainly only ridden in my pack (a good problem), I've had it out in a steady rain for a few hours though and was dry. Its a tad heavier than the lightest options but will accept a bit more wear. I will try to avoid thrashing scrub oak in it though.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

A couple years ago somebody on this forum did a review on the lightweight, breathable rain gear that's currently on the market. All the manufactures that you listed plus several others were vigorously field tested and compared. Maybe if you do a little more searching around on here you will be able to find it, or maybe someone could chime in that knows where that write up is?


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Let it Rain! Light-Weight Rain Jacket Shootout

 

[todd kelly]

have had better luck with gore-tex over toray rain gear. More waterproof and more breathable.

 

[R_burg]

Generally speaking (not brand specific) when you ask is it worth it for the more expensive model it depends on your usage. Generally the more expensive model is a thicker and more robust material which can either be good or bad depending on your usage. If just sitting still in rain they all will keep you dry generally. If thrashing brush in your rain gear then the thinner material ones will shred where as the thicker ones will hold up better. BUT that comes at a weight penalty (in addition to the cost) which has to be balanced against your use (are you a back packer, are you in a rare or regular rain area, etc.).

Personally I have the original storm tight stuff, its fairly quite for rain gear and seems pretty robust w/o being overly thick. Luckily its mainly only ridden in my pack (a good problem), I've had it out in a steady rain for a few hours though and was dry. Its a tad heavier than the lightest options but will accept a bit more wear. I will try to avoid thrashing scrub oak in it though.

Totally agree. I wont switch from my Arcteryx Theta AR with Gore Tex Pro Shell until I have to. It stands up to brush, thorns, etc extremely well. Theres a huge difference in that material and the lighter rain gear some of my buddies have... its night and day. But, like you pointed out... its not cheap.


Its not camo, so I wont stalk and animal in it, but other than that its fantastic.

 

[ChrisC]

Thank you for the link. I live on the East coast and am looking for something to use on future western hunts. don't want to buy one for light weight breathable and one for busting through brush...just one that is a good balance of each, while understanding there will be compromises.

I don't want to buy something cheap and replace it...id rather just buy something quality once.

ultimately I want to know why someone chose one over the other...features, performance, etc. I'm sure they can all get the job done, but getting input from those with experience is more helpful than looking at the spec list on each of their websites. I dont go out west often, so maybe there are features on these clothes that i would find useful that I'm not considering because of lack of experience. alternatively, there may be features they advertise as great but in actuality they are useless.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

"Out west" can vary. If I was still hunting in the PNW I'd want thicker than I use here in CO. As noted I went with the original storm tight stuff as I think it'll handle dragging on some brush and such who being too heavy. The scrub oak here can be a PITA but I try and avoid areas like that usually and also the frequency of our rain is less. In the wet and thorny areas of the PNW I'd go to the thicker models of gear. From there you can narrow down what from which company suits your fancy. As noted don't disregard some of the mountaineering companies either on the bomber end of the spectrum.

 

[Vargasm]

I have Kuiu chugach and love it.

 

[aaron600rr]

Im a fan of Kuius rain gear and love the kryptek Koldo.Just got the Firstlite seak stormtight (seems rather thin to hold up to brush imo)

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[couesbitten]

I agree with aaron, had the FL Stormtight and really liked it, comfortable and lightweight, but my fear was the durability, which is what led me to Kryptek.

 

[halg]

I have the Cloudburst, love it. Dewpoint is nice, but unless you are a dedicated ounce counter I wouldn't pay the extra.

 

[jmez]

I have the Kryptek Koldo, a Kuiu Chugach jacket and Kuiu Teton pants.

My rain gear has evolved over the years. First off, I hate being wet.

I bought the Kryptek shortly after it came out. They had it in stock at Cabelas and I could actually get my hands on it and try it on. I wanted good, bombproof, rain gear because I hate being wet. Very well made, you won't get wet and you won't tear it up. Downside is that it is fairly heavy and it doesn't pack down well. The first year I hunted Co, it rained and or snowed pretty much the entire trip. I stayed dry and the fabric doesn't hold water. It is very hot and not breathable. Unless you are just sitting in a rainstorm you are going to be sweating. By the end of the trip I wasn't even putting the pants on unless it was really raining as I would just be soaked from sweat if I had to hike in them.

Used this set for several years but after the first trip I just left the pants at home and bought some gaiters. Weight, bulk and being hot just wasn't worth packing them. I didn't mind the jacket being a little heavier as I also use my rain jacket as my outer layer when it gets cold and windy. Still had a lot of bulk and didn't pack well but I took it.

Decided to try the Chugach as it was lighter and much more packable but still more robust than the U/L stuff. It has been a good compromise. It is heavy enough to still use as my outer layer but much lighter, packs better and not as hot as the Koldo. No where near as durable as the Koldo but I haven't had any issues with it. It is much more durable than the Teton stuff so about what I want.

Went for a few years taking no rain pants. Had another year that was pretty wet and wished I'd had them. Not only for when it was raining but walking through tall stuff soaking my pants then wicking down under my gaiters. Pants get pretty sporadic use so I went with the Teton based on price and use. They are extremely light and pack down to nothing and are perfect for my use. If I were going to be wearing them/using them at all other than sporadically I wouldn't think they would hold up very long or very well.

 

[BroodBuster]

I love my Cloudburst and it has seen some very hard use over the last five years, mostly in the coastal rainforest.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

I wear the Original Kuiu Chugach Rain Gear. I bought it #1 for price. I ended up getting some great deals on here for a full set. I picked the chugach series because it fits my needs here in CO. It's not super light, like Cabela's space rain, so that it'll rip if I do some brush busting. I'm scared that the dewpoint and Teton will do the same. It is also not super heavy, because I don't feel like I need heavy brush busting pants (Yukon series). If I hunted moose in Alaska, then they might be the rain gear for me. The Chugach jacket has hand pockets, which I wanted, as well as pit zips and a full length zipper on the pants. Relatively easy on and off while hunting. The hand pockets are a little higher than normal so your elbows create an angle that allows the rain to drip off your elbow and onto the ground, instead of in your hand pockets. I also like how the hood has a draw string which cinches tight to my head in the case of strong wind. They are light enough that I carry them in my pack at all times, but don't weight so much that they take up a bunch of room. I can walk in them in the summer with a t shirt and light pants so that I don't overheat too much (use of the pit zips). If I had the Yukons, I surely would. I hunt and scout in some very steep terrain so not getting too overheated is key for keeping me comfortable on the mountain. They preform much better than my old heter's rain gear did. Those I would get over heated all the time. They are much heavier and don't have pit zips, leg zips, and they had a liner that provided some insulation. The Chugach works for my set up and for my style of hunting (backpack/spot and stalk). I did not reference first lite as I have never owned/used any of their rain gear.

 

[Squirrels]

Not to steal the thread but I'm in search of an outer layer and rain jacket. Was hoping to get something that would do both if possible. Will the chugach no do that, or maybe the cloudburst? If I have to get an outer and rain jacket I was thinking Sitka mountain jacket with wind stopper and then a rain jacket from kuiu or Sitka. What's the difference in the cloudburst and dew point? That's several questions I know just looking for advice as I am unable to get my hands on any of this stuff.


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[doverpack12]

If you can try on the sitka and first lite and find a friend or member to let you try on the Kuiu jackets. They all fit differently so I would find the one that fits you and your layering system the best and see if you can find a deal or used one before buying new. They all work and work very well. I have two of them listed and they fit similar but the other I have tried on many times and every time I do I walk away shaking my head wondering how the fit can be so bad.