Rain Pants: How often do you use them?

[Wright406]

Granted this is a vague question but I'm trying to decide whether or not rain pants are really necessary where I hunt and live. I live in MT, hunt all year from coyote, bear, elk, deer, you name it. I hunt every season and yet out of all the count less miles of hiking with my $600 set of rain gear I've maybe only used the pants a total of 2 times and probably only "needed" them one out of the two. I'm curious to see what the general opinion is from you Roksliders. Now I know PNW and Alaska are givens to have and need it, I'm more or less speaking to MT, CO, ID, etc. Let me hear your thoughts!

 

[Elk2008]

I live in MT also and have the same experience. I carry a nice pair of Sitka rain pants but can only think of using them a few times ever.

 

[renagde]

I carry the Sitka Dewpoint set. I've been told so often to leave them at the truck and to watch weather reports. I always carry mine though. I've only pulled them out about twice for rain but they do come in handy when sitting on a windy ridge to cut the wind. For a ~10oz weight penalty, I find it worth it.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

West side of Wa. I use rain gear 90 Perc. of the time

 

[MallardSX2]

I have cabelas packable. I use tops and bottoms all the time. If I am on stand and get a bit chilly from the wind I put them on and I am nice and toasty in about 5 minutes.

I should note that I am not "adult enough" to own a very exppensive pair of rain gear. I could find a barbed wire fence on the north pole and shred the things within 5 minutes.

 

[xcutter]

I always carry the jacket and pant. Only put the pants on a couple times. Don't know why I pack them. Just OCD I guess.

 

[Kevin Dill]

To me they're called insurance. May only need them on rare occasions, but if well cared for they can be sold easily at a later time.

 

[Tanya Avery]

In northern Idaho, almost every hunt, lol. Rain gear is ALWAYS in the pack, even if there isn’t a call for rain.

 

[5MilesBack]

$600???? Holy moly. I have some $35 Walls 10x rain pants (same for my jacket too) that I've used once in CO during archery season, and that was only because we had a ridiculous amount of undergrowth that wet year and it rained a lot during the season as well. So I wore it just because of the residual water on all the growth. Most years there is no undergrowth or it's shorter than the tops of my gaiters. I've used the jacket a few more times than that though.

 

[Diesel]

I hunted archery elk around Avery Idaho and the dew alone on the undergrowth had me wishing for rainwear I did not have.

But yeah, I never use it and suffer through. I thought that was just hunting.

 

[ZDR]

I carry a pair, but rarely use them-only in a heavy downpour. But if I was unable to get back to camp etc, I consider them to be essential kit.

 

[Mark86]

personally, never. I bought a nice set of rain gear 5-6 years ago and it pretty much was just stuff that took up space in my pack. Took them on every hunt just hoping for a downpour so I could use them haha ended up selling the set. Good gators and boots with water resistant jacket/pants are good for me. But I think depending on where you live and hunt will really determine if its a piece of gear you really need

 

[thinhorn_AK]

All the time but I live in south western AK, I get rained on all the damn time.

 

[Wright406]

Alaska is the exception, it would be mandatory for me if I ever go.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Alaska is the exception, it would be mandatory for me if I ever go.

min August and September when I’m chasing moose, if I’m not in rain pants, I’m in waders.

 

[Fred@Exterra]

North Idaho and Western Oregon... you about don’t need anything except rain gear (some years). Other places you never need them. I don’t mind getting wet, but I don’t like getting wet a knowing you won’t get dry for ten days.


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[AK Troutbum]

The last couple years that's pretty much all I've been taking/wearing for my mountain hunts. In an effort to reduce pack wt. I only carry one pair of pants, and that's the ones I'm wearing, so now it's just rain pants for me. I totally hear what you're saying regarding always packing them around and rarely using them, and I think that if I were in your situation, I'd just get the absolute lightest pair I could find, and keep them in my pack for those rare occasions.

 

[Trial153]

A great pair of light weight packable rain paints were the filson ultra light rain pants. They have no side zips at all ..alittle pain to put on compared to full side zips...that said they go on easy enough. They were made in Canada...i bought three pairs because i like them so much. I ended up selling one paif because i cant kill the pair i am using....i still have one new in the package...because, well...i have issues.

 

[lkwoolsey]

Granted this is a vague question but I'm trying to decide whether or not rain pants are really necessary where I hunt and live. I live in MT, hunt all year from coyote, bear, elk, deer, you name it. I hunt every season and yet out of all the count less miles of hiking with my $600 set of rain gear I've maybe only used the pants a total of 2 times and probably only "needed" them one out of the two. I'm curious to see what the general opinion is from you Roksliders. Now I know PNW and Alaska are givens to have and need it, I'm more or less speaking to MT, CO, ID, etc. Let me hear your thoughts!

Used to live and hunt in WA, pretty much planned on hunting in rain gear, and had a full set of Kuiu Yukon. When I lived in Colorado, I didn't even carry them if the weather didn't show a decent chance of rain. If I was still living in Colorado (or if it happened to be MT, ID, etc) I'd get a super lightweight pair that didn't cost much at all, think Outdoor Research (I ahve a pro deal with them) since some of their stuff only weighs a few ounces, and it packs down tiny. Just my .2

 

[Desk Jockey]

IMO rain pants fall into two flavors

The first is the heavier built and full featured kind I wear when I know I am going to be hunting in wet or rain. They may be over another pair of pants or worn over a base layer as my only pants. I have some three layer goretex and some Sitka cloudburst pants that play this role.

The second kind is the “just in case kind”. I have a pair of packable Patagonia pants and a set of kuiu chugashes I think that play this role. They honestly spend most of their life in a pack and don’t get used. If they get used it is a likely because I am drying my actual pants as it is because of rain. They are great insurance but rarely used.