What rain gear are you all using?

[Daniel_M]

Kryptek Koldo for 2013, prior to was Kuiu Chugach. Made the switch due to sizing and availability. Anywho it's been great in functionality, not perfect. Earlier this month I was sweatin pretty heavy on a 2+ mile packout through some elevating terrain. Heavy alders, scrub brush, marsh, tussocks and creek crossings and off/on moderate/pouring rain. Not a care in the world - we had a nice toasty tent waiting for us.

Functional and durability, the gear has held up great. Was I wet inside, yes. Down dressing a layer wasn't much of an option, temps were in the 40's and being wet it wasn't a good choice for preventing a chill. I had my camera in the pants thigh pocket and it (and soft sleeve) was soaked when I pulled it out. Staying dry in this case just wasn't happening.

Mid month I wore the pants/jacket almost exclusively at an outer layer on a moose hunt. Mixed weather, 1 particular day we floated a good 10 hours and had rain the entire time. Cut the wind well, has held up against hard, heavy brush. I logged several miles of scouting in 1 area furnished with alders, brush, heavy thich spruce and old burn, no issues there either. Temps averaged mid to low 40's, dropping below freezing at night.

My layers of choice were merino top/bottoms, valhalla pants, Sherpa shirt and koldo, mixing in some puffy gear as needed.

Looking forward to putting it through the rounds much more over the next few weeks.

 

[Kotaman]

This thread made me realize I have ANOTHER problem:

Kuiu Chugach Pants and Jacket, KUIU Yukon Pants and Jacket, Kryptek Koldo Jacket, Kryptek Poisdon Pants, Kryptek Posiden Jacket, Cabelas Space Rain Jacket and Pants, Cabelas MT050 Jacket and Bibs, and for those "Golf" days...Foot Joy Rain Pants and Jacket.

I don't even want to start to review it all, but if someone told me I could only keep ONE setup it would probably be the KUIU Chugach. My favorite rain gear of all-time though was the original Sitka Nimbus. That was fantastic rain gear. IMO better than their current offerings.

 

[armyjoe]

Thats good news.....I have yet to have any rain gear...Koldo included perform "flawlessly". Some are better than others, but still no holy grail as of yet...

Luke- different kind of wet here in CO though Haha. My flawless might be terrible up in the tundra.

 

[justin davis]

KUIU chugach

 

[Snipershirt]

Sitka stormfront and Helly Hansen for coastal hunts.

 

[bowinhand]

Mountain hardware sirocco e-vent

 

[luke moffat]

Luke- different kind of wet here in CO though Haha. My flawless might be terrible up in the tundra.

No the tundra generally isn't the issue is the brush and alders when wet. Don't get me wrong Koldo is right up there with the best of the rain gear I've tried...but still nothing hits a home run. Though I think a lot of rain gear would work just fine in Colorado from what I've been told...never been there though.

 

[Aron Snyder]

No the tundra generally isn't the issue is the brush and alders when wet. Don't get me wrong Koldo is right up there with the best of the rain gear I've tried...but still nothing hits a home run. Though I think a lot of rain gear would work just fine in Colorado from what I've been told...never been there though.

This year was different: )

 

[Nick Muche]

I am headed to POW for two weeks in November and I have my First Lite jacket set aside to wear along with KUIU Chugach bottoms. Can anyone let me know if this will suffice or if I should get something else. I KNOW that both of these pieces will keep me dry under normal conditions, they have in the past, but something tells me that POW may not be considered "normal" LOL.

Also, what part (top or bottom) is more suceptible to being torn?


From what I hear, I will be spending a lot of time in the rain gear, which is fine, just want to make sure what I have set aside will suffice.

 

[Matt W.]

I am headed to POW for two weeks in November and I have my First Lite jacket set aside to wear along with KUIU Chugach bottoms. Can anyone let me know if this will suffice or if I should get something else. I KNOW that both of these pieces will keep me dry under normal conditions, they have in the past, but something tells me that POW may not be considered "normal" LOL.

Also, what part (top or bottom) is more suceptible to being torn?

From what I hear, I will be spending a lot of time in the rain gear, which is fine, just want to make sure what I have set aside will suffice.

I think both will do you well. I've been impressed with the First Lite Jacket I have been testing. I do know that the Chugach Pants are not the most burliest of rain pants. Being from AK I am not sure what POW is (other than Prisoner of War, and if that is the case your rain gear won't work), but if the terrain is "brushy" take some Mcnett's Tenacious Tape by Gear Aid. It will made field repairs pretty easy.

I would assume pants are going to take more abuse than the jacket, but I guess that depends on the hunt and location. ??

 

[justin davis]

This year was different: )

Yea this year the best bet would have been to build a arc! Ha

 

[Brock A]

Yea this year the best bet would have been to build a arc! Ha

Now you guys know what Western WA is like lol

 

[Kotaman]

Nick...You should be good to go. However, for that type of hunt, I would skip the softshell and rain gear and wear KUIU Yukon Jacket and Pants and cover both bases. The latter may require you to spend another $650 though.

 

[Aron Snyder]

I was having flashbacks of panama in the rainy season!

 

[colonel00]

Being from AK I am not sure what POW is

I always thought of it as this...

https://www.google.com/maps/preview...4.5757195!3d39.091919!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1

 

[Matt W.]

I always thought of it as this...

https://www.google.com/maps/preview...4.5757195!3d39.091919!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1

Learn something new every day! I don't get south much.. Keep forgetting AK goes down there... : )

 

[Bushwhacker]

Yep! Last 24 years I just packed a nylon sil poncho in Colorado that was it. Total rain fall this year probably exceeded the amount of the previous 24 years total. I re-ordered the Koldo jacket and pant a size larger than previous order (more layering options) three weeks prior to the elk archery season. I pretty much lived in them for the fourteen days I was out. Kept me dry and I found them bomber. Perhaps the Good Idea Fairy was right after all!

 

[Becca]

I am headed to POW for two weeks in November and I have my First Lite jacket set aside to wear along with KUIU Chugach bottoms. Can anyone let me know if this will suffice or if I should get something else. I KNOW that both of these pieces will keep me dry under normal conditions, they have in the past, but something tells me that POW may not be considered "normal" LOL.

Also, what part (top or bottom) is more suceptible to being torn?


From what I hear, I will be spending a lot of time in the rain gear, which is fine, just want to make sure what I have set aside will suffice.

We have hunted POW (Prince of Wales Island in SE Alaska) in November the last two years. I would say it sounds like you are pretty well set up. We used our Koldo rain jackets and pants last year, and the year before that Luke used his Chugach and I wore my Westcomb jacket and Rab pants. So our regular go to set ups served us fine. Of course it depends on where you go, but in my experience deadfall is a much bigger issue than brush down there, so a good pair of gaitors will keep you from snagging your pants climbing over downed trees as well as keeping snow out of your boots. Make sure your rainwear is roomy enough to accommodate layers underneath, as we encountered snow and some freezing temps both times we went. A 33 degree drizzle is pretty typical.

 

[luke moffat]

Nick, if you have more than one set of rain gear and staying at a lodge or forest service cabin I highly suggest bringing two sets of rain gear an alternate them each day if they get super wet so they each have a day to dry out while you are soaking the other one. I've used both Koldo and Chugach on POW and they both worked well, but I wasn't hunting day after day in the rain either and I was living it up and going back to a warm lodge at night.

 

[AndyB]

Chugach..........and it got a good testing!

A couple of the pockets on my pack turned into new water bladders though,