Rain pant experiment

[Akscudrunner]

I've got a well used pair of kuiu Kutana rain pants I'm thinking to experiment with. The idea is to coat the entire thing with a pvc product like what is on the ankle cuff.

Since day one (and all my subsequent attempts at nikwax dwr treatments) my kuiu kutana pants/jacket have always soaked into the fabric. At their best they lasted 10min in light mist before I see the droplets stop beading off and start absorbing into the fabric. I've since given up on constantly dwr treating them since I wear them so much, and just use them as windbreakers/dry snow outer layers.

Not a knock on kuiu, I love their gear but breathable rain gear in general has never worked for me. I don't like going in the woods worrying about a little bit of dirt causing a fragile dwr layer to fail and spending more time in the laundry room than staying dry. Not to mention the soak fest that comes with even a day in Alaska cruising through wet brush, mud and slushy snow in any breathable rain gear.

For real wet I usually just throw the rubber stuff on (I have had good luck with grundens Neptune series and helly Hansen's impertech) and will continue to use their jacket however the pants don't have full length zips that I like in the kutana, and I'd like the first 6-8" or so on the inside of the pant leg to be rubberized to prevent water creeping up the leg from underneath and eventually getting wetness above gaiters or rubber boots. The kutana material also seems to be thinner which I am hoping will retain less water in the fabric on the inside from sweat, and dry out easier in the field than my current grundens.

So if anyone knows of a rubberized product similar to what kuiu uses on the cuff/ on the knees in the yukon model I think I could turn it into the rain pant I'm looking for. Or any other off the wall ideas! It's an experiment with an old pair so I'm not scared of ruining them.

 

[Benjblt]

Did you ever try this?

Sent from my SM-F711U using Tapatalk

 

[Grassymike]

Try a spray can of the clear gutter coating product. I found this at home depot. I intended to use it on a rifle stock as a rubber/grip layer. Bet it would work for what you want.

 

[Chris in TN]

What temps are you hunting in?

I ask because rain usually means temps above 32-35 and in that 35-50 range.....based on advice I got here last year, which aligned with my past experiences, last year my daughter and I wore rainsuits on cool rainy days of scouting, but after an hour or so of movement we were soaked, but it wasn't that bad because we kept moving until we were back at the car. On an overnight trip everything would change, but the thing is, if you make a clothing system that keeps rain out, it's going to keep sweat in, and in an hour you'll be wet either way.

Now after that......perhaps a can of Flex Seal from Walmart is what you need. I got a can last week for maybe $15. It's available in clear and black and white, IIRC.

 

[Grassymike]

What temps are you hunting in?

I ask because rain usually means temps above 32-35 and in that 35-50 range.....based on advice I got here last year, which aligned with my past experiences, last year my daughter and I wore rainsuits on cool rainy days of scouting, but after an hour or so of movement we were soaked, but it wasn't that bad because we kept moving until we were back at the car. On an overnight trip everything would change, but the thing is, if you make a clothing system that keeps rain out, it's going to keep sweat in, and in an hour you'll be wet either way.

Now after that......perhaps a can of Flex Seal from Walmart is what you need. I got a can last week for maybe $15. It's available in clear and black and white, IIRC.

Flex seal is the stuff that I bought.