Rain pants. Worth bringing?

[bradr3367]

Does everyone bring rain pants during Sept archery elk, or do you just bring a rain jacket. As a first timer, it seems that just a jacket would be sufficient as we don't plan on hunting when it's raining. Figured we'd pop up a tarp quick and let it pass instead of gearing up with rain pants/jacket. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[rm06]

A jacket is sufficient until you need pants. I hunt CO and we generally don't get a lot of rain and if we do it is for short periods. That said, I always bring mine. I've used them often having to cross hundreds of yards of dew-soaked mahogany that would otherwise have left me dripping and freezing my yarbles off.

 

[Poser]

I always bring mine into the high country on anything that’s more than a day trip. Seldom use them, but when you need them, you need them and you can get some hefty cold fronts with rain, sleet etc in Sept where the cold and moisture sits on top of you for 24+ hours.

 

[Sled]

like mentioned above, it's not always the rain but tall wet grass or bushes that have me putting on rain pants. i don't bring them on day hunts where the forecast is looking good. if i'm wearing gaiters then the pants are at least in the pack.

 

[wapitibob]

I don't own any, decent hunting pants will dry in minutes.

 

[Wrench]

Mine are a standard item in my pack.

 

[Muttly]

Location specific.
Living in Anchorage, never bothered or needed em. Get the occasional quick shower, usually dry out fast. Moved to SE Alaska, blue sky day trips, leave em, if it,s raining here much, they go.

 

[Gumbo]

MIne are always there but seldom used. Better to pack a few extra ounces and not need them than be soaking wet and potentially hypothermic.

 

[Eddy1994]

ALWAYS keep mine with when weather is iffy.... or i think it could get bad. Rather have them and not need them, than need them and not have em.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Interesting topic. I have been playing with some weight cutting ideas and rain pants are an item that often falls in the maybe category for my packing list. However, I have had some bad experiences hiking and hunting over the years, including having a pair of kuiu alpine pants wet out on me during a drizzling / freezing rain / snowy deer hunt that had me a bit hypothermic. So, I like having a rain jacket with me and carry rain pants if I am expecting bad weather but they get left behind if sky’s look clear. I have a pair of kuiu rain pants and picked up a set of cloudburst pants last year. Both are great and one of them will be in my pack if I am expecting or likely to see a decent amount of rain or snow, but at over a pound, they are a heavy piece of “what if” gear.

For the upcoming season when rain isn’t anticipated, I am thinking about a only soft shell or lighter jacket (Sitka flash) as my primary “what if” rain top backed up by a poncho (six moon gatewood cape) if things get nasty and that also doubles as a glassing tarp and emergency shelter.

Which brings up the concept of how to protect your legs?

It might seem a bit silly but I ordered a pair of rain chaps and a rain kilt from Mountain Laurel designs. At about $40 and 2oz each, I can still cover up my lower half in the event of major rain, but save close to a pound. They are sinylin so I don’t expect they would hold up to a bunch of bush whacking and I doubt they are ninja quiet. However, paired with a decent set of pants like my zions or attacks, I think they will shed a rain shower and wet brush while I keep hunting. I am going to try them backpacking this summer and see how they perform.

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[Salmonchaser]

So back in the early 70s I learned a lesson. Our Boy Scout troop was hiking in August in the three sisters wilderness in Oregon. Hot and dry, no fires allowed, then one night it snowed. Three kids from the Outward bound program in the same area died of hypothermia, no rain gear. Weather forecasting is so much more accurate then it use to be, but I wouldn’t go into the mountains without rain gear.

 

[positivepete!]

I feel there are two categories of raingear. First is the kind that is heavyweight and on the louder side. These are the kind made of gortex that you can put on in a downpour and walk all day through willow and scrub and not have an issue with water at all. This stuff seems to weigh a lot and take up a bunch of room in your pack. The second is the packable stuff that is super lightweight and packs down to the size of a baseball-ish. This stuff needs to be taken care of really well and not worn through brush or anything that could create a hole. Now to answer your question, yes I carry raingear uppers and bottoms all the time, it's the light packable stuff from cabelas if for nothing else as a wind stopper layer over a puffy for glassing. The only time I use the heavyweight stuff is if I know I will be busting brush and willows fishing for brookies or trying to find moose to take pictures of.

 

[PonoHunt]

Use your rain paints as your heavy layer for the mornings against the cold while glassing and wind.