Topic: The Best Hunting Rain Gear of 2023 (Read 31 times)
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Late season hunting can be grueling, downright cold, and unpredictable. The Stone Glacier M7 series is a testament of intuitively designed gear that’s built to endure late season hunting conditions. The fleece backing on the HyperShield Soft Shell adds insulation without adding any significant bulk. I wore a thick base layer (top and bottom) along with a puffy vest during testing. I had full range of motion to shoot my bow sitting, kneeling, and even standing. Plus, it’s plenty warm. And you can add or subtract insulation garments as the conditions change and still have full range of motion.
Both the pants and jacket have ventilation zippers which allow added flow during strenuous activity if needed. However, the zippers on the pants legs don’t open all the way to the ankle cuffs. They stop just below my calf, which makes it impossible to put these pants on without removing your hunting boots. However, these pants are designed to be worn as a main outer layer in lieu of your regular hunting pants. Another feature that I find critically important is the ability to access all the pockets/features of the garment while wearing a backpack. All the vent zippers, chest pockets and hand warmer pockets are easily accessible.
Like everything associated with late season, Stone Glacier built the M7 tough. Really tough. I didn’t have a shale cliff face to climb close by, so I wore my test gear walking through a briar patch for about 100 yards. Immediately following, I had my fiancé spray me with a water hose, much to her chagrin. And there were no water leaks after 15 minutes of continuous spray. This level of toughness usually co*es with a tradeoff. Tough fabric usually means noisy fabric. But the M7 outer fabric is pretty damn quiet to be as durable as it is.
The Kuiu Chugach TR could be the “one size fits most” for hunters that want one series of rain gear to cover most of their needs. It’s an extremely versatile system that’s lightweight enough to use in the backcountry and quiet enough to use on a spot and stalk hunts. This jacket breathes well, and the pockets and zippers are placed so that you can access everything while wearing a hunting backpack. It is not as durable as some of the other gear I tested, but it isn’t designed to be. However, the Chugach TR did pass the 25 yard briar patch test followed by the water hose during turkey season. It also gave me zero issues climbing a tree and sitting in a treestand.
One of the more pleasant things I noticed about the Chugach TR is that the shoulders were very co*fortable. Nothing felt binded in any of the usual spots. As a guy that wears a backpack close to 100 days a year, those co*fortable shoulders make a difference. I wore this rain gear for half a day, with a backpack, while I scouted turkeys one day. It’s co*fortable, and I barely noticed it when I layered it over my regular hunting clothes. And if you appreciate sweet camo patterns, you can get the Chugach TR in three different camo options or one solid color.
The Sitka Thunderhead’s design excels at spot and stalk hunting with a few added bonuses. First and foremost, this system is quiet. Dead quiet. And it’s tough as nails. Typically you don’t get durability and silence in one set of gear. Not to mention, every single feature of the jacket and pants are easily accessed while you wear a backpack.
This jacket is streamlined enough to wear during archery season and provides just enough warmth that you can wear it with some of the best base layers, yet it’s big enough to get a puffy vest underneath. And the pants are cut so that I easily wore them over my regular hunting pants in an emergency.
However, if I knew that my hunting day was going to be constantly wet, I could wear them with only a base layer underneath without sacrificing any of the features of my regular hunting pants. I’m thinking Alaska Moose or Pacific NorthWest Roosevelt Elk. It rains torrentially in both places. My experience usually goes: if the season is 10 days it will rain every day of my hunt. But the Thunderhead rain gear is rugged enough for anyone to wear for 10 days as their primary clothing, and you can be confident that it’ll keep you dry and silent.
During a particular hunting trip in Missouri, it rained a lot. My hunting buddies and I had to use ATV’s to access our stands, and the first day wasn’t too muddy, but the second became much worse. By the third, the trails turned into an outright mud bog. I can’t remember what rain gear I had at the time. But I do remember that it didn’t work for any of it. The outer material ripped on tree limbs along the trail, and it didn’t have much waterproofing, if any. Long story short, it doesn’t matter how waterproof your rain gear is, if it can’t hold up to a few pricks and scratches from brush or limbs, it won’t keep you dry.
However, upon opening the Kryptek Koldo rain gear for this test, I immediately noticed the rugged build. In fact everything about the Koldo rain gear is tough. The welded Bemis Seam Taped Waterproof zippers and reinforced articulated elbows and knees won’t tear under pressure. And you can even cinch up the hood over your ATV helmet to prevent yourself from collecting water in your hood.
However, the hood runs really big when you aren’t wearing a helmet, but as long as you cinch it down tight, it’s more than co*fortable. The super tough fabric is a bit noisy when dry but after sitting in the rain, the fabric softens and makes it plenty quiet for treestand hunts. So, whether you’re driving or trudging through limbs and brush on your way to the stand, the Kyrptek Koldo will get you there without tearing to shreds.
Maybe you’re new to hunting and not ready to make the financial co*mitment to purchase technical hunting rain gear. I get it. But if you’re just starting out or hunt in areas that don’t receive much rain, the RedHead Silent Flex rain gear will work just fine. This rain system was actually a pleasant surprise to test and review. It’s not super fancy, doesn’t have high tech bells and whistles, but it did pass the most critical aspect of the test. It kept me dry in the rain for over an hour. I didn’t abuse it like I did some of the other rain gear. No briar patch tests, no water hose. But it did keep me dry during a rainstorm.
The RedHead Silent Flex rain gear runs just under $120 for the set, which is significantly less than other options in this test, and it kept me dry. This set is also very co*fortable to wear. It fits baggy to acco*modate multiple sizing and layering scenarios, and the pants have a drawstring waist instead of a belt. The Legs only unzip to the knee but were remarkably easy to put on and take off over my boots despite this fact. Plus, each garment co*es with its own stuff sack.
This system should also work brilliantly for younger hunters (12-14 yrs old and growing like a weed in a fertilizer farm) without parents having to mortgage the house for a set that won’t fit by the end of hunting season. Keep it simple. It only has to keep you dry for now.
When you’re choosing rain gear, consider where you’ll use it as well as how many days a year you expect to wear it. Just knowing those two things will narrow down your options considerably. For example, the rain gear I choose to wear in Alaska will see more use than the rain gear I wear in Mexico. Likewise, rain gear you wear in the Rockies might be overkill for the Southeast. Figure out what conditions you’ll hunt most, and go from there.
A rubber rain suit is waterproof, but hiking in one will result in you getting drenched with sweat. That’s why Gore-Tex is so co*mon in hunting rain gear. It’s a material that repels water, yet has some breathability. As a general rule, the more active and warmer your hunt, the more a breathable rain suit is a big deal. If maximum rain protection is the main concern, then plan on sacrificing breathability.
One of the most challenging things about rain gear is finding a quiet set that you can stalk in. The material plays a big role in quietness, but so does fit. If your rain gear is baggy, it’s more likely to rub against itself and other objects as you move.
My philosophy is to spend as much as I can afford without involving a divorce attorney. I take the amount of money I am willing to spend, then look at what is available in that price range. After doing my due diligence, I may decide that I need to spend more or less because it makes sense for my specific needs. But generally, you should expect to spend anywhere from $100-$600 depending on your needs and budget.
The best brand of rain gear is the one that works for you and your application no matter how much it costs. End of discussion. Find gear that works for you, no matter what brand it is, and use it.
I can honestly say that I have several Gore-Tex garments that vary in age. The oldest is probably pushing 20 years old. That piece is still waterproof without a doubt. Newer technology definitely breathes better but just like most things, as technology advances so does life expectancy.
I can honestly say that every set of rain gear I tested for this review did not leak, even the ones that did not make the cut. Clearly the manufacturers are not only listening but actually putting their gear to the test in order to give hunters the options we want and need. While those factors may differ depending on the hunter, the best hunting rain gear should keep you dry.
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