What's everyone using for packable rain gear

[sheepaholic]

I need to buy new lightweight packable rain gear for sheephunting just wondering what everyone is using?

[ace76]

I use the kuiu chugach rain gear, it's very light, durable and breathable. The legs have welded zippers all the way up so you can take off and on easily and fast when you need it. Has extra protection around the bottom of the pants and the jacket has zipps under the armpits for more air when you need it. The pants also have zippers from the waist going down the outside of the legs so you can walk with the legs all the way open yet done up at the bottom. I will sometimes wear the rain pants with no other pants on underneath so I can go through wet bush easily and then open up the legs out in the open when I need to stay cool and dry. Worked awesome on my sheep hunt.

I only wish they had a little more protection on the ass. Other than that, I have no complaints. Hope this helps you out.

[2x4x16]

I have to vote on the Kuiu as well, the only brand of clothing I use now. You get what you pay for! light weight, waterproof, and breathable - when we are talking and rain gear.

[goinghunting]

I started with helly hansen rubber but hated that it didn't breathe so I switched to some cabela's pack lite gortex raingear. The pack lite just isn't durable enough though. So now I'm on to KUIU Chugach rain gear its a 3 layer so we'll see how it holds up? My advice is stay away from pack lite and deal with the extra weight of a 3 layer? Kuiu 3 layer is just a hair heavier then the goretex pack lite.

[sheepaholic]

Thanks guys it looks like kuiu is the answer what stores carry kuiu or do I just order from there web site

[goinghunting]

you just order from there website.


Thanks guys it looks like kuiu is the answer what stores carry kuiu or do I just order from there web site

[bruin]

Just hold off inthe Kuiu stuff for a bit. They are retooling their raingear to make a more durable model. It will be slightly heavier but much tougher. Call and check on their progress, I'll be doing that in the coming weeks and I'll post up what I find.

[NovemberBravo]

I like the Sitka Stromfront lite stuff. Cheaper than the stormfront stuff and extremely light. Just started hunting this year but I have taken the jacket on a backpacking trip where it poured and it help up extremely well. I have taken the jacket on other hunting trips as well and have nothing bad to say about it. I got the pants for christmas and so far I have not got to test them in rain but they held up well in snow and I expect they will be just like the jacket. Overall extremely light and amazing gear.

[358mag]

I like the Sitka Stromfront lite stuff. Cheaper than the stormfront stuff and extremely light. Just started hunting this year but I have taken the jacket on a backpacking trip where it poured and it help up extremely well. I have taken the jacket on other hunting trips as well and have nothing bad to say about it. I got the pants for christmas and so far I have not got to test them in rain but they held up well in snow and I expect they will be just like the jacket. Overall extremely light and amazing gear.
Have the same set jacket is good but the rain pants SUCK one trip and there ripped to shreads they don't like buck brush or any blow down snags have to say there very $$ well wasted

[goinghunting]

Do you know anything else about this new kuiu rain gear bruin? I was told its just going to be more breathable then the existing chugach gear? If its gonna have some re-enforced parts like the knees and the bum that would be great?


Just hold off inthe Kuiu stuff for a bit. They are retooling their raingear to make a more durable model. It will be slightly heavier but much tougher. Call and check on their progress, I'll be doing that in the coming weeks and I'll post up what I find.

[goinghunting]

I looked at this before I bought the kuiu gear and the stormfront lite is made out of goretex pac-lite and the standard stormfront is made out of goretex pro shell which is a 3 layer. Pac-lite is junk it's really light but wont stand up to anything and you'll be replacing it regularly. 3 layer is the only way to go in my books!



I like the Sitka Stromfront lite stuff. Cheaper than the stormfront stuff and extremely light. Just started hunting this year but I have taken the jacket on a backpacking trip where it poured and it help up extremely well. I have taken the jacket on other hunting trips as well and have nothing bad to say about it. I got the pants for christmas and so far I have not got to test them in rain but they held up well in snow and I expect they will be just like the jacket. Overall extremely light and amazing gear.

[RiverOtter]

HH Impertech for me...

I don't buy into "breathable" rain gear, at least not in the rain, as its impossible for 100% humid air to absorb any more moisture.

[Cordillera]

I really like the Helly Hansen stretchy rubber. It is light and truly waterproof. They are the only pants I've known that keep moisture out when crashing wet buck brush. Yes I sometimes sweat in them but generally up north when it rains it is cold and when hunting I spend a lot of time sitting watching so it needs to be dry and warm.

[The Hermit]

I really like the Kuiu rain gear a lot... it packs down to bugger all and keeps me dry in the worst weather! I did wear a small hole when unintentionally sliding down a partially snow covered rocky slope on my ass one day but couldn't honestly expect anything short of rubber to withstand that treatment... my ass was sore for days after too! LOL

[2tins]

Sitka Cloudburst is pretty nice. I've got the jacket and will be picking up the pants.

[jtred]

My pack trips are shorter and I'm not so isolated as on a fly in trip. I found Patagonia rain pants on sale and a Marmot jacket also on sale. Kind of mix matched and aren't camo but they really do the job(jacket is a dull green pants are dark grey so they do blend alright in the alpine). I'm positive Sitka/Kuiu are likely better but the prices are way out of my reach. So far they aren't shredded and have kept me dry while being very packable. I know the old saying buy nice or buy twice but with mortgage, kids, life I always figure I buy what I can afford and just get out there and do it.
Oh yeah and I forgot, can't forget good quality gators. Really saves your lower pantlegs from snagging and ripping.

[proguide66]

HH and some gators, best ever for me after 500 hrs in a saddle a year for YEARS , must affective combo I have found so far, cheap to.Those damned camp fire sparks are the only enemy .

[Ron.C]

I've only done a couple true Backpack goat hunts, both with expensive goretex breathable rainwear and have done lots of day/overnight trips here on Van Isle in nasty wet weather. I wear good synthetic base layers that breath well and dress lightly while backpacking, but still find my expensive raingear can't get rid of the sweat as fast as I can produce it when packing. Last fall while packing up the mountain for a goat in a good steady rain/snow, I only has a single light base layer yet still was sweathy. So I will personally not pay big bucks any more for rain gear. I have a set of the HH Impertech that works awesome while sitting /glassing in outright downpours and I found I am no sweatier in this stuff then in my old goretex stuff, when packing and at a fraction of the cost

[ytlogger]

HH and some gators, best ever for me after 500 hrs in a saddle a year for YEARS , must affective combo I have found so far, cheap to.Those damned camp fire sparks are the only enemy .

The sparkholes let it breath though!

I use HH impertech pants and a Taiga 3 layer Goretex jacket. I find the Goretex with pit zips good for a warm and windproof layer, but I have yet to find a pair of Goretex pants that work for me. I have some KUIU stuff though and I'm impressed with the quality.

[broncoo]

check out frog toggs raingear its not camo but its light extremly packable and keeps me dryer than any of the h/h, columbia etc.
the only thing i found better is rubber

[Dre]

I've only done a couple true Backpack goat hunts, both with expensive goretex breathable rainwear and have done lots of day/overnight trips here on Van Isle in nasty wet weather. I wear good synthetic base layers that breath well and dress lightly while backpacking, but still find my expensive raingear can't get rid of the sweat as fast as I can produce it when packing. Last fall while packing up the mountain for a goat in a good steady rain/snow, I only has a single light base layer yet still was sweathy. So I will personally not pay big bucks any more for rain gear. I have a set of the HH Impertech that works awesome while sitting /glassing in outright downpours and I found I am no sweatier in this stuff then in my old goretex stuff, when packing and at a fraction of the cost

I am also thinking about new rain gear for backpacking, but agree that it is useless when climbing with a pack on, I just sweat too much in it. Being wet from rain or sweat, you're still wet. I bring an extra change of under-clothes and get out of the wet stuff once I stop to camp. For me, rain gear is more for the time spent on the mountain hunting, its not pleasant being wet all the time and you can only bring so many sets of clothes. In November at 6000ft, my sweaty layers would freeze rock hard and would not dry unless near the fire :).