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School me on rain gear

NMSbowhunter

NMSbowhunter

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
4,255
Ok, so hunting in the rain is one area I need to improve on. Generally speaking, around here if it is raining it means the temperatures are in that 40 to 60 range late season and can be much warmer early season. I want this for bowhunting and I want waterproof, not water resistant. However, being damp will make things feel colder.

I picked up a light weight moss green Rivers West jacket the other day at a great price (hope it gets here today) so I will have that for warm days if it works well. One set I am looking at seriously is the Rivers West Ambush jacket and pants set and a Columbia hat with a long back brim. I'm just a bit concerned it will be too heavyweight and warm for conditions here when it is raining. I am strongly considering this set due to the rain gear video John Eberhart did.

I've also looked at some of the First Lite raingear. Jason Samkowiak did a video a while back on their lightweight set. That set seems a whole lot lighter weight than the Ambush.

I really want to get a good set so I can dive (pun intended) into hunting in the rain. What do you guys use and recommend?
 
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I have spent big bucks on Goretex rain gear over the years. I always got wet.
Went to a military surplus poncho and a tree umbrella. Yeas I still get wet, but I am not spending big $.
 
Does rivers west have a website? I can't find their website.
 
I picked up a KUIU set a long time ago that has served me well. It's literally just a shell which is all you really want, so you layer whatever you need underneath it.
 
GeoFish said:
I have spent big bucks on Goretex rain gear over the years. I always got wet.
Went to a military surplus poncho and a tree umbrella. Yeas I still get wet, but I am not spending big $.
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Yes, see this is what I don't want. I want anything short of doing a cannonball into a swimming pool to be bone dry.
 
I bought a Redhead "Squaltex" set years ago from BassPro. It's the best I've ever used...everything else I've ever tried was cheap garbage.

Pouring rain all day? You'll likely end up wet. Light rain off and on, you'll stay 95% dry. It is relatively quiet too, not loud and scratchy like most rain gear.

That said, I bought it like 12 years ago, so they may have changed the material or quality since then. Don't kill the messenger if they did... :cool:
 
DB4x4 said:
I bought a Redhead "Squaltex" set years ago from BassPro. It's the best I've ever used...everything else I've ever tried was cheap garbage.

Pouring rain all day? You'll likely end up wet. Light rain off and on, you'll stay 95% dry. It is relatively quiet too, not loud and scratchy like most rain gear.

That said, I bought it like 12 years ago, so they may have changed the material or quality since then. Don't kill the messenger if they did... :cool:
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I'm thinking moderate rain daylight to dark.
 
Frogg togg pro suit stays in my truck and really only gets used if it's raining real hard. If it's calling for rain or light drizzly I got a frogg togg poncho and hat I'll throw in my vest. Black trash bag lives in my vest also. Roll up the chap on my boot.

Also have frogg togg ultralite suit in the truck and if it's gonna be real windy day and cold I use the jacket and pants under my normal clothes for cheap easy windproof layer...and I'm ok if it happens to rain.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
I'm thinking moderate rain daylight to dark.
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Looking on their website, it does look like they've changed the design and now it has mixed reviews. That's disappointing because my old version has been great. I'm sure they went cheaper to maintain price point or increase profits.
 
Rivers West Frontier Jacket, Color: Mossy Oak Bottomlands, Size: XL (5606-BTM-XL) https://a.co/d/cENSsuU

I have this jacket going on 5 seasons.

I hunt same stuff you do.

Honestly, unless it’s below 50 or so, I prefer to just get wet.

That’s the cutoff I use this jacket. I can wear a base layer and if needed a decent mid layer under it. It’s quiet. Keeps rain out main body. Your wrists and neck will get wet(if you don’t use hood).

I have a sitka rain suit that’s probably 10-12 years old. Forest pattern. Don’t know model. But it’s a brushed shell no insulation and completely waterproof. I don’t wear it much here because I can just walk out if I’m in danger. But I pack it a fair amount out west where I might die if I get wet. I don’t know if their new stuff is like this old suit, but if so, it should fit your bill.
 
Unrelated grumble:

Why do rain gear manufacturers always describe their sets as "waterproof" and "breathable"? Aren't those two things mutually exclusive? If it's keeping moisture out, it's definitely holding moisture in, especially for us sweaty fu...er, uh...fellows. :tearsofjoy:
 
kyler1945 said:
Rivers West Frontier Jacket, Color: Mossy Oak Bottomlands, Size: XL (5606-BTM-XL) https://a.co/d/cENSsuU

I have this jacket going on 5 seasons.

I hunt same stuff you do.

Honestly, unless it’s below 50 or so, I prefer to just get wet.

That’s the cutoff I use this jacket. I can wear a base layer and if needed a decent mid layer under it. It’s quiet. Keeps rain out main body. Your wrists and neck will get wet(if you don’t use hood).

I have a sitka rain suit that’s probably 10-12 years old. Forest pattern. Don’t know model. But it’s a brushed shell no insulation and completely waterproof. I don’t wear it much here because I can just walk out if I’m in danger. But I pack it a fair amount out west where I might die if I get wet. I don’t know if their new stuff is like this old suit, but if so, it should fit your bill.
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I could see getting wet early season when it is like 95 degrees in the shade, but I suspect if I got wet below 70 and there was wind, I would be coming out of the tree and heading out pretty quick.

I want something for those days where I know going in that I will be sitting in rain all day long.
 
I routinely hunt wet in temps below 70* and there’s wind and I don’t leave.

I’m not tough. Wool keeps you warm wet.
 
My idea is to set up some
kyler1945 said:
I routinely hunt wet in temps below 70* and there’s wind and I don’t leave.

I’m not tough. Wool keeps you warm wet.
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Yeah, I'm not tough either and I get cold easy. I'm about 155 pounds and have zero natural insulation. If it were early season and 95 degrees rain would be welcome. I really like wool but unfortunately, I don't have a lot of it.
 
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