keepin dry n the rain

[Instinct]

So what type of gear ya use when out in the field to keep dry but able to shoot ur bow? Just curious cuz I didn't like the fact that I was gettin pissed on every day n the early season when chasing elk lol so thinkin bout getting a raincoat but just seeing what everyone else uses.

[bobcat]

I like Helly Hansen's Impertech.

[steen]

Wore an oilskin coat riding horse in the rain and wind today.  A bit risky in the trees but we stayed dry.  Really, for hunting I use my HPs or River's West.  It can be warm in some weather but when you are sitting in the cold, wind, rain or snow it is much easier to stay out in it.  Western Wa is notorious for rain so I use it on all those hunts.  While hiking I stuff the jacket in my orange vest pocket ( I use an orange upland bird vest with the bird pocket in the back for carrying my coat while hiking in)

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I treat all my gear with "sport-wash" and U.V. Blocker, then after it is dry, several light coats of "Camp-Dry", it is a silicone base and has no scent after drying.
It seems to wash out/wear off (I always use "sport wash"), but really works good for a season, then I just re-apply.
That way, I hunt in clothes that I am confortable in, and dont sweat like I would wearing extra stuff.
I wear wool a lot, and change my socks/boots every chance I get, because they seem to ALWAYS be wet.
I dont mind being wet, but as I walk a lot, my feet are very important.
You would be amazed at how good it feels to put on a fresh, dry, change of socks.

[sakoshooter]

Cabelas Rain Suede. Breathes well and is 100% waterproof. Quiet in the woods also. No pockets etc in the way of shooting my bow. $100 gets it done.

Stiknstringbow - ever try Poly Pro or a similar material sock under your wool socks? They wick all moisture away from your feet. My feet always feel dry and comfortable with poly pro next to my skin and wool over
them.

[wsucowboy]

I use rivers west. Have for the past 4 or 5 years and they have always kept me dry. only thing I don't like about them is there not that breathable.

[Instinct]

Sweet, gotta check out them companys

[Todd_ID]

I, too have the River's West stuff.  It for sure keeps you dry and warm.  Does anybody else have a problem with the string hitting the River's West coat almost every time?  3 of us that hunt together all have their coats and all of us have string contact problems, so I'm guessing it's a common theme.  We all know it's going to happen, so we just make sure to have an arm guard in the pocket of the coat so we have it anytime we're hunting in that coat.

[raekmike]

Here's what i use....Awesome product....Hey it's on sale too!   

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Rain-Suede8482-Evolution-Packable-Parka-150-Regular/750273.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dpackable%2Brain%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=packable+rain&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products


http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Rain-Suede8482-Evolution-Packable-Pants-150-Regular/750271.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dpackable%2Brain%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=packable+rain&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

[halflife65]

I have a bunch of rain gear:

1. I'm pretty sure that it's going to rain all day: Cabela's MT50
2. It's raining but I don't think that it'll keep raining: Cabela's Rain Suede
3. It's probably not going to rain: Stick a Cabela's Ultrapack Space Raingear (like the size of a baseball in your pack and less than a pound)

When either rifle hunting or just hiking I don't use the Cabela's stuff at all but a set of (not camo, obviously) raingear from REI.  Better built and lighter.  A few companies are starting to build clothes that are as good as the (traditionally) not-made-for-hunting hiking/mountaineering clothes but not a lot and they are exhorbitantly expensive.

[frostman]

Don't put your River West gear in the dryer. Shrunk mine and had to gift them to my nephew. You need to go light under the Rivers West also cause you will be cookin if you're workin.

[Coastal_native]

Staying Dry?....oh wait...you guys must be from the east side.

October - December there is no such thing as staying dry no matter how much money I spend on water proof gear...if I'm not getting wet, I'm probably not spending enough time in the woods.  If I do find a a good water resistant set of camo, they usually only work for one or two seasons...depending on how much crab apple, evergreen huck, blackberry, slash and reprod I bust through.

[ElkTipper]

So Coastal, it sounds like you have spent a tremendous amount of time in the woods. Any good information you care to share? I am not so sure I want to spend the money for some of the rain gear that I have been looking up on-line. Way too many options also.

[JimmyHoffa]

So far the best I've found is military surplus gore-tex.  Prior to that I would've said Oilskin.  I had to recondition the gore-tex with wash in stuff.  One issue if you are out all day is all the different openings which allow water in, especially around the wrist cuffs.  When you raise and lowe your hands the water eventually rolls down inside and seeps up from underneath.  The best solution I've found is to wear the neoprene fishing gloves--either shimano or glacier glove (the shimano ones have the thumb/index finger flip backs).  The neoprene is tight enough to wear on the outside of the gore-tex to keep the water from running inside.

[sneakyjake]

Does that sport wash really work?  I thought about getting it for my ski season stuff.  Anyhow, I wear the Mt50 for early and late. I also pack in for over a week and if it is raining, you are gonna get wet unless you have your Hellys on.  Since you can't pack it all in, I do ok with that stuff.  If you bowhunt and hunt hard, you will get wet from the inside or out.  Just plan on making a fire.  Get the most quiet, lightweight thing you can.  layer, hunt then dry.