Most durable high end rain gear? leaning Kuiu Yukon

[Stein]

There isn't one best answer, all of them are a series of compromises and are a better option in some instances but not others.

I have a lightweight set, a beater set and the rubber ones as well.  I haven't been in anything other than rubber that is 100% waterproof beyond the initial uses.  The seams or DWR treatment or membrane itself will fail much more quickly than we would hope.  They can keep you pretty dry or even really dry in many instances but if you are sitting on wet ground or just get dumped on I think they eventually leak.

There is also cost, weight, fit, packability and a host of other things.

For lightweight stuff, I am kind of thinking about just going through Frog Toggs, you get a season out of a set and the coat is like $25.  Not great through the brush, but does the job and then I just replace it when I need to.  I can buy 12 coats for the price of one big name and they are going to eventually rip and/or leak anyway.

For really keeping the water off you and durability, you can't beat rubber.

[Westside88]

I appreciate all the insight. Im leaning towards starting with one of the coats since wet shoulders bother me more than lower legs and my cabelas pants still do ok. I just need to decide how important the light weight factor is. I agree that everything is a compromise. I have some grundens commercial grade rubber rain gear for those times when I know I’ll be sitting in the rain all day.

[Alchase]

I also gave up trying to by Gortext “breathable” rain gear. And I certainly will not pay $500+ for rain gear.
I wear fleece until it rains really hard, then pull out my Grundens Petrus pullover and Nike rain pants that costed a whopping $35 10 years ago, and are still waterproof.

[Duckslayer89]

Military surplus goretex is bomb proof and way way cheaper. I can’t imagine buying a 500 dollar jacket and then cutting firewood or loading a wood stove putting a hole in it. Check out the military surplus gore if you want breathable. I keep that in a dry sack in my pack for out hunting and the PVC for in camp walking around or by the fire if it’s raining

[WapitiTalk1]

Have a set of Russell’s Outdoors that has been solid for close to 15 years?  They don’t make it any more    On to the KUIU modern day.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I have some Kuhl rain gear that has lasted a few years of pretty tough conditions.  I wear it for field work and hunting/recreation and its been good. 

[Longfield1]

Ive worn the military "bomb proof" goretex and it does not keep you dry for more than a few hours. I wore it for 5 days straight in the rain and was waterlogged beyond my comfort zone but it was better than nothing as it trapped heat also.

Kuiu is having a sale on Yukon pants. Just picked myself up a set as i have the Chugach top and wanted a little more durability for the bottoms. There normally $329 but right now there $249.

Every budget hunter than ive heard online and in person said theres 2 things you dont cheap out on, rain gear and boots. Being wet and cold ends the hunt for recreational hunters.

[Duckslayer89]

Ive worn the military "bomb proof" goretex and it does not keep you dry for more than a few hours. I wore it for 5 days straight in the rain and was waterlogged beyond my comfort zone but it was better than nothing as it trapped heat also.

Kuiu is having a sale on Yukon pants. Just picked myself up a set as i have the Chugach top and wanted a little more durability for the bottoms. There normally $329 but right now there $249.

Every budget hunter than ive heard online and in person said theres 2 things you dont cheap out on, rain gear and boots. Being wet and cold ends the hunt for recreational hunters.

Mine has been amazing and super strong. Beating brush. Maybe we have different stuff. I got mine from fort brag military surplus online.

[BeerBugler]

I buy Kuiu gear almost exclusively these days, that being said I’ve never replaced my strorm front and cold front rain gear from Sitka. Walking through huckleberry patches or laying in the snow for a shot, I can honestly say I have NEVER got wet in either one.. Loud, a little bulkier than kuiu yukon, heavier but absolutely bulletproof. At times I will wear the cold front gear as a primary layer.

[Buck Rub Jr]

Kuiu is running a sale for Labor Day. Yukon rain gear set for $529 wish I could justify buying more gear right now 

[Bob33]

I agree with most of this. Many GoreTex "failures" are due to the inability to expel humidity from sweat, not external moisture seeping through.

https://mountainwagon.com/the-blog/the-truth-about-waterproof-breathable

The Waterproof Breathable Problem
Waterproof breathable membranes and coatings work on the principle of diffusion. Diffusion needs a difference in humidity on each side of the membrane in order for your jacket to accomplish anything. The bigger the difference, the higher the rate of diffusion. When you are working hard, it's wet inside your jacket, so it's best at moving that sweat to outside your jacket when it's dry out.

Pissing rain means it's pretty damn humid out - which means the driving pressure for diffusion is low or straight up zero which means maybe your jacket is waterproof, but it just isn't very breathable. If you are sweating while it's pouring raining, you're getting wet. If the humidity outside your jacket is the same as the humidity inside your jacket - then there's just nowhere for your sweat to go, so unless there's some crazy voodoo going on that I don't know about, I don't know how a breathable jacket could keep you dry while you are working hard in a humid environment. It's certainly what I've experienced during my time in the super wet coast mountains of BC.

What it really comes down to, is if it's raining out, you have three realistic options:

Say screw it to a shell, get wet from rain. Works when it's warm.
Wear a waterproof shell, work hard and get wet from sweat which is generally warmer than getting wet from the rain, but you freeze when you stop.
Wear a waterproof shell , realize that it's going to breathe like *censored*, even if you have the fanciest thing out there because the humidity inside and outside the jacket are so similar and restrict yourself to only going as fast as you can go without seriously sweating. If you start getting wet, slow down.

Notice that there's no solution for 'stay dry while working hard in the rain'. There just isn't anything out there that can do that at this point.

[KNOPHISH]

My go to for heavy rain is a Simms jacket. Velcro sleeve ends keeps water from going up when arms are bent. High collar with hood work well. Sitka pants have a full length side zippers make easy on and off. And of course a couple full sets of helly hansons with the bibs. 1 set is over 30 years old and still going strong. But I wouldn’t wear them hiking very far.

[Westside88]

Gone

[Wetwoodshunter]

I hunt the west side, lived in Sekiu 110 inches of rain a year at my house. Did caribou out of Deadhorse, Ak. I have been using Firstlite’s gear since they came out. Some things I love, some I hate.

SEAK raingear is one of the best things of my gear. You do have to be cautious about blackberries though because thorns will go right through them. I keep gear tape on my and patch from the inside if I need to.  I also am very, very hard on my gear.

I wouldn’t hesitate to go with the SEAK line. Kuiu Yukon gear is also great, I don’t own any though.

[Weaklink]

Bob33 nailed it.  Goretex/breathable is only good if there is a humidity differential.   I have spent thousands $$$ on high-dollar kayaking Goretex, including complete drysuits.  But since I'm constantly immersed in water, upside-down, or getting splashed, there is no way my sweat is passing outside my clothes.   

Now if the rain stops and allows the outside material to dry-out, the material can wick inside moisture away.  But that is usually not the case...

Best bet is to concentrate on water-proof (not necessarily breathable) and try to control moisture inside.  Bring changes of undergarments and try to keep dry inside.