Absolutely. However, it's only day one of my work week so I've got at least a few days to ponder on this.
Rain gear choices?
- Thread starter Suther
- Start date
Absolutely. However, it's only day one of my work week so I've got at least a few days to ponder on this.
In my experience, everything “breathable” fails in sustained wet weather. Helly Impertech won’t wet out and leak but if hiking a lot, you’ll obviously sweat, a lot.
I have/had multiple brands/iterations of breathable rain gear and use it still knowing it’s downfalls. I have an old set of impertech bibs/jacket that has quite a bit of aquaseal and tape on it now but when it’s wet, the impertech with fleece underneath is my favourite.
A couple yeas ago I ordered the impertech “guide” coat and was disappointed to see the material is heavier and made in China. Is all HH impertech like that now or is the lightweight Canadian made stuff still available?
I have/had multiple brands/iterations of breathable rain gear and use it still knowing it’s downfalls. I have an old set of impertech bibs/jacket that has quite a bit of aquaseal and tape on it now but when it’s wet, the impertech with fleece underneath is my favourite.
A couple yeas ago I ordered the impertech “guide” coat and was disappointed to see the material is heavier and made in China. Is all HH impertech like that now or is the lightweight Canadian made stuff still available?
- Location
- Saskatoon Saskatchewan
Pretty much what I do too. Sitka downpour jacket and cabelas dry plus pants for light rain or dewy mornings and jelly Hanson bibs and jacket for when its actual rain coming down.
And there is my issue. Do I get the impertech, which is heavier, but has a cape for airflow, or do I go with the lightweight Abbotsford which is much lighter, but no cape...
Or do I spend 3 times as much on a Goretex or whatever jacket, which may or may not keep me dry...
have a jacket, would not use it in a downpour, a short periods of moderate rain is ok but above that not my choice of rain protection
Thats what I kinda figured. My buddy got a bit indignant when I questioned the waterproofness of that stuff, but frankly he doesn't hunt in the conditions I do...
for me I mainly need to concern myself with the pants as I do a lot of sitting in place when I hunt and also hiking thru to alpine in the west coast ranges the legs get drenched even when it's not raining. But the sitting requires real waterproof lowers and reasonably light and quiet one. I used to work in a prominent lower mainland fishing tackle shop (berry's bait n tackle) and if anyone knows that place, we sold a lot of waders , rain gear, survival suits, dive clothing ect ect. We mostly carried Bare product back then and I still have my Bare Ultralite II waders made from non breathable sharkskin material. They have been bombproof and have seen 100's of days on the water and in the moose swamps.
anyhow, during those years I got to see what worked , what got warrantied, what got returned for refund LOL and what did not. Early in the game I was going sheep hunting by Citadel and needed some rain gear for my day pack. I grabbed pants and jacket for 40 bucks altogether and off i went.
Rained day and night the whole trip LOL but those pioneers held up thru it all. From rafting across the thompson to hiking aup and along the ridge lines.... I stayed dry.
So I've used them ever since. Every hunter should have a set like this, that roll up to smaller than a full roll of toilet paper, stuffed in the recess of the day pack, behind the seat of the truck, stuck in a cupboard in the camper ect LOL I have 4 sets.
anyhow, during those years I got to see what worked , what got warrantied, what got returned for refund LOL and what did not. Early in the game I was going sheep hunting by Citadel and needed some rain gear for my day pack. I grabbed pants and jacket for 40 bucks altogether and off i went.
Rained day and night the whole trip LOL but those pioneers held up thru it all. From rafting across the thompson to hiking aup and along the ridge lines.... I stayed dry.
So I've used them ever since. Every hunter should have a set like this, that roll up to smaller than a full roll of toilet paper, stuffed in the recess of the day pack, behind the seat of the truck, stuck in a cupboard in the camper ect LOL I have 4 sets.
Goretex no. The poncho goes over the backpack so yes.
pete dobinson
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Courtenay BC.
The Abbotsford looks to be the same gear I bought about 15 years ago. Its a light stretchy material that is 100% waterproof. It packs down small, easily fits in a day pack side pocket. My wife claimed it and eventually I got sitka rain gear. I believe the Abbotsford to be just as good as sitka and a whole lot cheaper. The Abbotsford would be better if it had a zipper on it though. Anyway they hold up well and ours are still in use.
Trimmer 905
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Have you tried the unlined Columbia sets from Sail? They're light and breathable and tough against snags and punctures. I've had a pair for the last 10 years for Moose hunting that have done a stellar job. Moose hunts in Ontario can change from driving downpours to freezing rain to ice and snow overnight. They've never let me down.
No Sail on the west coast...
Totally hear you. I’ve been backpacking and backpack hunting in the mountains quite a while, (not a ‘long time’, I’m not old
) and have definitely done the minimalist, cutting fractions of ounces thing. I still do in a lot of ways, like a 3.5 pound 100L pack, a 1.5 pound shelter, etc. But for some stuff I’ve tilted back towards carrying a couple ounces more, for better performance or more comfort. 2 ‘for instances’ would be my sleep system (a larger pad/better bivy/warmer bag) and carrying HH instead of a lightweight, 2-ply Gortex shell. In the end, everyone has to make those weight vs durability/function/comfort/etc decisions for themselves. Good luck. 
Rain gear that you do not sweat in that is truly waterproof does not exist.
I work outside in all conditions in the bush as a disclaimer, I carry raingear and use it often. On the coast I wore pvc stuff, I have had the same carhartt helly hansen rip off rain jacket since I first started working in the bush on the coast. It is totally impermeable, but if you are actually moving you will sweat like crazy. Just wear long underwear and a thin long sleeve shirt underneath if it's really coming down.
I have a light pair of helly hansen rain paints, they are not impermeable but damn near. I beleive they are the Voss ones available at marks. Best lightweight pair I've had.
If you walk in the bush a lot you will tear them up, rainpaints that last me a year are amazing. I used to wear the overall helly hansen pvc ones but they make it hard to step over blowdown. Also hard to fold up and put in a cruiser vest.
The lighter one I usually carry with me is a columbia jacket. It works okay, or did. It's so old now that it's basically for show.
When you tear your rain pants stitch them up with dental floss and put shoe goo on top. Some guys use duct tape.
Expensive rain gear is a waste of money if you're actually bush busting on the coast, you're gonna tear it to shreds. Maybe not in the week or so a year you actually spend outside if you're just hunting.
Weight concerns always amuse me. Guys walk a lot further in the bush than the average hunter with stuff that is much heavier. 5lb pound rain pants wont mean #### when you have a quarter on your shoulder.
I work outside in all conditions in the bush as a disclaimer, I carry raingear and use it often. On the coast I wore pvc stuff, I have had the same carhartt helly hansen rip off rain jacket since I first started working in the bush on the coast. It is totally impermeable, but if you are actually moving you will sweat like crazy. Just wear long underwear and a thin long sleeve shirt underneath if it's really coming down.
I have a light pair of helly hansen rain paints, they are not impermeable but damn near. I beleive they are the Voss ones available at marks. Best lightweight pair I've had.
If you walk in the bush a lot you will tear them up, rainpaints that last me a year are amazing. I used to wear the overall helly hansen pvc ones but they make it hard to step over blowdown. Also hard to fold up and put in a cruiser vest.
The lighter one I usually carry with me is a columbia jacket. It works okay, or did. It's so old now that it's basically for show.
When you tear your rain pants stitch them up with dental floss and put shoe goo on top. Some guys use duct tape.
Expensive rain gear is a waste of money if you're actually bush busting on the coast, you're gonna tear it to shreds. Maybe not in the week or so a year you actually spend outside if you're just hunting.
Weight concerns always amuse me. Guys walk a lot further in the bush than the average hunter with stuff that is much heavier. 5lb pound rain pants wont mean #### when you have a quarter on your shoulder.
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Now that's where we disagree. Every pound I can drop from my pack adds a pound of meat I can carry out. I used to do hike in camping as a teenager, so I know all about going 10+km with 50lbs on my back, however that was generally carried on actual trails not straight through the thick stuff...
Not only that, but the less weight I have in my pack the less I have to exert myself, which makes the hunt that much more enjoyable.
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Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
On the BC coast goretex makes great pyjamas. For everything else there’s Helly Hansen.
Gotta say Conor fly lots of bush professionals who are way tougher than the average and pack tripods, fire equipment / pumps and you name it all over, but it’s way different in backpack sheep and goat hunting. Most of those guys wouldn’t make it to day 7 without handing gear to their 170lb guide. You can easily do 100kms in a hunt with no trails. I don’t carry a spare mountain house meal if I don’t absolutely have to, and any one of the fire crew, slashers, or surveyors would immediately shed every gram they could after being pushed through a goat hunt. Going out ain’t so bad. Coming back with an extra 100lbs on top of what you already have is the killer, in the worst place to carry weight. Muskeg is a dream highway compared to sleet slicked rock and cliffs. Grams matter... easiest place to shed it as an aside is off the body. Next is gear.
Gotta say Conor fly lots of bush professionals who are way tougher than the average and pack tripods, fire equipment / pumps and you name it all over, but it’s way different in backpack sheep and goat hunting. Most of those guys wouldn’t make it to day 7 without handing gear to their 170lb guide. You can easily do 100kms in a hunt with no trails. I don’t carry a spare mountain house meal if I don’t absolutely have to, and any one of the fire crew, slashers, or surveyors would immediately shed every gram they could after being pushed through a goat hunt. Going out ain’t so bad. Coming back with an extra 100lbs on top of what you already have is the killer, in the worst place to carry weight. Muskeg is a dream highway compared to sleet slicked rock and cliffs. Grams matter... easiest place to shed it as an aside is off the body. Next is gear.
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Alas, if it were only so easy... If anything, I'll be packing on the pounds as I get back in shape. I can loose a few pounds off the beer belly, but I'll more than likely gain that back in muscle mass on my legs and core...
Thems fighting words Ardent. Better offer me a 7 day goat hunt so I can prove you wrong.
Muskeg is easy mode compared to what the northern interior and coast have to offer, I get around...
No offence to Suther but I doubt he walks 5k from his truck let alone climbs a mountain.
Muskeg is easy mode compared to what the northern interior and coast have to offer, I get around...
No offence to Suther but I doubt he walks 5k from his truck let alone climbs a mountain.
While I don't climb mountains, I hiked over 16km time before last. Last time I didn't get nearly that far, but that's largely because I had already picked a spot I wanted to spend some time at. Then I got soaked with 3 hours left in my day... Which is the reason this thread started.
The one thing you need to be aware of with impertech is that moisture will wick upwards from the waist and sleeves. The lining is quite absorbent. It doesn’t happen quickly but eventually it does happen. I work in fisheries and wear it in the field and it’s great but this does happen and it gets worse over time. Fine at work because I just buy new stuff but if I had to pay....
Mind you it will probably take years if you don’t wear it a lot.
