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Rain Gear

M

mjsmitty2

Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2017
Messages
60
Location
Lake Orion, Michigan
Is there anything out there that is breathable and somewhat quiet that won't break the bank? Or am I better off just dropping big coin on something decent? Any other alternatives? What say you guys and gals?

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Breathable clothes arent waterproof. Waterproof clothes arent' breathable. No matter what the marketing department tells you.

Rivers West gear is very waterproof. It is very quiet because it has a fleece outer shell. It is very warm (about too warm for down here). It is not very breathable. No good rainwear I have found is. Your best bet is to wear good undergarments that wick your perspiration and moisture away from you.
 
I recently bought a Kings camo rain suit. I haven't had the chance to try it out in rain yet. I am really impressed with how quite it is and it also seems really well built. Plus it also packs down really small.

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I have Forlohs rain gear. I have been pretty happy with it. Pit zips really help to remove heat. I haven't been out in a downpour yet but I'm sure it will work.

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Nutterbuster said:
Breathable clothes arent waterproof. Waterproof clothes arent' breathable. No matter what the marketing department tells you.
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This, exactly. It’s not a fun reality in warmer temperatures or when you’re active because of sweat on the interior, but as fall chill progresses into the year and/or you stay still, it becomes more bearable. And I had to adjust my expectations of what “waterproof” means exactly. Ideally it’d mean I stay bone dry all over. But I find it hard to handle gear, weapons, etc. and not have water which is on my hands and sleeves eventually work inside the cuffs and get my wrists or forearms damp. Still, it’s better than being all wet.
 
Nutterbuster said:
Breathable clothes arent waterproof. Waterproof clothes arent' breathable. No matter what the marketing department tells you.

Rivers West gear is very waterproof. It is very quiet because it has a fleece outer shell. It is very warm (about too warm for down here). It is not very breathable. No good rainwear I have found is. Your best bet is to wear good undergarments that wick your perspiration and moisture away from you.
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This is true in my experience.

I have a few breathable pieces (Helly Hansen and Sitka) that I wear when rainy and pretty warm or I'll be moving a lot.

When it is cold out, I wear Rivers West because you don't need breathability when sitting still.

One thing to look for is ventilation. Pit zips on your jacket and inner thigh zips on lowers. Testing by manufacturers shows that most moisture escapes by openings in the garment.

I think a lot of it is mental. For instance, I have a pair of neoprene boots that have a fleece liner. The liner absorbs moisture and they feel exactly the same as boots that have an upper made of entirely leather with a goretex liner. Adding goretex doesn't suddenly make moisture transmit through leather or any other material that is resistant to moisture transfer.
 
Marmuzz said:
This, exactly. It’s not a fun reality in warmer temperatures or when you’re active because of sweat on the interior, but as fall chill progresses into the year and/or you stay still, it becomes more bearable. And I had to adjust my expectations of what “waterproof” means exactly. Ideally it’d mean I stay bone dry all over. But I find it hard to handle gear, weapons, etc. and not have water which is on my hands and sleeves eventually work inside the cuffs and get my wrists or forearms damp. Still, it’s better than being all wet.
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I have a Sitka Downpour jacket that was horrible about this. The cuffs and hood and skirt have a continuous wrap of fleece from the exterior to the interior. When saturated, water wicks around the cuff, etc. and into the fleece of the jacket that is inside the jacket. If it touches a wicking base layer, then it forms a circuit and starts soaking your mid and base layers. I fixed it by taking seam sealer they sell for tents and a q tip and making a water barrier at the edges of the jacket where the fleece goes from internal to external. Most hiking brands are aware of this and if they use an exterior fabric that can transmit water then they put a barrier made of neoprene or something that is similar to what I did.

I'm now conscious of this and keep my cuffs and other openings pretty tight and not having my base layer sleeves down to far or wear a glove that wicks water and then touches my base layer.
 
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OspreyZB said:
Kuiu rain gear is 25% off this weekend. Still pricey, but well worth it IMO.
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I was just looking. Almost impulse bought. I noticed that there are several different versions of the membrane used and that the more packable/cheaper one was less waterproof and less breathable, so I'd look at those specs for anyone interested.

This is true of goretex also. There are several different versions, and if the company doesn't specify then it is usually the paclite version (version in my Sitka....which is crazy for the money) which is the least performing. The 3 layers pro shell is the best all around, but less packable and more expensive.
 
Kuiu is the finest rain gear in the game. Absolutely love my Yukon set.
No matter what you go with, is strongly suggest a set that has 4 way stretch. It makes a dramatic difference in comfort. And it allows you to easily stretch your legs for climbing sticks
 
I hunt swamps on Kauai where it rains at least half if not the whole day up in there. I have had good luck running the banded aspire bib this year and I run a wader jacket with no liner. The event fabric works! Everything is uninsulated so you don’t sweat and keeps you bone dry! I run NRS boundary kayak boots because I know my feet will get soaked no matter what and the kayak boots keep em warm even all wet
 
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