Rain gear, Raingear, why is this so difficult?

[rjthehunter]

First lite has a heavier Omen jacket & pants for a guaranteed wet hunt like POW or any coastal AK hunt.

They also have the stormlight Ultralight jacket and comparable pants for a light weight set for hunts that you're not expecting to be wet all the time.

 

[Shangobango]

Absolutely for your #1 and to some extent your #2, I use a very fast drying, very breathable wind shirt. Many 4-10oz options that cover a huge array of temp and light precip conditions. In mixed conditions, fast drying is worth a lot.

Directly speaking to your #2, something like the OR Helium is decent and cheap. I consider somehting in this niche semi disposable. If you want to get into the mid price range, Patagonia Storm10 and OR Foray are decent examples.

For most people, I think a very light windshirt with a decent DWR and a 15-17 oz. very reliable, fairly durable shell is a great option-set that is very functional for 99% of conditions. I used to not really care much about pit zips; on a jacket like this I think they're extremely valuable. The tougher face fabrics do a number on breathabilty, regardless of membrane tech.

Many opinions out there, YMMV. Anyone who says there is a single best solution is lying.

What type of wind shirt are you using? I see one from Enlightened Equipment that looks slick. Comes in 3 different Denier Nylon. Looking at the 20D. Might be a little shiny for hunting though depending on the color.

I think I have settled on either the SG M5, KUIU Chugach, or KUIU Yukon for my next set of rain gear. Currently leaning toward the Chugach. The Yukon sure looks nice but I am concerned about it's packability.

The Scent Lok rain suit I have works well enough to satisfy #3, especially after studying up on the other softshell rain gear options out there. I just don't see where I am going to get a significant improvement in breathability or packability in other silent soft shell rain gear over what I already have.

Also, thus far, between the months of September and December while hunting in colorado I can’t think of a less used item in my hunting backpack than the rain jacket

Rain gear is very location dependent

honestly the mountain west is usually just on fire in September

Yup, I think if I lived in the mountain west this would be an easier issue to address. Most of my hunting days every season are spent in Louisiana and Arkansas. The way my work schedule has been I really can't afford to sit it out due to the rain, within reason of course. If it is raining buckets for a couple of days non-stop, which it does here pretty often during deer season, the deer here are usually laying down except for a few minutes here and there.

 

[Irrelevant]

I have an older Kuiu ultra light set (they don't make anything like it anymore). They started off as a great #1 & #2. Now they're more of a wind set. I went down the Arcteryx route for a while but just couldn't convince myself to spend the money. So I just kept watching sierra.com until I found a gore-tex jacket for under 100. Will probably keep rocking the old kuiu pants for a while longer.

I can get away with that because I really don't hunt in the rain. I mean it sucks.

 

[NAHMINT]

I have not found a light weight set that does not leak in a NM monsoon.
Have had a cabellas gore tex set I got as a Ranger 25 years ago and it keeps me pretty dry still. Needs new suspenders and spray down after a wash.
My Gander Mtn waterfowl parka is 30+years old and still bombproof. Noisy as hell.
I gave away my HH set when I moved from the coast. It always made me sweat, even driving a tractor in the rain. Sounded like train hiking in BC,and I was soaked from sweat.

H/H is what I wore on the fish boats......it IS waterproof and YES, you get soaked in it from sweat!!!

 

[Deleted member 16014]

What type of wind shirt are you using? I see one from Enlightened Equipment that looks slick. Comes in 3 different Denier Nylon. Looking at the 20D. Might be a little shiny for hunting though depending on the color.

I think I have settled on either the SG M5, KUIU Chugach, or KUIU Yukon for my next set of rain gear. Currently leaning toward the Chugach. The Yukon sure looks nice but I am concerned about it's packability.

The Scent Lok rain suit I have works well enough to satisfy #3, especially after studying up on the other softshell rain gear options out there. I just don't see where I am going to get a significant improvement in breathability or packability in other silent soft shell rain gear over what I already have.



Yup, I think if I lived in the mountain west this would be an easier issue to address. Most of my hunting days every season are spent in Louisiana and Arkansas. The way my work schedule has been I really can't afford to sit it out due to the rain, within reason of course. If it is raining buckets for a couple of days non-stop, which it does here pretty often during deer season, the deer here are usually laying down except for a few minutes here and there.

I’ll explain why when I have a few more minutes, but one of my favorites is the Mountain Equipment Aerofoil.

 

[Bambistew]

I've found that the best thing to look for in rain gear, is not being a little bitch. You will get wet in the rain. Embrace it and move on. It all sucks. The end.

 

[Shangobango]

Lol. I am fine with getting wet. Being soaked to the bone and hypothermic, not so much.

 

[belshawelk]

Not difficult.

Kuiu chugach.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I've found that the best thing to look for in rain gear, is not being a little bitch. You will get wet in the rain. Embrace it and move on. It all sucks. The end.

Ultimately not the most successful marketing campaign.

 

[SAJ-99]

I think I'm with most of the other responses. There is no single greatest solution. The gear I would take to fishing in Alaska or hunting Roosevelts on the coast would be different than hunting elk in MT or WY. And if it is raining hard, I typically just sit. I have a pair (tops and bottoms) of Cabelas rain gear I bought 10 years ago and it works well (shockingly), but I rarely use it. I can go with a higher-end "rain resistant" coat and it can handle most light showers. It will get wet, but keep me dry. You just have to determine if it will be dry by morning. My only other notable comment would be if you buy things designed for heavier rain, I have found "Breathability" is a crock of BS. You might as well poke two holes in a plastic trash bag.

 

[jt13]

I have the Sitka Thunderhead rain gear and my wife has the Sitka Downpour. They are exactly the same except the camo patterns they come in and the Downpour has a harness hole in the back. We have had them for about 5 years now. This includes a few days of all-day rain dumps while hunting tree stands and/or bear baits as well as tropical storm conditions for a week in NFL. Light enough to move around in, heavy enough to actually be waterproof. Brushed face makes it quiet enough to bow hunt whitetails. It's not ultralight and packable, but checks all the other boxes for us.

 

[Irrelevant]

Lol. I am fine with getting wet. Being soaked to the bone and hypothermic, not so much.

As my former boss at the FS would say, if you hike hard enough, you'll never have to worry about hypothermia

 

[TOGIE]

Yup, I think if I lived in the mountain west this would be an easier issue to address. Most of my hunting days every season are spent in Louisiana and Arkansas. The way my work schedule has been I really can't afford to sit it out due to the rain, within reason of course. If it is raining buckets for a couple of days non-stop, which it does here pretty often during deer season, the deer here are usually laying down except for a few minutes here and there.

yeah iguess there are benefits to living in the smokey hell hole we call the intermountain west in this regard.

i also kinda assumed you were talking about primarily hunting out west with the backpacking notes in your op. not that you can't backpack in LA i guess... my bad there.

i would personally just never recommend someone spend the time and especially the money buying multiple sets of rain gear for hunting the intermountain west. that money is better spent on tags and other gear items than for something that in reality half the time never comes out of the pack, occasionally gets used in a 10 minute mountain thunderstorm, mostly gets used as a windbreaker, and very occasionally gets used for a legit rain storm.

 

[Shangobango]

Not difficult.

Kuiu chugach.

That is where I have settled.

 

[LuketheDog]

That is where I have settled.

I've had a set of Kuiu Chugach for 6-7 years that has performed very well, I would say it covers your #1-3 requirements fairly well. I picked up a set of the First Lite Omen rain gear before going to Alaska last year, that was a very good purchase. I will use the FL stuff in the 2nd/3rd rifle seasons in CO.

 

[Shangobango]

I've had a set of Kuiu Chugach for 6-7 years that has performed very well, I would say it covers your #1-3 requirements fairly well. I picked up a set of the First Lite Omen rain gear before going to Alaska last year, that was a very good purchase. I will use the FL stuff in the 2nd/3rd rifle seasons in CO.

We are on the same wavelength lol. I just ordered the Chugach jacket and pants. Looking at getting the FL Omen before fall hunts start.

 

[npaden]

We are on the same wavelength lol. I just ordered the Chugach jacket and pants. Looking at getting the FL Omen before fall hunts start.

The only thing negative I've heard on the Chugach is that they can get torn up in thorny brush. I haven't heard a single review on them, but the Kutana stuff is just a tiny bit heavier and supposedly a little tougher than the Chugach and if it had been around when I bought my Chugach I might have bought it instead. Then again I haven't ended up with any tears in my Chugach yet so I guess it has been tough enough for a pansy like me.

 

[mdcrossbow]

I have a light set for hunting I can ware over camo and I have a Harley set for long rides.

 

[Shangobango]

The only thing negative I've heard on the Chugach is that they can get torn up in thorny brush. I haven't heard a single review on them, but the Kutana stuff is just a tiny bit heavier and supposedly a little tougher than the Chugach and if it had been around when I bought my Chugach I might have bought it instead. Then again I haven't ended up with any tears in my Chugach yet so I guess it has been tough enough for a pansy like me.

I almost went with the Kutana. The deciding factors were that the Chugach is 4 way stretch whereas the Kutana is 2 way stretch and according to Kuiu the Chugach is their quietest rain gear.

As a sidenote, PayPal "pay in 4" may be by financial downfall...

 

[Lawnboy]

I've been in a few frog stranglers hunting and at work and my Sitka (gore tex) gear has worked great. It's not real quiet and probably doesn't pack the smallest but its durable and water proof.