Yeti GOBOX Collection

Rain gear suggestions?

TRS_Montana

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 19, 2014
Messages
759
Location
Helena
Getting absolutely soaked on the archery opener this year made me realize that I am desperately lacking in the good rain gear department.
Anybody have any good suggestions or opinions on best bang for the buck rain gear?

Big priorities for me are:

-Must be quiet
-Preferably mid- to late-season gear, but still be able to hike 4-5 miles
-High quality (don't want to have to buy new gear every 2 years)

What do you guys think?
Thanks!
 
I've been impressed with my First Lite Stormtight jacket and pants. I also have an Under Armour Storm jacket that is super packable and has held up nicely. Both are top end quality IMO. I'm not sure you will be able to find a storm jacket that breathes well enough to do 4-5 mile strenuous hikes without sweating a lot though. Good Luck!
 
Are you wanting this to be your primary outer layer, or be packable to take with you? Also what is your price range?

I guess I would imagine this to be something I would throw in the pack and take with me, since the weather is pretty unpredictable here in MT and can go from a downpour to blue skies in a matter of minutes.

I think I would probably be looking to get something under $250, if possible.
 
I think any of the Cabela's Brand Dryplus rain gear is good. I planned to upgrade a few years back and said one more season of use. With that said, I have used the same rain coat pants for 10 years! Very tough use for the first 3 seasons working as a boat boy. This is all Colorado so I have used during summer rain, fall rain, sleet and snow. I am sure there are great products from other manufactures but I find them to be overpriced considering the luck I have had with my Cabela's brand.
 
I like the cabelas rain suede packable stuff. I have another from cabelas but the fabric is just too thin. I prefer bibs over pants in rainy weather but a full length coat and pants will do the same with less bulk. I certainly think you get what you pay for but if I am going to pay a lot for a coat it needs to be more than just a rain coat. The cabelas stuff should be under your price range with some of their sales right now. Also its just my opinion and others disagree, but if a coat is just for rainy weather I don't worry ad much about noise because it won't be noisy when its wet. Just my humble and cheapscate opinion.
 
Also its just my opinion and others disagree, but if a coat is just for rainy weather I don't worry ad much about noise because it won't be noisy when its wet. Just my humble and cheapscate opinion.

Yeah, I agree. Also, I hunt thick timber, and if it it is raining hard enough to require rain gear, there is usually enough cover noise that I don't have to worry quite as much. Thanks for the suggestions!

The First Lite stuff looks good, but $500-$600 is way outside my price range!
 
Has anyone tried the Marmot Precip jacket and pants? They aren't camo if that matters but well under your price range. I figured if they're good enough for mountaineering they should be tough enough for hunting.
 
I have a Precip jacket. It's a pretty darned good rain coat for what you end up getting them for on Sierra Trading Post. I think I paid 65 bucks. It's not breathable.
 
Has anyone tried the Marmot Precip jacket and pants? They aren't camo if that matters but well under your price range. I figured if they're good enough for mountaineering they should be tough enough for hunting.

Precip was my primary rain gear in Alaska for six years. Unless I was expecting tons of rain, then I went with the rubber stuff.
 
What I've found with rain gear and hunting... YMMV

Needing it to be quite is a non-issue if you're hunting the ground. The noise made from nylon swishing is basically non existent when its wet, and the odds that you'll be stalking something in the rain and it could hear you over the sound of the rain is slim to none. Maybe, but quiet rain gear is not something I specifically seek out for hunting any more.

Don't get hung up on longevity of rain gear. The DWR finish will last one season, and if you treat it and wash it with new DWR you'll get a couple more, maybe. After that, the shells just stop wicking and repelling rain, once that happens you're done for, with all breathable gear. "Quiet" rain gear will soak up about 2 pounds of water, and takes FOREVER to dry.

Breathable rain gear is really a sick joke. Once the outer shell is saturated, the breath-ability is zero, and you'll get wet from both the inside. They work great in light rain, but not prolonged with high humidity. I've spent a lot of money on membrane type gear. I think I've had 4-5 different brands, and countless jackets actually went back to it this year thinking I must be missing something with the new stuff... nope, got to spend 3 days soaked in the latest generation Goretex lined jacket. My OR non-breathable pants kept me quite dry though. I really wish they hadn't discontinued the coat in the same model.

I think where breathable rain gear shines is in dry, warmer climates where humidity decreases quickly after a storm. The fabric can dry out and it will in turn pull moisture out from the inside.

IMO there is no silver bullet rain gear. Just prepare to be a little wet, wear synthetic fast drying fabrics and deal with it.
 
What I've found with rain gear and hunting... YMMV

Needing it to be quite is a non-issue if you're hunting the ground. The noise made from nylon swishing is basically non existent when its wet, and the odds that you'll be stalking something in the rain and it could hear you over the sound of the rain is slim to none. Maybe, but quiet rain gear is not something I specifically seek out for hunting any more.

Don't get hung up on longevity of rain gear. The DWR finish will last one season, and if you treat it and wash it with new DWR you'll get a couple more, maybe. After that, the shells just stop wicking and repelling rain, once that happens you're done for, with all breathable gear. "Quiet" rain gear will soak up about 2 pounds of water, and takes FOREVER to dry.

Breathable rain gear is really a sick joke. Once the outer shell is saturated, the breath-ability is zero, and you'll get wet from both the inside. They work great in light rain, but not prolonged with high humidity. I've spent a lot of money on membrane type gear. I think I've had 4-5 different brands, and countless jackets actually went back to it this year thinking I must be missing something with the new stuff... nope, got to spend 3 days soaked in the latest generation Goretex lined jacket. My OR non-breathable pants kept me quite dry though. I really wish they hadn't discontinued the coat in the same model.

I think where breathable rain gear shines is in dry, warmer climates where humidity decreases quickly after a storm. The fabric can dry out and it will in turn pull moisture out from the inside.

IMO there is no silver bullet rain gear. Just prepare to be a little wet, wear synthetic fast drying fabrics and deal with it.

I am in total agreement with Bambistew on this topic. In 2014 I spent 5 days hunting in NL in a driving rain and none of our raingear filled the need. The best performer was an inexpensive set of HH Impertech but it was by no means perfect.
 
I am in total agreement with Bambistew on this topic. In 2014 I spent 5 days hunting in NL in a driving rain and none of our raingear filled the need. The best performer was an inexpensive set of HH Impertech but it was by no means perfect.

I used Cabelas rain gear on a Newfoundland hunt and it did OK, but was definitely pushed to its limits. I also noticed that it became very heavy after a day in the rain. The guides just wore rubber.
 
Has anyone tried the Marmot Precip jacket and pants? They aren't camo if that matters but well under your price range. I figured if they're good enough for mountaineering they should be tough enough for hunting.

I have the precip pants and jacket as does my wife. This year while on a Ontario fishing trip it rained 6 days in a row and the Precip kept us dry the whole time. As mentioned its about $100-$120 a set on Sierra trading post quite often. I have the Cabelas dry plus packable stuff and its always been fine for pop up showers, but the precip is better stuff for less money.

There are some really great options for $600 a set if you go KUIU/First Lite/Sitka that should generally be considered the benchmark for trying to be breathable.
 
I have used Cabellas packable rain gear for years,it works in most instances.
Yeah,if your hiking thru the woods all day in down pours it might leak or get soaked.

I have had my Cabellas gore-tex rain suit I bought 25yrs ago for work and it's still my go to rain gear everyday.
I lived on Cen. Cal. Coast for 35 yrs,it can rain 4 " in a day easy, when it does rain.

If it's going to get worse I'll wear my Gander Mtn waterfowl parka,also gore-tex. I've never gotten wet in that.
A ripstop camo poncho is always in my pack. For sitting still in downpours. Learned that one in a jungle 40+ yrs ago.

I hunted/fished for 3 months on the west coast of Vancuver Island years back. Had to wear HH rubber stuff the whole time. Head to hip boot. But I was soaked everyday from inside condensation.
Don't even ask how bad that stuff smells.......................
 
Last edited:
MTNTOUGH - Use promo code RANDY for 30 days free

Forum statistics

Threads
110,814
Messages
1,935,401
Members
34,888
Latest member
Jack the bear
Back
Top