I will be North of the Brooks Range in Alaska in September. I was told the Avg temp will be approx 40f and may dip into the low 30's at times. I was told you can get two hour long rain downpours and they could occur everyday. Also some snow can be expected. What is the best waterproof outer garment available and price is not an issue

Joe,
When I was up there last year I used Frog Togs (sp?)and was reasonably happy. Their very light, compact, and rain proof. Mand of Tyvek I'm pretty sure. I didn't like the scrunchy cuffs around the wrists as they seemed to wick water back into the sleeves. Wasn't a big deal but it was annoying. As a bonus I think they're relativily cheap and disposable.

,,,Genrally speaking Helly Hansen Imperteck is very good ...I prefer the light weight super flexible Grundens ..It gan be gotten in green color and it works well .....Redlander posted some good pics of him wearing the Imperteck....It is pretty standard for hunting rainwear nowadays.......Course the top of the line Cabela,s gortex stuff is what I would chose if I was going up there......I would get a packable set of rain gear oversized to go over the fancy stuff if it didn,t work.......it would still be more comfortable than regular rain gear as your sweat would end up on the outside of the gortex ...IME a person tends to stink worse in raingear than when wearing Dri plus/Gortex/ect....Being odious is not good , for the game or your guide......Often when people start sweating they smell like the aftershave ,shampoo,,or deoderant .they habitually use........Smells kind of wierd out in the middle of nowhere......

joejr:
On the slope in Aug. you can expect anything. From what I understand, 3 of the last 4 years saw snow on opening day of sheep season (Aug.10). My partner & I are planning a sheep hunt into GMU-26 this next Aug. One of the items I quite certain to take along will be my Helly Hanson rain jacket with the hood. When we hunt, we carry a packboard with our necessary gear for the day and that includes our rain jacket. You spend a lot of time sitting and glassing and this jacket is just the ticket as a wind break. We don't wear them while hiking, just for sitting & glassing. I'd looka at the HH my self. Bear in Fairbanks

BeariIn Fairbanks, I was on the Helly Hanson web site looking at the H H Impertech. I think the only draw back to this is it isn't breathable. At least I don't think it is. I will definitly consider it especially from someone that lives up in Alaska. I bought Cabelas MT50. It wasn't cheap. My buddy who's going with me and has been in the Brooks before said I need better stuff than the MT50. Thats why I'm looking for some sugesstions.

Hunted Alaska 6 times, twice north of the Brooks Range Helly Hanson is the best not breathable but I would not take anything else.
Thanks

joedjr
I've been to the Brooks Twice.. Ak Range ..and last year drew a permit in the Chu.. I have used Frogg Toggs on all my Sheep hunts.. But last year the rain was heavy all August and I opted for the Impertech.. Bad move.. That stuffs is Heavy and You Sweat like a Lawyer on Judgement Day.. If I had to do it again I'd take two sets of Frogg's in that area or areas like that.. For the Brooks one would be enough..Make sure You buy one size larger than normal..It also is great as a wind stopper.. I'm also looking into a Material called E-Vent which shows some promise as a Rain/Wind/ Breathable Fabric..
Later in the season MT50 would be My Pick.. I do own it and used it..
AK

There is no such thing as waterproof breathable rain gear or I have yet to find it. I've tried the gore-tex, it will keep you dry for maybe an hour and if it's raining constantly it will soak through the gore-tex. I would use the HH Impertech and dress in layers using fleece and other synthetic clothing but if your doing a lot of walking you will sweat in the Impertech's.

I have lived in SE AK for about 30 years. I have seen some rain. I have wore many types of rain gear.

Currently in my closet I have Swazi (goretex), HH Impertech and Peter Storm.

I can usually stay dry most of the time.

I went on a mountain grizzly hunt in the Brooks Range the last 10 days of Sept.,2004. Chandalar River area. The weather was a beautiful 50 degrees the day we landed and no snow not even on the peaks. The temps dropped that night and never got above freezing the rest of the trip and on my small clip on thermometer we had a low of -6 plus we had about 18-20 inches of snow.

I used a Helly Hansen 3/4 coat and a pair of waterproof pants I can't remember the name of.
I mention this to advise you to pack an extra layer or two. I would be prepared for 0 temp. just in case.

xgrunt, Thanks for the info. Good advise.

In my opinion people worry way to much about "breathable" rain gear. Regardless of the brand...if I am moving while wearing raingear I sweat...that is the reality for me. So I have given up on Gortex and have switched to the non-breathable gear. While hunting Alaska I used my raingear more for the wind protection, than for actual rain protection. The wind seems to always be there...the rain comes and goes. To date I have had the best luck with Peter Storm on my sheep hunts. I also have used the Rivers West jacket on a few hunts and it seems to be a good trade between weight and warmth. My sheep hunting buddy loves the Frog Toggs...but I have not used it. The only thing most people agree on is that Gortex is best left at home!

Good luck!

You are gettin good advise from all here. My observations are that even in the damp environment you can dry the inside of the HH Impertech, you will find the Gore-tex difficult to dry out. The fleece layers you should have will also dry. Cotton anywhere is an absolute mistake. Do not discount the sitting in a wet spot, it is the place you may become the most miserable. I have carried a small piece of plastic to sit on with good results say 24"x24". The drying out and starting over each day is an important consideration, there is just not much you can do to stay dry inside. You have to stay warm. gduffey

Well I haven't hunted the Brooks Range or North Slope but hunted in unit 21 in 2005 for a 10 day Moose hunt that turned into 13 1/2 days because it rained 11.5 days on a 10 day trip. I grew up in Oregon and worked in Alaska on fishing boats years ago so I knew what rain was all about. I had a Helly Hansen rain jacket and bibs, not the fancy impertech just straight up rain gear, also had some of Cabela's finest packable raingear which is fine if you are only out in it for a few hours, day in and day out rain which it can do anywhere in the Northwest all the way to where you are going will soak any gore tex on the planet. You will find that wool clothes under real rain gear is a life saver and you won't notice that it doesn't "breathe" if it is pouring rain for days.
Final recommendation:
Wool clothing (pants, shirt, socks)
Rubber raingear (bibs and jacket Helly Hansen)
Gore Tex raingear(bibs and jacket) for those wet but not pouring days.
Find footgear to go with wet weather (waders or rubber boots)as well as weatherproofed leather hikers.
Good luck.

Does anybody in Alaska or BC bother with a military style poncho? I have one tucked away somewhere around the house, but it seems to repel rainstorms so I haven't tested it in a real deluge. Though its just thin urethane coated ripstop, I bought it in the hopes that it would be more waterproof than the usual Gore-Tex hiker stuff but allow much more airflow than the usual rain jacket.

Pancho's do not keep you dry and will be in tatters if there is any brush to speak of.

I hunted with a guy named Pancho once, and he was plenty tough!

oop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!but did he wear a poncho

Have lived in Alaska since 76 and I can agree
that Gortex is something my wife wears from the house to the car and from the car into the store.

HHansen lite and heavies are what I count on.
Of five sheep trips into the north 3 times we were snowed out of the high country the 14th-20th of August. Sure is nice when its nice though.

The test for raingear for me on Kodiak Island is when the wind is blowing 50+ and the rain is skipping across the ground and I am dry, I am happy. Get the bibs so you can get good air movement.

Neal

quote:

Originally posted by CouchTater:
Does anybody in Alaska or BC bother with a military style poncho? I have one tucked away somewhere around the house, but it seems to repel rainstorms so I haven't tested it in a real deluge. Though its just thin urethane coated ripstop, I bought it in the hopes that it would be more waterproof than the usual Gore-Tex hiker stuff but allow much more airflow than the usual rain jacket.

I've used a swedish milsurp poncho combined with ankle fit hip waders, and yes it'll keep you dry in real rain. That said, I prefer a real rain jacket as they are quiter and you get hung up less.

;;;A poncho may be the single easiest way to spot a chechako..........In 20 knt wind it will be up around your head.....Foul weather is just that ...Foul... Exidentally I have had better success with water pruf breathables than many....

I also have had success with Goretex ...

Swazi Dave down in NZ makes some great stuff.

I wear the bib Goretex pants almost every hunt day of the year. And that allot. It's tough stuff and works. I wear the Anorak pull over when in the skiff but when hiking wear the Peter Storm or HH Impertech jacket.

Dave's fleece line is second to none.