for packable rain gear I use the Sitka Dewpoint jacket and pants. If it's really nasty out I wear Sitka Stormfront pants
for packable rain gear I use the Sitka Dewpoint jacket and pants. If it's really nasty out I wear Sitka Stormfront pants
"If you ever go into the bush, there are grizzly bears lurking behind just about every bush, waiting to pounce, so you need a powerful gun, with huge bullets" - Gatehouse ~ 2004
I Have Sitka cloudburst rain gear and a set of really lightweight rain gear from first lite. The cloudburst is good but much prefer the first lite raingear for how packable it is.
I have a problem with outdoor gear, that problem is I buy too much. Between skiing, mountaineering, backpacking, hunting, and fishing I have spent a lot of time in the worst of rain and snow. I have used Mountain Hardwear, Sitka, Arcteryx, First Lite, OR, Westcomb and Mammut shells in a wide variety of applications. If its raining cats and dogs I don't care about how loud my rain gear is I want to be dry and comfortable My Arc Theta SV has never let me down in any condition for the last 6 years. I am decently pleased with the performance of my FL Seak Stormtight Jacket but the cut isn't quite there comparatively. The Stormfront jacket is just as bombproof as my Theta but again I personally prefer the cut of Arc'Teryx over Sitka. Can't really go wrong with any of those three in my experience.
Just a note on Arcteryx...their warranty from what I have seen is Pretty darn good. Have had 2 buddies whose jackets have been replaced after 5+ years. One guy had a zipper issue and don't recall what the other issue was but both were given brand new jackets. Haven't heard of that type of coverage from any other outerwear companies; in saying that I haven't explored any warranty issues except for one midlayer jacket where the zipper went. This kind of coverage may be a bit more common with higher end gear these days but may want to check. Just looked at Westcomb's site and it seems a bit grey as to what the warranty period is as far as 1 year...2 years etc. Seems sort of subject to their discretion.
Warranty Statement
At Westcomb Outerwear, we expect our products to be free of manufacturer defects. However, should you have a warranty issue we will repair it if possible or replace all valid warranty items for the practical lifetime of the product to the original owner. Normal wear and tear, rips, tears, punctures, modifications, alterations, negligence, damages from accidents, mis-use or use for a purpose other than for which it was designed, and the natural breakdown of materials over time are not covered by our warranty.
Last edited by MB_Boy; 02-21-2018 at 12:26 PM.
"If you ever go into the bush, there are grizzly bears lurking behind just about every bush, waiting to pounce, so you need a powerful gun, with huge bullets" - Gatehouse ~ 2004
Arcteryx is the company that others have tried to copy. Things like slim tape, waterproof zippers, laminated pockets/hems etc did not really exist before Arcteryx started doing it in the early 2000s. They really have pioneered the way for technical gore-tex outerwear. I have an Arc'teryx Theta AR that i bought in 2005 and the jacket is awesome and timeless. I still wear it. I'm willing to bet that any other jacket from 2005 looks out of style nowdays by a long shot.
Not that being in style is as important as being dry, but it goes to show how much ahead of the game Arc'teryx is. But .... that is reflected in the price. In my opinion, the price is their only major downside.
Having said that, there are MANY other great options out there nowdays for hunting. In fact, Arc'teryx isn't even my top choice for hunting because none of their materials are hunting specific. That is, they are not quiet.
I realize now im struggling with having a set for hunting and a set for everyday life. Might need to considering having seperate sets.
How big of a sound difference is say sitka/badlands/kuiu in the rain then Arc'teryx?
I cannot speak for Kuiu or Badlands, but the Sitka stuff is quieter than the Arcteryx stuff. However you are trading waterproof/windproof material for reduced sound or vise versa.
As someone noted before in this thread, if it's raining cats and dogs jacket noise doesn't matter because it will be covered by the sound of the rain. Wind would also do a decent job of covering your sound too.
On the flip side you probably won't be wearing this jacket on still, warm days in the early to mid season. And you could take it off for stalking if you're getting close (Bow Hunting??)
If you can afford two different sets then I'd say giver! Let your inner gear hoarder flow! However not everyone can afford to buy two $600+ jackets.... So you'll have to decide on a sacrifice as no jacket will do everything perfectly.
I bought it on sale for $100 per piece. The Badlands I bought also on sale for $100.
I've only used the badlands jacket for one season, so I may report a reduction in water resistance next season. Remains to be seen!
Really, the only thing that is going to be 100% waterproof even covered in mud, is rubber.
The only thing I like as much as trucks, is guns.