The best hunting rain gear?

[Ryan Avery]

What do you guys use for day in and day out shitty weather? Here in North Idaho it's rained the last 9 days straight. So basically from Oct 10 on, you better have an outer shell that can take on brush and hold back water. I've used Kuiu's Yukon jacket, Sitka's ColdFront and the First Lite SEAK. I have a good idea about what works, but I want to hear from you guys.

 

[Randle]

Waiting to hear what worked in this jungle....

 

[5MilesBack]

For heavy brush you'd want something tough for sure, but that also means heavier and hotter while hiking and then sweat build-up which defeats the whole purpose of a rain jacket.

So I have no idea for those conditions. I'm either wet with rain or wet with sweat......take your pick. Three years ago when it rained over 15" in two weeks here in CO during our archery season, I just left the rain gear in camp because I was drenched either way, and more comfortable hunting without the rain gear.

 

[justin davis]

Sitka

 

[rileybassman]

Helly Hanson is great for brush busting...
The not super sexy answer (I grew up in Western WA so have plenty of experience hunting in rain in them) is military gore tex shells from surplus stores... but even they soak through after a while - usually will last around a day of full on rain tho for me. Plain and simple is that you get wet either from the outside or the inside, so bring lots of socks and dry out when you can ;-)

Edit to add, I carry a marmot minimalist now and like it a lot - its tough, but idk about multi day, monsoon tough, haven't tested it that much yet, but I have yet to get wet while in it... I always found hats, gloves, and socks, were the hardest to keep dry - and they "bleed" into other clothing systems and that =s cold. Again, being originally from WA, we accepted getting wet was part of the game, and just wear the best we can, and have a drying off plan and warming up plan ready. Short of full rubber suits, you will get a little wet - but then you are sweating a ton so you get a little wet either way.

 

[E Wa Hunter]

I hunt a lot in the rain forest of western wa and have been pleasantly supersized with the Kuiu Yukon stuff, but would be very interested in the Seak from FL and how well it does if anyone has experianse

E Wa Hunter

 

[Ryan Avery]

Do we have a bunch of fair weather September hunters on here? I thought we would have a bunch more responses. I hunt in a rain jacket more than not.

 

[Elkfitness]

I use a set of Russell apxg rain gear. I bought 3 sets when they were being discontinued and they work great. They are quiet and tough.

 

[danarnold]

Sitka for me, I like to look good when I'm wet.... none of the stuff I've ever used performed that much better than the other

 

[paleraider]

For me it is either a KUIU rain jacket or my Mammut hard shell. The Mammut is amazing, will take an absolute pounding, it is what I use for back country snowboarding, which I am not too good at, so it gets beat up something fierce. I go through more trees in a day at high speeds then most will encounter in a season of hunting. Yet it is in amazing condition, ventilation is top notch, and the head cover is oversized to accommodate helmets so it makes wearing hats and beanies really easy. Only down side is that it is very $$$.

 

[GFY]

Kuiu for me. I've had all three mentioned in the first post and the kuiu has been the most durable for me. I hunt mostly Montana in plenty of rain and snow and brush

 

[Roy68]

Kuiu Chugach (original / first gen). I wear my OR gaiters over the pant to protect the legs from snags. Jacket has held up well too. I also use this rain gear a lot as a hard shell to block the wind when it isn't raining.

I keep a Marmot Precip jacket and a pair of North Face pants full leg zip in the truck as well. I wear out a jacket about every year, the lining fails, but the pants are 3 years old now. Last year we AI'd cattle for 4 days straight in a the rain (8"+) and it kept me realitively dry. I wouldn't hunt in the stuff.

 

[goatboy]

Anyone that hunts in truly wet nasty shit knows Helly Hanson can't be beat.

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[Kotaman]

Ryan...I've owned or own all of those mentioned. Sitka Cold Front is tough to beat IMO.

 

[bcimport]

Helly Hansen Impertech. Sold all my high priced stuff. Waterproof and breathable is a myth, you sweat out way more than it breathes and end up wet anyway. Impertech stretches, is quiet and affordable. One must accept if you're going to hike hard in rain gear you are going to get wet from the inside out. Strip down as much as possible when moving hard then peel the base layer off and put a dry one on before sitting to glass or wait in ambush. The HH will always keep you dry when you need it, everything else has failed me.

 

[jtw]

If Im not expecting heavy long rain I carrying a set of chugach nx. For the real stuff I wear goretex hardshell for arcteryx and a pair of or goretex climbing bibs. I never get wet and they hold up to brush since theyre designed for rubbing again rock and climbing gear. Havent found a hunting brand that compares yet.

 

[JP100]

Have been using a Stoney Creek Glaisnock jacket but it's not as good as it could be. Have the kuiu chugach for the light stuff. Reality is you get wet. I have never seen rain wear that works in the west coast conditions. Did 10 days in Fiordland this year. Rained for 8. Took two rain coats. Stoney creek for walking in and kuiu for about camp. 2 jackets is the way forward for wet climates

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[Brightwhite]

I have Sitka cloudburst and coldfront....the cloudburst is my favorite. I can vent with pit zips and you can layer down to just a synthetic base layer (Sitka core with polygene is my go-to), but the jacket keeps the wind off of me enough if I sweat out and need to stop to glass. The coldfront is a beast...I love it, but only when it's windy as hell and cold. It's too warm for me in the Colorado mountains most of the time. If you have cold, wet, nasty conditions a lot, it may be your ticket. But you have one, so you're in luck!

 

[TheCougar]

FL Boundary Stormtight. No complaints so far and seems heavy duty enough that I am not worried about brush busting.

 

[dreamingbig]

I have and I like the first lite storm tight. It is a good mix of light, breathable and durable. The kuiu Yukon worked but was too heavy and the cuffs disappointed. Sitka downpour works and is the quietest but too heavy if backpack hunting.

Maybe the thing I like most about FL is that it dries very fast if needed.

Sweaters west keeps you dry but man do I sweat in that stuff.


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