Rain Jacket - Arcteryx vs "True" Hunting Brand

[Tuffcity]

Like their products but this support torques me a bit:

• Raincoast Conservation Foundation - The Salish Sea Emerging Stewards who inspire the next generation of conservation leaders.

RC

[twoSevenO]

A lot of people think this is Vortex's buisness model while others swear their optics are just as good as the Big three.

BHB

I dont disagree with you .... but I also couldn't find a better spotting scope for $1300 than the clearance sale 65mm razor HD.

You gotta draw the line somewhere for gear. For most people, especially those of us with hobbies besides hunting, that line is well below the $4k mark of the European optics.

As far as claiming they are just as good .... well, I dont know. For every person that makes that claim there is a Swarovski owner claiming otherwise who's never looked through a Vortex either. What I do know is I have tested the razor spotter and binos and I think youd be hard pressed to do better FOR THE MONEY.

[jac]

I’m going on a 10 day sheep hunt and needed to buy rain gear and gaiters. I looked at everything and ended up with outdoor research gear. Great goretex quality, great warranty and the price was fair. Would I liked to have got a Camo suit yes will this work at half the price I sure hope so. I also wear fjallraven and it’s been great also.

[bighornbob]

I dont disagree with you .... but I also couldn't find a better spotting scope for $1300 than the clearance sale 65mm razor HD.

You gotta draw the line somewhere for gear. For most people, especially those of us with hobbies besides hunting, that line is well below the $4k mark of the European optics.

As far as claiming they are just as good .... well, I dont know. For every person that makes that claim there is a Swarovski owner claiming otherwise who's never looked through a Vortex either. What I do know is I have tested the razor spotter and binos and I think youd be hard pressed to do better FOR THE MONEY.

Couldnt agree more. I picked up the razor too when they were blowing them out and thinks it's great.

bhb

[huntcoop]

I’m going on a 10 day sheep hunt and needed to buy rain gear and gaiters. I looked at everything and ended up with outdoor research gear. Great goretex quality, great warranty and the price was fair. Would I liked to have got a Camo suit yes will this work at half the price I sure hope so. I also wear fjallraven and it’s been great also.

What model or OR gear did you buy?

[jac]

I bought the OR Foray pants and jacket. Looks nice lots of venting I haven’t tested yet so we will see

[gunther340]

I'd stay with Arc'teryx even though the prices are ridiculous. Good deals to be had on The Last Hunt sometimes. I had one of the 2 layer paclite jackets for 10 years and used it for everything even though it's not designed for heavy use. Just this winter some of the seam tape started failing along with one of the pocket zips. I hunt with a guy that has the Kuiu yukon and in heavy downpours i stay dry while his jacket wetted through. I didn't try the yukon on as my buddy is smaller than me but we compared performance and he is switching to Arc'teryx. The yukon is quieter but not stealthy quiet like the website says. Yukon has more pockets and such so if that's something you care about it might be a good choice as it seems to be well made. Just not as waterproof from what i saw with my buddy. I prefer a simpler shell because they are always on and off and in and out of a pack. Guess it depends how you like to layer...

[Cordillera]

I have Kuiu Yukon jackets and pants and have used them in heavy rain (like 8 hours of snow and sleet and rain combined) and stayed dry except for around the cuffs and up the leg from wicking. My wife hiking with me wears the Arc teryx and has similar performance. When I was shopping around I went for kuiu because if you pay full price arc teryx is more expensive And kuiu does go on sale. Kuiu is a little quieter and I like the drab colours (I got tan bottoms and vias jacket). Kuiu cut is also excellent for me. Not as baggy as some but room for some layers underneath. I use my stuff for hunting, hiking, and backcountry skiing.

My opinion is that kuiu (and probably Sitka too) are in the same league for rainwear performance as Arc teryx and my gear junkie skier son says other companies like some Patagonia and OR stuff is as good or better than the bird. A lot of performance issues after a few years arise from care and cleaning. They all have to be cleaned and occasionally retreated with DWR.

[Silver Stones]

Plenty of good options out there - I‘ve used Arc’teryx rain gear (Beta SL jacket, Beta AR pants, and Theta SV bibbed snow pants) for about 7 years now. I went this way since I spend quite a bit more time in the mountains/wet areas climbing and ski touring than I do hunting, and Kuiu CAMO is really hard to see when you’re tits down in a tree well.

Like others have said, the Arc’teryx service and warranty is quite good. I had a major delamination on my first jacket (bought from the outlet as a factory second) and they got back to me in a matter of days asking for my colour preference in a new jacket. I also found out what happens when you introduce $600 goretex pants to ice climbing crampons - I had to pay for that one but when they only charged $60 to replace an entire lower leg section I’m OK with that as a stupid tax. Rolling around in the spring snow, getting caught out in rainstorms, and really whatever I’ve been in, I‘ve always stayed dry from the outside. I find the jackets don’t breathe all that well (or I sweat horribly and nothing can keep up) but the pants are top notch.

Recently I‘ve been using a lot of Outdoor Research gear, as I can’t justify the cost of a closet full of the bird. At less than half the price I’ve been really happy, and when the Arc’teryx gives up the ghost I’ll likely go this route for my shell layers. They’re warranty isn’t as good (blew up a pair of gaiters in the buckbrush, and they’re response was to send me a repair manual) but the fit and function is every bit as good as Arc’teryx for me.

To a certain extent it’s like boots or packs - there are lots of good options out there (hunting specific or otherwise) and at the end of the day find what fits and works best for you.

[albravo2]

I own both. No comparison, the Yukon is much quieter and more comfortable. There is no stretch in the Arc'teryx stuff but the Kuiu feels like a comfortable hoodie.