After getting a completely wet through on Arran after three days of rain, I have to re-evaluate my in adequate wet weather gear..
jackets: "Aigle gortex" washed it several times now totally useless as far as waterproof qualities are concerned, "Deerhunter" junk!! always has been, sleeves fill up with water and penetrates on the shoulders..
Trousers "Sasta" 95% waterproof but noisy..
Boots "Aigle gortex" Great!

Any suggestions on jackets and trousers would be much appreciated..


regards

griff

I purchased a Musto Heathland Gore-Tex jacket in 1994 and it has not let a drop of water in despite numerous washes. Sadly they no longer make that particular model, but I have always found their clothing very well made. Possibly too noisy for stalking.

My lightweight waterproof is a Ventile pull-over smock made by SnowSled. You can layer under it and it it very good indeed and keeping out the wet while allowing perspiration to escape.

There was a catalogue inserted into the latest BDS magazine which listed some NZ bib type coveralls that looked handy for extreme conditions.

griff,

Having bought a Deerhunter jacket and trousers a couple of years back i tend to agree with you..Its ok in moderate rain, but mine leaks badly around the various zips..

I think i will be returning to Kammo...I had one of their jackets many years ago and it was bombproof. A simple well thoughtout design with a minimum of zips ect..Expensive, but very good..

Regards,

Pete

North Face ski cap, waterproof with ear flaps - fantastic.

Biker style neck muff - great for those cold breezes.

Kammo Jacket - 5 yrs on and still waterproof, but too much in mild weather.

Laksen trousers, windproof, waterproof and silent.

Brasher Ridgemaster walking boots - no longer made (I think) but very very good so long as I keep up the dubbin.

The Bushwear catalogue in the recent BDS journal is a good scource for boots, but I think that some of their jackets are overpriced.

(They may be very good quality though)

Forget fashion, stick with Barbour or Monsoon raingear. You don't need "silence" in the rain and wind. Nora wellingtons are fine too.

Kammo!

Their standard jacket is a 3 layer that is too warm for my liking. They do a 'Winchester' model that is 2 layer and very good. The tree and leaf cammo one is very good indeed and completely silent. My mate has had his for over 8years and is still going strong

They don't do fitted trousers - my favourite are the Nomad lighter green breeks that are warm, completely silent and can be warn with wellies or gaitors.

So equipped you will laugh in the face of the elements.

Griff, have a look at the new Jahti Jakt (sp) suits, they are on offer in the current BASC magazine.

Whilst my new deerhunter Ram suit leaked to the point I had wet boxers on monday, the JJ suit kept me completely dry on tuesday and the rest of the week, even in the 4 inches of rain we had on arran on tuesday. They are great value as well, you get the suit ( jkt and trsrs) for £140 ish, and get a free fleece, hat and thermal under fleeces too all free at the moment. I have just ordered another and one for the missus whens she walks the dogs and beats with us.

griff,

Waidmannsheil! The Arran reports interesting, congrtatulations on the good stalking results.

My Scottish adventures left me; like yourself, wondering what the best mouse-trap is for wet-weather stalking clothes? Don't misunderstand me, the Brits make great waterproof clothes but from my POV it is primarily geared for inactive driven bird shooting, not stalking.

After considerable research I finally purchased two items from Cabela's that I have found to be completely satisfactory for Scottish stalking under varying weather conditions.

Their Iron Ridge Hunting boots that are great value, with Gore-Tex and Thinsulate completely waterproof and warm enough for active or inactive use; and Cabela's MT50 Rain Suit (jacket & pants). The Rain Suit is like everyone else's suitability schmeme is silent, absolutely waterproof, breathes and has no inner lining so it is ideal for both warm & cold weather use; cut genrously enough to wear alone or layer fleece or wool underneath.

I've used these combinations for several years now in Scotland and find them to be a great combination on hilltops with rain coming sideways (you know what I mean) and can sit anywhwere (even in water - I've done it Goose shooting!) without compromise. It's compact enough to go into the Roe Sack for warmwer periods and robust enough for the worst weathwer conditions afterwards.

My $0.02 worth from someone who needed a better mouse-trap!

Gerry where you been? I haven't seen you in a long time.

D99,

Hey pal! Received your PM, haven't had time to answer yet - just back home!

I've been off the net for a couple of weeks due to Mrs. Gerry's insistance that we take a vacation in sunny Spain (where I obviously did not need my Cabela's MT50 Rain Suit nor the Boots!) I have though been chastized in the past for taking my shotguns with me to vacation venues where I cruise the local countryside looking for Trap, Skeet & Sporting Clays ranges. This tends to incite a slow burn on Mrs. Gerry's behalf since according to the female gender when you are on vacation you are supposed to do the lay-next-to-the-pool routine - which is not my idea of constructive use of time since it doesn't involve reloading, popping caps or slaying beasts. Also, the transport of several cases of Trap & Skeet loads severly limits suitcase capacity, too! Anyway, for the sake of good marital relations left the arsenal at home and instead of the pool - ate & drank my way into oblivion!

Noted your Frankonia Store thread. While Frankonia's store is certainly much larger than the FKT Kettner; the Kettner chain is now owned by Blaser, so you would have had a store that could fullfill every Blaser dream imaginable! It is litteraly around the corner from the airport. I hope the taxi cab ride from FKT Airport to Franoina in Darmstadt was worth it!

If you come through FKT again post me and if available I'll be happy to walk you through some gun shops! I may have been able to save you the taxi fare and give you a warp factor drive on the Autobahn in a fast-t-t-t auto! Life takes on a whole new meaning when you can legally cruise the Autobahn at 135 mph (things really do start coming at you in a hurry at about 140 mph though!)

I'll be in touch!

I enjoyed Frankonia but I didn't have any time to look with the drive to Darmstadt. Next time Kettner!

Glad your back. I will probably come up there and screw around for a few days in Febuary for my 31st birthday. Maybe we can have a beer, some brats, and take a look at your local gun establishments.

Are you working on post or are you retired?

Too bad you couldn't have came to Espana in September, you could have stayed at the Casa or the resort next to my Casa and I could have showed you our typical local crappy Spanish gunshops.

Madrid has a Kettner, and a few others.

I am in Catania Italy until the our Uncle wants to move me again.

Floyd,
looked at the jackets in the new BASC mag, good price and look quite nice, what are they like after they are washed ,are they still waterproof?
Remembering that Arran rain penetrates deep!!!

A friend of ours has told us that there is an additive that you put in the washing machine to re-vitalise your goretex clothing, ever heard of this?
regards

griff

Griff...
The stuff Goretex recommend is Nikwax Tech Wash for washing / rinsing, and Nikwax TX.10 for waterproofing.
There might be other brands, but I have used those succesfully the last years.

Goretex clothing for hunters are big in the Nordic countries, and we hawe many different brands both in Sweden, Finland and Norway that take a beating with flying colors.

I can deffinately recommend the gore tex washing agents, users don't realise that gore tex needs to be washed to work at its best (thats one of the reasons for clothing to be really good and waterproof when new!)

Having to work in all types of weather, I would recommend a gore tex outer (no fancy lining and as few pockets as possible), then go the layering route, that way you can use the same garments in any season.

I have an outer garment by Berghaus (green, with wired hood - excellant and can roll it up and attatch to a sling to carry on the hill, very light). Under this go with Helly Hansen fleece, repels alot of water in itself and if it does get wet, just shake the water out of it.

If you can get hold of them the US army do a gore tex jacket which is also excellant.

In relly bad weather except that you are going to get a bit wet, as important is the ability for garments to dry out over night ready for the next day, this is why I dislike cotton linings and insulation in the outer garment.

Just my thoughts though....

I have used several different kinds of QUALITY [expensive] "water proof" gear.
In heavy, everyday, rain areas, I have gotten the best service out of waxed cotton garments. I like the unlined type.
There is a reasom many Alaska guides say, Do Not Bring Gore-Tex.
My favorite was a Barbour Durham [unlined] that was stolen from me. It was very light and remained water "proof" for a 30+ day Alaskan hunt.
I now use a Filson unlined coat that I like very well, it is just a little bit heavier than the Barbour.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:

There is a reasom many Alaska guides say, Do Not Bring Gore-Tex.

I'm guessing that you are thinking of Gore-Tex's loss of "waterproffness" when dirty, or when it has been in contact with saltwater (or accumilated sweat for that sake due to sweats salt content). Both dirt and salt clogs up the pores in Gore-Tex.

For such uses, there is another breathable material that is being used more and more called Dermizax. It does not have pores (which Gore-Tex does), and thus is just as waterproof when dirty as it is when clean.

I have a couple of jackets from Bergans (http://www.bergans.no) with Dermizax, and have so far been very pleased with them.

Griff,

After three days of arran rain, a drying out and airing I wore it out this morning to walk the dogs and got Very wet, but I am glad to report nothing leaked thru, same for the hat, did nt wear the trsrs this mornin, but i'd guess they'd be the same.

I have a goretex shell from 1990's before the patent ran out.

It's as waterproof as the day I bought it.

I have washed it about 10 tims. Your right about keeping it washed. If it's dirty it leaks.

I have used Barbour and Laksen. Barbour makes their Beaufort jacket with Gore tex now, but it is very noisy. The oil skin is much quieter. The filson stuff in the US seems to get very stiff when cold and has a peculiar smell too. I have been using some of the Helly Hansen gear as of late, it is pretty good. Unfourtunately colours are not condusive to hunting, so I use them as base layers

Aleko

If the Cabela's line of Dry-Plus clothing is available in Europe, I would recommend it heartily.

When I move to Germany, I will be brining a bunch of it with me.
3 duck seasons with Dry Plus gear, and I have yet to get soaked thru.
I doubt all breatheable claims, as the Dry Plus waders are said to be breatheable, but I find that sweat will build up inside them. But nothing gets in from outside.

quote:

Originally posted by Heritage Arms:
I have used Barbour and Laksen. Barbour makes their Beaufort jacket with Gore tex now, but it is very noisy. The oil skin is much quieter. The filson stuff in the US seems to get very stiff when cold and has a peculiar smell too. I have been using some of the Helly Hansen gear as of late, it is pretty good. Unfourtunately colours are not condusive to hunting, so I use them as base layers

Aleko

I am with you on Filson, smelly, loud, and uncomfortable. I traded the one the old man didn't like and gave me for a pig hunt in Spain.

The girls at work would complain when I wore it to work on rainy days as it stunk up the whole shop. And Aleko, my workcenter was about twice the size of your store, that's pretty stinky!

D99,

Have you ever looked at Day One Cammo? I found a coat from them, worn it on several rainy hunts, shot 5 stand in it, very nice and quiet too

Day One Camouflage
Englewood Colorado
+800 347 2979

I'll take a look and get back to you on Day one cammo. I have never heard of them.

Seth

I just ordered some for the weekend, I'll go use it in the march and tell you how it works

Aleko