AR gang
I have started a quest to buy the best rain gear I can find, price be damned. I have went through thousands of dollars on this stuff over the years and am never totally happy, or DRY! Need some help from this crowd, especially Alaska experts. What is the best gear you have found or know about?
Thanks guys

If you are going to be around salt water, I hear Helly Hansen is the way to go.

When in above freezing conditions I prefer waxed cotton. Either Barbour or Filson.

I have done hunts where I was backpacking and spent 9 days straight in rain with waxed cotton with perfect satisfaction.

Whe conditions get below freezing them gear like Patagonia, and the current high tech mountain Goretex gear is the way to go.

Dave, also what you wear under your rain gear is most important.

In cool to cold conditions, say under 50 degrees I always wear wool shorts and pants and either polypropoline or silk undergarmints, never any cotton.

In warm wet weather, either a cotton poly blend or a light nylon is what I use.

Sometimes in Alaska when hunting in a light rain or drizzle I wear wool and no rain gear when under heavy exertion, as the wool will dryitselt out with my body heat, verses wearing rain geat and sweating profusely under it.

When I stop to Glass for game I put rain gear on, but when I again start to walk, I take it off...

I like to hunt in the thin Pendleton wool shirts they call "Sir Pendleton". They are about the same thickness as a cotton oxford shirt, but made of the miracle fiber wool.

IF wool irritates your skin, like it does mine, then just wear a quality silk underware shirt under it.

Works great, in any normal hunting weather, from 70 degrees down to 30 below Zero...

I got back early Sept from a black and a brown bear hunt. I was in a spike camp for 8 days and it rained 5 of those days....you know the kind of wet where nothing dries out for days and days....? Anyway, my KUIU Chugach pants and jacket kept me completely dry and comfortable. I was also surprised at how well it breathed! We hiked hard and then would glass for an hour or two and I'd just put on a puffy coat underneath the rain jacket when I stopped and I was always warm and dry. It held up well in the alders too.
I know that's not an extended review and time will tell how well it eventually holds up but for now and for me it's the best rain gear I've ever had.
I've worn Helly Hansen raingear many times (commercial fishing in AK for a few seasons)and as long as I wasn't moving much it worked great but I tend to sweat easily so if I exerted myself very much I was soaked from the inside out. Besides, that stuff is too heavy to pack!!

Regards,
Scott

I've been looking for the perfect rain gear for 15yrs and my wife always makes fun of me for trying the latest/greatest. I always end up taking two sets, (1) a lightweight hightech set for just in case rain, and (2) my go to set for when you know it's gonna be one of those real snotty days - Helly Hanson Impertech top and Cabelas goretex waist high waders for bottoms.

I seriously doubt that anyone on the face of the earth sweats more than me and I haven't found anything that doesn't make me sweat if I'm humping hills/packing meat/dragging rafts, etc. But the waders dry out as quick as any I've tried - and they solve the problem of trying to get rubber boots or hippers to dry after several "real" rain days.

Dave,
My outfitter recomended Grunden Petrus
Raingear. I got the hooded long coat and
the matching pants. It worked great on my
brown bear hunt and my moose hunt in
pretty poor weather. I had to get it from
Macks, couldnt find it in lower 48.

Westcomb from British Columbia makes awesome gear that is hardy and functional. Pricey but worth the money and quality workmanship throughout. Used on my moose hunt in AK this year and stayed warm and dry no matter what the conditions were. Plus its not made overseas!

I have been using DRY CREEK
They make a variety of styles an price range
Mid range price
I have been using them in Alaska for many years.
Always dry
Larry

Great advice guys. I have done a lot of Alaskan hunting, from moving around after caribou, to standing in the rain on a salmon creek waiting for brown bear. I would want gear that you can move in over just rubber wear that is made for more sitting. I assume most of the stuff you guys mentioned can be found on a web search, which I will do. Really appreciate your valuable input . Always a great way to get good insider info from guys who know what I am talking about through experience. Please keep the ideas coming as this is a serious quest for the perfect rain gear! Thanks men.

Swazi gear is really good, but expensive. Like airplanes and boats, nothing is ever perfect for all applications, but when I'm hunting and the storms are brewing, I bring my Swazi gear.

I gave Davey himself a pile of $$ for his raingear! It is no different than any other Gore-Tex gear non the market. Wear it on a rainey day and it will weigh 40lbs by nightfall. Total junk in my opinion !!

I see no mention of Sitka Gear. Not advocating but does anyone have a comment?

You can't beat Frog Togs for hunting in a light rain. I don't know how they would do in an all day down pour, but I expect they would do well. They are reasonably quiet, inexpensive and come in camo.

another vote for frogg toggs for the reasons listed. Spent a day or two in the rainy marsh with no complaints.

In my Alaska exerience, Frogg Toggs are good for a little while in light rain/mist. They're light weight and reasonably water-resistant. Downside is the seams aren't terribly strong--or waterproof--and tend to separate with much exertion. I prefer Rivers West for heavy, reasonably waterproff outerwear in cold weather. Cover this with a full-length HellyHansen coat and you can sit in the rain all day. The long coat will keep your butt dry and hip waders will do the same for your legs.

Don't have any Swazi outerwear, but the t-necks and pullovers I do have dry quickly and are top quality. Spent nine VERY rainy days an hour east of Cordova a month ago with this gear and was very comfortable.

Dave Manson

Frogg Toggs can work in the right circumstances, but they don't last long if you're busting brush or in the alders.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
AR gang
I have started a quest to buy the best rain gear I can find, price be damned. I have went through thousands of dollars on this stuff over the years and am never totally happy, or DRY! Need some help from this crowd, especially Alaska experts. What is the best gear you have found or know about?
Thanks guys

Grundens!

I basically use either Simms or Frogg Toggs but if i have learned anything over the past forty years it is that if you are working out in the rain all day - you are going to get wet.

No one gear is perfect for every situation. Honestly you likely need about 3 pairs to cover all scenarios and uses. Right now I really like the Kuiu rain gear. I haven't really put it through guide level use, so I can't speak about long term durability, but so far so good. It's a good all around rain gear that isn't too loud or heavy. That said you want bomber tough and never wet (at least less wet) Helly Hanson is hard to beat. I typically use it for fishing trips because it REALLY repels water and you can wash off the fish stink easily. It just doesn't breath or stretch. My go to light weight/sheep gear is Mountain Hardwear Cohesion stretch. It isn't tough at all, but it's very light weight and keeps you dry when needed.

Brett

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
I basically use either Simms or Frogg Toggs but if i have learned anything over the past forty years it is that if you are working out in the rain all day - you are going to get wet.

After 40 some years of out doors I am still lookig for the perfect rain gear. I agree with Phil if your out all day in the rain your going to get wet.

What, exactly are you doing? Hunting? Halibut/salmon fishing the inlet or gulf?
If it's the latter, then it's a toss up between Helly Hanson & Grundon's. Both are used by the commercial fishing crews in the gulf. I found both about equal in quality when I ran my sport fishing boat in Cook Inlet & the gulf.
Since I don't really hunt the wet country, I can't comment spacifically about that.
Good luck.
Bear in Fairbanks

For pure 100% waterproof gear I like Guy Cotton as it doesn't have a lining to hold moisture like Grunden and Helley Hansen.
After a few days in a wet tent that makes a difference. But with 100% waterproof gear your sweat will get you just as wet as rain if you are hiking.
New gore-tex gear like Simms or Frogg Toggs works much better for that but after a year or two it starts to leak more and more.
One alternative I have found is to wear a light Frogg Togg jacket under either a second gore-tex or rubber coat (depending on how wet it is)

I like River's West. I spent a week north of the arctic circle in a tent camp caribou hunting and it rained every day most all day. It hasn't let me down trapping and hunting in Wisconsin either. Like others have said nothing is perfect but I think this is close.

Kuiu and Arcteryx. Arcteryx isn made for hunting but is incredibly well made.

Kuiu is made for hunting. Outstanding stuff, but they have supply problems, order early.

West Comb is owned by a guy who used to work down the street for Arc Teryx.

I own a pair of West Comb ski pants that I use for Ski Patrol use and it is bomb proof stuff.

I own the majority of the Arc Teryx catalog and it too is bomb proof stuff that can be counted on. I did have a packer one time on a sheep hunt who wore the Arc Teryx and we did see plenty of rain, wind, cold and he was just fine. That being said, I would not take that on a hunt since there are many options out there that are designed specifically for mtn. hunting.

I own a Sitka Jacket, but have never taken it hunting. It seems that Sitka had there time as the latest in state of the art hunting clothing and now the focus seems to be on Kuiu Gear as the new go to for the state of the art in mtn hunting clothing. I would like to read a detailed field report on the Kuiu gear. They are Selling a lot of it. Perhaps we should do a Group buy on Kuiu Gear.....

That being said, the default standard has always been HH Impertech. Which is what I will be wearing on my Spring Grizzly hunt. I bought the Guide Jacket, Pants and Anorak and it seems better designed that the old camo HH that I went on dozens of hunts with. The material seems to be the same. It is very tough, it does stretch a little and does not tear easily. A good value for the money.

I agree with Phil, that with the HH you will not get wet from the outside, but you will get clammy and wet from your own sweat on the inside with the HH. If you are stuck in a tent for day after day in the rain, you are going to get wet.