raingear for the westside?

[SeaRun1]

I am curious about the mixed reviews with the Rivers West products.

I have a few pairs of pants and a few jackets.  Here is my six year experience with their gear...

I love the stuff for its warmth and quietness.  On a day when You know it will be cold and you will not be moving around too much, say in a drift boat, the stuff is awesome.  Cold mornings while hunting it is pretty good too.  If you move around alot and hunt hard you will sweat, alot... 

If you plan on walking around and it is going to be wet then you really should rethink your choice of apparel.  This stuff holds water.  I have used this stuff on more then a few OP trips steelheading where it rained with typical rainforest tenacity.  The stuff holds water and ends up weighing ten pounds.  I am usually wet on the inside when this happens BUT am still warm.  I treat it very well and take care of it.  I have talked to RiversWest over the phone about it and they never say much just ask you to send it in as if it is a defect.  Really?  Every one of my pieces is a defect?  The truth is that the stuff holds water.

Great clothing...  I think it is very well made.  I also realize that every personal review is subjective, but...

Regarding the commercial fishing thing.  I WOULD NOT in a million years where this stuff while working on the back of a seiner in Alaska and that is the nice weather of summer compared to the Bering Sea.  Know way this stuff is used while actually fishing.  No way!  If you watch the shows those guys are wearing Guy Cotten or Grundens.  The RiversWest is only worn walking to the bars in Dutch Harbor.

SR1

[Alchase]

I have two sets of Rivers West gear. Neither was remotely close to waterproof. Every time you bend your arm or squat down it leaks through. Even with the pit zips open, a hefty bag breathes better. You literally have to take off the coat and pants, shake them out really well before you get in your vehicle or you will be flooded by all the water that gets trapped in the outer material. As Cohoho stated the outer surface is a sponge.
Everyone says they have a good warranty, and that they have gotten better, maybe, not worth my money "again" to find out.

[Hunting7mm]

Thats the old stuff.  In my avatar pic I'm wearing rivers west in flex camo. Great stuff.  Warm and dry.  It will cause you to sweat if it's warm out but good stuff.  By the way I hunt in an area that gets between 120 and 160 inches of rain a year.

[Arteman]

Id go with Sitka gear in the Forest Optifade...great camo pattern for the westside and their raingear is awesome..

  x 100, I've worn rivers west tell this year and always gotten soaked.  I have Sitka Downpour system now and I never got wet once all year, and i was out in it.  I wear the 90% pants and jacket, when it rains I put the downpour on over it, if its cold ill throw the stratus jacket on over the 90% then my downpour jacket over the stratus, also have their gortex mountain glove, and the best feature ever their gaters.  I hate cold and wet, I get cold easy and get miserable.  It cost me but this year was by far the most comfortable year ever on my hunts.

[duckman nale]

i just got a jacket from wholesale sports its a russel outdoors jacket it is super comfy to wear and it keeps me very warm also its quiet the jacket has mossy oak breack up infinty pattern i bought it for 59.95 on sale it was orginally 100 dollars

[deerslyr]

Ive been hunting for the best rain gear for years now. I cant pull the trigger on which brand yet. I feel the sitka gear is over rated and over priced. From the reviews ive read the russell outdoors L5 gear is better but just a bit heavier. The gear that really has my attention is kuiu. There a newer company so they dont have a broad product line but their suppose to be top of line, durable, quality gear. Ive talked to a few gear nuts that have owned it all from rivers west to sitka and they say the kuiu is the best.

[Hunting7mm]

Let us know how it works!!!!

[washelkhunter]

browning hydrofleece works very well. its not cheap but its tough, quiet enough and lasts forever, my first set has been passed down to my son good as new. the drawback is you have to dress lightly because you heat up quick if your moving. their packable rain gear is also very good. ive found that if its really raining the critters are taking cover under the trees and if your in the timber you wont get that wet. if im day hunting ill just take a change of clothes for the ride home. if im camped i really dont care if i get wet because i can dry everything out overnight over the stove. i like rivers west as well. the trick to all this is to not overdress. ive adopted the philosophy that when i step out if it feels like im gonna freeze to death, then im dressed just right. ive become a minimalist in my approach to the pursuit. ive gone back to wool shirts and pants and polyester or silk for base layer. no cotton at all except for maybe a base shirt. wool is always drying out and breathing while your just wearing it. your body heat dries it out. and in an emergency if you become soaked from say falling a river, which probably isnt likely you can strip everything off and pretty much shake it dry. this works for polyester, fleece, and wool then put it back on.

[Heavily Armed Hiker]

I use the Under Armour Denison rain gear.  Super light weight, does not retain water or let it through, and is very quiet.  Bought the set for a hunting trip last year and sat outside all day through 3 inches of water and got back to camp bone dry.  Well worth the money and would definitely buy again. 

[Ingwe]

wool if it is not raining hard. If it is a hard rain and not walking fast, grundens rain gear.

[sirmissalot]

My sitka gear is the best rain gear as far as hunting clothing I have ever owned. I have some Browning pac lite stuff thats pretty awesome too and quite a bit less money. Its hard to go wrong with Gortex

I absolutely do not recommend Rivers West. I had some of their gear a few years back and it doesn't breathe at all, if you do any amount of hiking you will sweat and this stuff won't dry out for days both inside and out. I was unhappy with it and called them to talk about it and was basically told "oh well". Pretty sure when I bought the stuff it said 100% lifetime guarantee? I was told they believe the ventilation system in the clothing is sufficient. That stuff is expensive, when you buy a product like that you expect it to work and this stuff did not. I don't care if they made any improvements to their clothing since then, I will never buy a single piece of their clothing again.

[longknife]

Thats the old stuff.  In my avatar pic I'm wearing rivers west in flex camo. Great stuff.  Warm and dry.  It will cause you to sweat if it's warm out but good stuff.  By the way I hunt in an area that gets between 120 and 160 inches of rain a year.

  The Rivers west stretchable is great rain gear! They have a spray to keep the water on top of the fiber( water runs off like water on a rose pedal) I spot and stalk (archery) in the woods, and move alot. I use underarmor(cold gear) that wicks away the sweat internaly.
I use it on nasty days at work here on the wetside building comercial fence, everyone on the crew wants a set! But at the price of gold, look for deals!!!
I have tryed to catch it on barbwire, and cant get it to snag, unless i use 2 hands to puncture it!

It will get wet around the cuffs Pianoman

[MDGrand]

Well, I am obviously biased.. based on my avatar and sig..

But I will tell you the owner stands behind his product!.. so if your stuff is defective, send it to him with a letter.. they will make it right.

For all the sceptics.. go to Rivers West web site and look at the research and comparisons.. they come out ahead!

I will admit however, that it is SUPER warm and it is NOT going to breath like cotton does or the like.. so if you move or prone to sweat like a freight train.. then open the ventlation zips and if you can, take off the coat while moving..