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Water Proof Gear - Clothes & Pack

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Mr.Horsepower89

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Minuteman
Nov 6, 2017
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Anyone have any good ideas on where to get and what to get as far waterproof clothes. I am thinking a pull over pants and a jacket/ parka. I have seen some things on Sportsmans Guide and other places. The stuff I saw looks like plastic and I am not sure how durable it is. If it works I don't care what it looks like but would prefer to it be on the tighter fit.

I want something very waterproof but durable enough to flop around in some PRS matches.....Obviously I want to do it cheap as possible but I want to get something nice so if you have to pay so be it.

Also any good ideas on a water proof pack thats not a major budget buster would be cool to see.

Thanks for the input.
 
I have a 511 Tactical Rush 24. You would think that it would be waterproof. It is not. On a recent deer hunting trip it started to rain hard. Within an hour all of my gear in my pack was soaked. Not very tactical. Great pack if it is not going to rain though.
 
Get a water proof stuff bag (dry bag) for inside your pack.

And a pack with drain holes.

No information for mud flopping clothes, other than a change of clothes in the dry bag.
 
BANG...ping said:
I have a 511 Tactical Rush 24. You would think that it would be waterproof. It is not. On a recent deer hunting trip it started to rain hard. Within an hour all of my gear in my pack was soaked. Not very tactical. Great pack if it is not going to rain though.
Click to expand...

I have a similar pack I guess....its not 511 but I poured water out of it after getting rained on.

JIM good idea I am going to look into those.
@ Detriot do you use kulu?

 
Mr.Horsepower89 said:
I have a similar pack I guess....its not 511 but I poured water out of it after getting rained on.

JIM good idea I am going to look into those.
@ Detriot do you use kulu?
Click to expand...

Bought 3 packs and all the clothing gear I needed this fall. I have been in 95 plus desert heat/sun to -10 blizzards and comfortable, dry, no sweat and happy - replaced all my Sitka with KUIU

best thing I have ever done for my outdoor experience
 
For stuff that I'm going to be really rough on, I go to the Army/Navy surplus store and get the mil issue gore-tex stuff. $20-40 for each piece Jacket/bottoms, depending on condition. If you tear it up your not out $200-300 to replace it.
 
Eberlestock sells rain covers for their packs. I have some but haven't used them. Snowing here tokmorrow I'll try one out and report back
 
I have the full compliment of military gear, including the gortex products. You either sweat to death, freeze or pack 20 pounds of clothing and do the continual change of clothing. Me, I want to go longer, farther and explore these Rocky Mountains.

if you want to climb mountains in 10 below and then hunt the rest of the day with temperature swings of 30-50 degrees you are going to have get some good stuff that you can easily remove or like me 3 days ago, zip and unzip breathing armpits, chest and pants. Comfortable glassing in nasty cold wind at 8K and hiking out with 200lb of cow elk boned...really depends on what you want. Me, I am 65 and love the desert and the mountains in all weather. The best thing I ever did was to get the appropriate KUIU clothing for the application needed. Cheap? No, the only brand that will accomplish this? No, but for me - maybe not for you it was well worth avoiding heat stroke or getting frostbite - been there done that, now I am going with the expensive but great t-shirt.

 

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Jimmy31593 said:
Eberlestock sells rain covers for their packs. I have some but haven't used them. Snowing here tokmorrow I'll try one out and report back
Click to expand...
They work great, use one on my Phantom. Without it in a snow storm it wil soak through. With it on you are fine. Similar with the KUIU packs, a bit more water resistant than the eberlestock, but with the rain cover you keep it all dry
 
I second the idea about a waterproof stuff sack as a pack liner. Done right, any pack is waterproof.

Waterproof clothing is neither comfortable nor waterproof, because if it's really waterproof, it sweats inside. Think, instead, about clothing that still provides warmth when wet. Wool come first to mind. Think also about clothing that does not absorb and retain water, like synthetics, which dry quicker because they never really get all that wet.

Greg
 
Avoid Gore Tex. It is water resistant. With long term exposure, you will get wet. If you want WATERPROOF you must get rubberized canvas. As Greg states, its heavy, cold and you will sweat.

Packs, I like the Swiss Army Surplus rubberized canvas ones you can get off Ebay. They are not expensive. Come in any color your want as long as it is OD green. Several models and sizes. All top notch Swiss quality. A bit heavy in the larger sizes. For lesser water resistance many will work. Or a dry bag inside the pack.

The US military uses a dry bag called Watershed. It works. Tough, you can set it to float, sink or hold its level where you place it in the water. Super cool gear. They come as rifle bags, utility bags of various sizes with or without straps and pack type bags. Can be used at a flotation device etc. Perfect for MAROPS. :)

KUIU stuff does not impress me except the impressive high price. Yes, I own and use it. It is a narrow niche product. Ultra light weight mountain gear. Has a lot of fan boys so I will get roasted. Like most ultra light weight gear, it lacks durability.

Sitka Gear is impressive in both quality and the high price IMO. Yes, I own and use it.

Don't know of any rain gear that fits tightly as most don't want it to. Other than a wet suit.

Now lot of folks are going to tell you about the rain gear they have that keeps them dry, is light, breaths etc. All fine but not waterproof. It might fill your needs. Its not what you wear on a fishing boat or brown bear hunt in Alaska. Helly Hanson rubberized canvas it the real deal.
 
I’ve been been pretty impressed with Kryptec’s new offering while hunting and I’ve also had good experiences with Rivers West. I’ve used both for days on end in the rain and both kept me dry. As others have mentioned though, it gets hot if you aren’t out in cooler temps.

My pack is another story. I use Badlands and it gets soaked through and through. I’ll have to try one of the covers.
 
You would think it would be at least water resistant. 511 states this pack is water repellent. It is not. This is tactical gear. Bad weather is in the plan. A leather briefcase would have better protected my gear in the rain.
 
I just checked the Kuiu website and noticed the are located about 45 miles from my home. Looks like a solid LOCAL business that makes quality stuff. Funny, Sitka is headquartered in my town. I seem to live in the center of high quality outdoor gear manufacturers.
 
Great discussion thanks guy, got what I needed. Everyone gave lots of good avenues to take. I think for now I am going to pick up some of the dry bags to use with my current pack and see how that goes. As far as the gear goes I don't have the swings in temp and conditions that DRV has to deal with. I am going to look into Mil Surp line of gear. I know this issue with that is either get wet from rain or get wet with sweat but its more cost effective for how much I will be using it.

Thanks for input.
 
FYI the military stuff besides being a bargain for american made, vents real good, sturdy and packable. Seal line makes good lightweight waterproof bags of different sizes.
 
Waterproof stuff sacks in your main pack as suggested.
As for apparel thats waterproof and that can handle the abuse without damaging your wallet- do a search for the military issue ECWS shell and pants. It's not sexy, but it works.
As far as breathability, gear with underarm/pit-zippers will ventilate the interior of garment much more efficiently than any vapor permeable fabric like GoreTex. The two together are what I look for in gear that is used to the fullest here in sunny Western Oregon.
 
Waterproof pack on a budget: pack you already own lined with a contractor grade garbage bag. Plus the bag has lots of things it can end up being useful for. I actually like it better than a dry sack because I won't hesitate to cut up the garbage bag to make something I need. I've made everything from a poncho, tarp, waders, or emergency sleeping bag out of a contractor bag.

A pack cover is next choice because you don't end up carrying the extra weight of water soaked into your pack.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
DetroitRearView said:
It is wonderful that we are all adults and can dress ourselves they way we want to...;)
Click to expand...

Lol, true story! I didn't mean to imply that other products weren't as good or better, in fact the stuff I use hunting is fairly expensive stuff (Sitka). When I read "flop around in the mud" I had flashbacks to low crawling under tanglefoot, or getting the shitty job of breaching the concertina!
 
Im unsure if theyre waterproof but check out London Bridge Trading...they have multiple SOF and DOD contracts for plate carriers and other equipment and they make a ton of 3 day packs, etc.
 
DetroitRearView said:
Bought 3 packs and all the clothing gear I needed this fall. I have been in 95 plus desert heat/sun to -10 blizzards and comfortable, dry, no sweat and happy - replaced all my Sitka with KUIU

best thing I have ever done for my outdoor experience
Click to expand...

Really? I spent a small fortune on KUIU a couple months ago, the rain pants lost a zipper, and the ultradown jacket ripped at the elbow after shooting prone yesterday. I'm about to see how their customer service is, but so far i'm not impressed and neither is my wallet.
 
Arc'Teryx LEAF Alpha Jacket and Pants. The regular series is a bit thicker, the LT series is for warm weather. Your wallet will hate you but you'll be dry and happy.
 
For jackets and pants I am partial to Arcteryx. About 6 months ago I sent in a jacket that had the seam/weld around the waist drawstring give way. I bought the jacket in 2005 and it has been skiiing, hiking, ice-climbing, adventure racing, on safari, fishing, hunting, sailing... just beat to crap. Arcteryx let me pick the color on a new Theta AR. That's a new $625 jacket. I bought for my wife and will never again buy another brand.

I have had similar experiences with packs from Marmot and Camelbak. The Camelbak warranty say "we have your bak", and they really do mean it. It's all I use for mountain bike racing and short adventure races. For a hunting type pack I like Kifaru, and they are highly customizable. For one that holds a rifle I have an Eberlestock. Just get a rain fly.

I also like Kuiu and First Light, but I do not have more than a few years with them. They make great stuff.
 
Drybags or pack cover are the best version of waterproof pack.
Waterproof has many meanings to location and climate.
Rafting on the colorado ect means submersible and dry.
Hunting in the mountains early september means shaking off a rain shower with the rare downpour. (lower 48)
I've used Kuiu, Sitka, First Lite, Browning Speed and many other more generic versions.
Kifaru, Zpacks, and a myriad of other folks can give you your version of gear.
Id also advise checking mountaineering gear.

R
 
superde said:
Really? I spent a small fortune on KUIU a couple months ago, the rain pants lost a zipper, and the ultradown jacket ripped at the elbow after shooting prone yesterday. I'm about to see how their customer service is, but so far i'm not impressed and neither is my wallet.
Click to expand...

My bud just had a zipper failure on his attack pants. They are sending him a new pair.
Hope you enjoy the same CS.

R
 
superde said:
Really? I spent a small fortune on KUIU a couple months ago, the rain pants lost a zipper, and the ultradown jacket ripped at the elbow after shooting prone yesterday. I'm about to see how their customer service is, but so far i'm not impressed and neither is my wallet.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am not lying. Just participating in a forum and not suggesting that you or anyone else use KUIU. I have sent them 2K this year and love their gear.

300 plus miles in the Rockies on foot this year so far all in appropriate for conditions KUIU...-10 to + 95 degrees, rain, blizzards, hail and the beating sun, over boulders, crawling through sage, sliding down canyons - pushing 4’ drifts and enjoying 60+ winds

I don’t dispute your dissatisfaction, send it back, burn it or ship it to me.

Merry Christmas!
 

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Why on earth would anyone think that a 5.11 pack would be waterproof or even water resistant?? Cordura is a durable fabric that can be treated like crap and resist tearing or punctures, but rainproof, not likely. Do they spray on a light DWR layer? Sure, but thats meant for a light misting of water or sun shower, not extended exposure to rain. If you’re worried about rain and dont expect to toss your bag off a cliff or go bushwhacking buy a pack cover. If you expect to toss the bag into a river or have water damage prone gear in the bag, buy a drysack. If you want a bag thats waterproof, durable, and carries well, you’ll be ponying up a hell of a lot more than a couple hundred for a specialty bag.

As for the op, I love my Arcteryx gear. Not cheap by any means though. If you’re looking for decent gear on a budget, try surplus Gen III ECWCS Level 6 Jacket and Trouser. Can be found for doable price and will work for what you’re asking. Not the lightest stuff but also not $600 for a jacket.
 
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Another big fan of Kuiu. My Chugach rain gear saved my ass on a ten day trip in NM that absolutely poured the first 6 days. I was the only dry one in the group. Have spent way too much money on their website over the past couple of years, but have been completely satisfied with their products. Only complaint is that I don't like the new version of the verde camo (2.0), think it has too much black in it. If you don't need something right away you can watch the outlet and jump on items individually when they are on sale/clearance.
 
I know I'm going to regret posting this but..... The Arcteryx Outlet Store in Castle Rock,CO sells the LEAF product from time to time and at a significant discount. I picked up some Alpha pants in Multicam for about $325 today. That's half of the stupidly expensive price at retail-which I'd never pay. They have some Alpha LT pants for about $250 in a few different colors.
I've tested this and a few other dozen brands in the worst of Western Oregon winters and have been impressed with their performance and durability.
 
ptrlcop said:
Waterproof pack on a budget: pack you already own lined with a contractor grade garbage bag. Plus the bag has lots of things it can end up being useful for. I actually like it better than a dry sack because I won't hesitate to cut up the garbage bag to make something I need. I've made everything from a poncho, tarp, waders, or emergency sleeping bag out of a contractor bag
Click to expand...

As a backpacker I do something similar. Instead of a contractor grade garbage bag I use a trash compactor bag. The trash compactor bag is sized more reasonably to line the inside of my pack and doesn't require me to do any cutting as the contractor bags are a tad big for my pack.
 
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