the most confusing gear for me. rain gear.

[pointysticks]

my eyes bleed from reading reviews and post.

i need rain gear. to be honest, i HATE when it rains on me in the backcountry. i think this comes from being uncomfortable, mentally and physically. i dont like getting held up in a tent. in the past, i've just put on my old, heavy, Revolution Fleece and go about. i stay dry, but the stuff is heavy, overly warm. acceptable for hunting hogs out of my truck or something. but it is too bulky to pack anywhere. it is uncrushable.

my brother wants a roosevelt elk to put up next to his rocky..and i would love to have a go at them. i think i know where our target region will be and it looks like a rain forest.

even researching in the same brand, for example Sitka will have my head spinning. dewpoint, stormfront, cold front..egads. i would love to see the gear laid out side by side to even interpret the descriptions online. KUIU,..Rivers West.

any help? i dont even know where to set my budget.

[RockChucker30]

PS,

There are several options, depending on what you want and what your budget is.

If you've got to have camo, then rivers west, sitka, kuiu are good options. Sitka and Kuiu are lighter and pretty pricey.

I use a marmot precip jacket. It's about $100 and fully waterproof. It is not camo, but I shot my bull last year at 30 yards while wearing it.

Helly Hansen makes good very waterproof stuff, but its not breathable at all.

For general backpacking I think a windshirt with a good dwr and a poncho makes more sense than raingear personally.

For a backpack hunt I take the precip and I use a ULA rainkilt at 3 oz rather than rainpants.

[Harmy]

Over the last 30+ years I have used a large number of different jackets and pants with gortex or full barrier gear (including Patagonia, TNF, Marmot, Helly, Mtn Hardware, ArcTeryx, etc). I have probably worn out 10 seperate gortex mountaineering jackets during this time. In my experience, they all suck. I get wet in all of them mainly from the inside out and in a downpour the systems never kept me dry. When using true rain gear I was dry from the outside but only as long as I was stationary and not moving and any time I was hiking I would get wet from the inside. Until last year I have never had any high end outer shell items keep me dry under exertion. Furthermore, until the last 10 years most of these items were not flexible and the fabrics would not stretch making them very uncomfortable and difficult to do strenuous things in. Last year I broke out the card and charged up a set of Kuiu Chugach gear and wore it several days all day elk hunting in the rain. I was very pleased to say the least. They were by far the best outerwear I have ever used. I stayed dry both from the inside and outside except when really pushing hard uphill and then I did break a sweat but would have no matter what I was wearing. If I were buying shell gear again I would seriously consider Kuiu Yukon gear as it is even more flexible and I would expect would perform as they claim (but only comes in camo at this time). I am tempted to sell my new Chugach and upgrate to the Yukon.

[Rojix]

I recently got the kuiu chugach. I haven't thoroughly tested it out yet but just from initial inspection, it seems to be a very nice rain jacket. I got the chugach over the Yukon because of the time of year that I will be using it (September), the Yukon is about 10oz heavier. I'm also going to be using the chugach as my outer layer, rain or shine, that will save me some weight from packing in another jacket.

Rojix

[otcWill]

Here's a review you can wrap your head around: don't buy it! Any good spruce or fir will keep ya dry in a downpoor if needed. I don't mind a drizzle and I don't hunt in a downpoor thus I've never considered buying rain gear. I am a backcountry bivy die-hard and I don't need rain gear. Your problem is solved. Your welcome

[eltaco]

Camofire had, maybe still has, core4 raingear up on the site for $200 for the top and bottom.

I think I understand raingear just fine until I see guys spending $600 on a set of it. I have much less money into mine and stay dry when it rains... I must be missing something.

Check out Camofire. That's a good price on a set of raingear that should treat you well.

[Herb]

I'm probably close to otcWill's thoughts. I've not carried pants for many years. Got a Ul poncho to ride out a downpour and Patagonia jacket in olive green for anything less than that.

[elkmtngear]

I still use my cheap old packable cabelas rain gear...and I stay dry. Having your elk decoy double as an instant rain shelter is awesome!

Check out this video at the 2:15 mark...it is a great example of what you might encounter while out chasing elk. Got back to camp dry that night.

[>>>---WW---->]

If it looks like it might rain, I take my rain gear with me. If the chances for rain are slim to none, I leave the rain gear at home and (just in case) I stick one of those $1.99 Wallyworld ponchos in the bottom of my pack. It also serves as a great clean place to place you meat when boneing out.

I suppose I'm a tight-wad, but I never spend a bunch of money on raingear. The cheapo packable stuff is plenty good. Besides, I find that I probably only need rain gear maybe a couple days a season on the average. I guess if I hunted the wet side of Or. or Wa. I would use it more.

[Z Barebow]

I have the Cabelas Space Rain gear. It is camo. packable and very lightweight. Light enough were I leave it in my pack. But the pants might have issues with tearing if going through thick stuff. So far that has not been an issue.

For the most part, I use it when a storm is passing through. I throw it on and huddle under a pine tree. Keeps me warm and dry. When rain lets up, I take the gear off and I am back to hunting.

[Bowhunter]

I use some cheap rain wear as my jacket and rain gear. I don't carry the pants. I also started last year as a tip from my hunting partner carrying a compact umbrella. I thought it was crazy too, but half the time we get a little wet and by the time we decide to break out the rain gear and put it on it stops. It is so easy to pop that little umbrella out of a fanny pack and find a tree to stand under or rock to sit on. Usually the cloud is gone in no time and shake it dry bam back into the pack. It works great for me.

[WindedBowhunter]

On backcountry trips, I always carry my Sitka Gear Cloudburst. It's a bit heavier than the dewpoint, but allows you to do some brush busting. Even some busting in the willows of Alaska, as 2 of our customers have told me!

If you won't be brush busting, I would recommend the Sitka Gear Dewpoint Series.

I always carry both pieces of gear, for me 1lb of insurance is better than running the chance of hypothermia!

Whatever you choose, short of a Poncho, ensure its a breathable laminate like GORE-TEX. Just because its waterproof, doesn't mean its GORE-TEX!

[eltaco]

I'm surprised by how many of you don't carry raingear at all. Even in CO, I've had 3 solid days of rain in a 9-day hunt... that would have cut my trip quite short! With as light as raingear is nowadays, I think it has its place in every pack. I've also had plenty of days leaving camp without a cloud in the night sky, only to get dumped on by afternoon. It amazes me how fast hose CO storms can pop up.

Pants are non-negotiable for me. Even if you hunker down under a tree, if you're going thru brush or tall grass afterwards your pants will be soaked without them. I wear pants more often than my jacket for that reason.

[Z Barebow]

Pants are non-negotiable for me. Even if you hunker down under a tree, if you're going thru brush or tall grass afterwards your pants will be soaked without them. I wear pants more often than my jacket for that reason.

I agree. Even for morning dew. If your pants are wet, then your socks get wet. They wick the moisture to your feet and now the inside of your boots are wet, even though they have been waterproofed.

[aron]

I think a lot of what rain gear is required depends on your hunt location and style. If I was to hunt wet side WA or Alaska I would have a more durable rain gear. Where I hunt, the rain gear is used to pass the occasional storm and I'm with Z Barebow and use the Cabelas space rain ultra pack (which is currently on sale). When bivy hunting, this will stay in the bottom of the pack. It is fairly light at 10oz for jacket and 9oz for pants. If I was day hunting and weather looked nice, it would stay back.

For the amount I end up hunting in rain, I can't justify $600+ for rain gear like the new Kuiu Yukon set would cost. One thing with rain gear as it doesn't seem to breath very much and you can get just as wet from sweating wearing the gear than the rain itself.

[slim9300]

The ideal camo rain gear for daily use (which is likely for the PNW) appears to be the Kuiu Yukon with a very thin merino base layer so that you stay as cool as possible. I have a set but have not used it yet. I do really like my Chugach too but in Sept. you are going to sweat no matter what you do. It will generally be in the 50s to low 70s during the day where you plan on hunting even when pouring.

[sheriffjim]

I am just now outfitting myself for early season Colorado elk hunts. Last year it rained on us every day. I had been using Cabela's MT050 raingear, but it was a bit heavy and totally soaked up the rain, making it heavier. Relatively quiet and not too expensive but not really all that packable. This year I am equipping myself with Sitka and KUIU gear. Today I received my KUIU Yukon jacket in the new green pattern, can't remember what it is called. The Yukon jacket cost $350.00 plus $15 for shipping. The XL jacket seems well made, but is a little noisy for bowhunting. The sleeves are also about 2 inches too long. I also received a short and long sleeve Merino 145 shirt which I had also ordered. I am very disappointed with the shirts, only because they seem to be VERY overpriced for what you get. The jury is still out on which I will like better, Sitka or KUIU. Obviously, I will have to use them to make a determination, but from just the initial exposure to them, I am not impressed with the KUIU.

[danarnold]

Camofire had, maybe still has, core4 raingear up on the site for $200 for the top and bottom.

I think I understand raingear just fine until I see guys spending $600 on a set of it. I have much less money into mine and stay dry when it rains... I must be missing something.

Check out Camofire. That's a good price on a set of raingear that should treat you well.

X2 I'm a Sitka and First Lite dealer and bought core4 raingear from Camofire, I used it several days in Wy last season and it kept me comfortable at a very reasonable price.
I bought some other core4 clothing and was very dissapointed

We had several days of rain in a row and it really put a damper in the guys hunting that didnt have good gear, first thing in the am no clouds then storms rolled in before noon,
the day I shot my 6X6 we could see the rain coming in and retreated to a big pine for shelter and lunch, while eating my ham sandwich 3 cows strolled thru, only a couple minutes the bull followed and I arrowed him, point being I hunt in the rain

[sheriffjim]

Sending the KUIU Yukon jacket and the 145 merino ss and ls shirts back. As I was packing the Yukon for shipment back to KUIU, the zipper got stuck 3/4 of the way up. Nothing visible to stop it. It just wouldn' go up any further. Have ordered Sitka raingear and also the KUIU attack pants. The KUIU 145 merino shirts just felt cheap and $130 for two t-shirts that itched didn't seem like too good a deal. Too bad no one carries this stuff in stores around here. Having to experiment with sizes, materials, quality, durability and just being able to feel the product you are spending big bucks on, only to have to spend $$ for shipping to you and back to Sitka or KUIU makes and expensive product even more expensive. These forums do help somewhat, if you can wade through the sales pitches from the product testers.

[elkmtngear]

Lots of happy SLIP system users this Season...due to all the rain. It is the only elk decoy that will keep you dry in a downpour. Just one of the many benefits...forget expensive/heavy/sweaty rain gear. PM me for Elknut Discounts!

[zpd307]

I haven't been able to decide on what rain gear to go with. some of that stuff is pretty expensive.... so far I have just used a camo poncho. didn't do too bad in the Colorado monsoons last year. just huddled under a pine tree.

[ctdad]

I used core4element torrent rain pants last year. I was in enough snow and rain and wet grass to confidently say they are water proof and comfortable. I now own but have not used the torrent rain jacket

[ElkNut1]

ctdad, I wondered about the Torrent rain gear? Thanks for the great review on them/pants!

ElkNut1

[ctdad]

Only core4 pants I own. Maybe all off their pants size big. I got medium but needed small. I have 31 inch waist and 34 inch inseam. Medium worked but is a little big. Water proof though so I'm still happy

[WindedBowhunter]

For you First Lite guys, they have their new First Lite Boundary Stormtight Pant

I have not used this piece of gear, although I did use the First Lite Boundary Stormtight Jacket and can say I was pleasantly surprised with its performance and durability.

Some basic features are:
Cocona fabric
full-lenght zippers
reinforced knees and cuffs
suspender loops
watertight zippers

If anyone was fortunate enough to "beta-test" the pants, please share with the class!

[phall]

outdoor life or field and stream had a raingear review several months ago very informative and unbiased . do a search and im sure it is out there . my take home point from that article was that all rain gear aint created equal. do the research if you want waterproof all seams and zippers must be taped = $... cabelas dry plus works but aint sealed...mto50 heavy...sitka & kryptex got best reviews

[poisonarrow]

I am sure you all know the law of threes in survival. Three minutes without air, three hours of exposure, three days without water, and three weeks without food.

We were hunting one year at around 11,000 feet and it rained hard for hours with a temp of around thirty five degrees. One guy in our group did not have rain gear. He was dangerously cold by the time we got back to camp and got a fire going to warm him up. You only need one experience like that to make sure you have something to keep you dry. If nothing else take a 55 gal. trash bag, it could save your life.

[WapitiTalk1]

Words of wisdom right their poisonarrow. Hypothermia is an ugly thing.

[SHTF]

Jeff isnt lieing about his Elk Mountain Slip System. It goes with me on every hunt. Here is a quick Video I did on it hiking back to the truck with the Elk Mountain Slip system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTYjLeTsdCw&hd=1

For quick no nonsense keep you dry type of a system I highly recommend it.

[elkmtngear]

Jeff isnt lieing about his Elk Mountain Slip System. It goes with me on every hunt. Here is a quick Video I did on it hiking back to the truck with the Elk Mountain Slip system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTYjLeTsdCw&hd=1

For quick no nonsense keep you dry type of a system I highly recommend it.

Thanks James...good to see you here on the Elknut Forums.

[Wagnon89]

I found a deal the other day on a Firstlite Boundary Stormtight jacket and what little time I've had to test it out, I don't see how you could get much better for breathability and waterproofness.

[8seconds]

Here's a review you can wrap your head around: don't buy it! Any good spruce or fir will keep ya dry in a downpoor if needed. I don't mind a drizzle and I don't hunt in a downpoor thus I've never considered buying rain gear. I am a backcountry bivy die-hard and I don't need rain gear. Your problem is solved. Your welcome

My precise sentiments. Carry a gargabe bag in your gear and you're done at a fraction of the cost. If raining real hard, pull up under a spruce and put the gargabe bag over the first set of limbs set back with a hit on your Yukon Jack (only to be used when you get a kill or stalled in a rain).

[8seconds]

Pants are non-negotiable for me. Even if you hunker down under a tree, if you're going thru brush or tall grass afterwards your pants will be soaked without them. I wear pants more often than my jacket for that reason.

I agree. Even for morning dew. If your pants are wet, then your socks get wet. They wick the moisture to your feet and now the inside of your boots are wet, even though they have been waterproofed.

Ever tried gaiters? They are specifically geared towards keeping moisture out of your boots.

[8seconds]

Lots of happy SLIP system users this Season...due to all the rain. It is the only elk decoy that will keep you dry in a downpour. Just one of the many benefits...forget expensive/heavy/sweaty rain gear. PM me for Elknut Discounts!

What elknut discounts??? smallbizok@gmail.com

[LongShot]

I still use my cheap old packable cabelas rain gear...and I stay dry. Having your elk decoy double as an instant rain shelter is awesome!

Check out this video at the 2:15 mark...it is a great example of what you might encounter while out chasing elk.

Have you been in a storm yet where a sudden, strong gust turned the decoy inside out, like those spring thunderstroms in Texas?

[elkmtngear]

I still use my cheap old packable cabelas rain gear...and I stay dry. Having your elk decoy double as an instant rain shelter is awesome!

Check out this video at the 2:15 mark...it is a great example of what you might encounter while out chasing elk.

Have you been in a storm yet where a sudden, strong gust turned the decoy inside out, like those spring thunderstroms in Texas?

Believe me, yes I have. This decoy/ umbrella is not your standard golf umbrella...Fiberglass ribs, metal tips, aluminum shaft, carbon fiber trekking pole insert. It is guaranteed not to invert.

We beefed up the SLIP System to hunt and walk with. I face it into a storm and use it as a shield/ windbreak.

Here's a demo we did in Colorado when we were having wind gusts around 50-60 mph:

[LongShot]

This decoy/blind is looking better and better all the time. Must be a great product!

[blackbruin]

I use beaglewear wool stalkers, don't soak up weight like old wool, treated with Teflon, as long as you don't wash them all the time, they can retreat but not as effective as when thread is spun before weave. Breathes awesome, built awesome, gotta get windproof laminate if not moving(stand) hunting.

[nrocchio]

Thanks to Paul's post about camofire.com I was able to find a rain jacket for this season at a good price. I got the Rocky silent hunter SIQ waterproof rain jacket. I looked at a few other options in person. Most of them were noisy and had more of a plastic feel. They also cost quite a bit more than what I paid for the Rocky jacket. The Rocky jacket feels more like a suede material. It is still light weight, and smaller than I was expecting, but wont compress down to be too small in your pack. I can clip mine to my pack and not really even notice it was there though. I haven't hiked around in it yet, so I can't tell you how breathable it is, but I don't think it should be a problem with the way the material feels. I am really happy with it.

[Lefty]

Just saw Kings had rain pants for $20 Size 42 and up
Im ordering some