Rain gear

[night owl]

It's been RAIN RAIN RAIN! I don't ever remember a spring with more rain than this one. It's been crazy.

 

Anyway.... A good rain suit is a must for us fishermen. I've personally got 2 suits for fishing. I've got a Grundens suit (Weather Watch line), and a Frogg Toggs suit (Pro Action line).

 

Each has it's pros and cons. The Grundens is a much more durable suit but not as comfortable to wear. It's not very breathable. You get clamy & sweaty in it. It's also feels like cold rubber on the skin. 

The Frogg Toggs is super comfortable. Very breathable. Doesn't feel cold on the skin. A joy to wear actually. But the drawback is that it's not a very durable material. You won't get many years out of it. The good news is that it's super cheap. So when it gets old, just throw it away and buy a new one.

 

I wish I could combine the benefits of them both. But now I wonder what you mugs are wearing. Lol... So I thought I'd ask. 

 

 

[Shadhead]

My top is from Kryptek. It was pricey and I made that choice after so many many other rain jackets let me down. I had a jacket from one of the big box sporting stores that was good... for about a year, then it started leaking. It's still a good wind breaker but anything more than a heavy mist and I'm wet. The Kryptek keeps me dry every time and even in heaviest downpour. I'll give it 5 stars.

 

The bottoms are either waders or the Frogg Tog bibs. I forget which model bibs but they keep me dry too. And I'll also wear the bibs as slop pants when on the boat, cutting bait, handling fish. 3 years and still going. Cost somewhere between $50 and $100, I forget.

 

Trying to stay dry, not clammy feeling, or overheating in heavy rain is a chore. I'm also interested in choices other fishermen make when it comes to comfort on rain days.

[Kbetts]

I’ve had good luck with Columbia Omni-Tech rain/ snow pants.  They’re uninsulated, light and pretty cheap.  I get mine at the outlet store.  I coach spring sports and stand out in the rain a lot.  I’m pretty sure they have a jacket of the same material but I have an old Orvis fly jacket and a StormR for when it’s really bad.  I will be looking into a Columbia though.  Has to be weather proof......not resistant.

[C.Robin]

I use the grundens storm surge top. Has two big armpit vents which work well, and keeps you pretty dry as long as you take care of it. DWR should be applied annually. Below either wader, bibs or cheap frogg togg rain pants.

 

All breathable rain gear will eventually soak through if you’re in heavy rain without cover. You will also eventually get wet wearing the truly waterproof PVC stuff, but it will be from your own sweat. If it’s hot out, sometimes it’s easier to just deal with the rain no rain gear. And make sure to avoid cotton, which will just soak up any moisture/condensation that accumulate under your rain gear.

 

 

Edited May 26, 2019 by C.Robin

[KinFisher]

I wear the Patagonia River Salt Jacket for shore and boating. Super durable and all of the components are corrosion and salt resistant.  Completely waterproof and breathable. 

 

For bottoms, I either wear grundens bib or arcteryx pro shell rain pants.  I get the ones that have a full side zip on each leg.  Easy on and off.  Built tough for mountaineering.

[coastalfreak]

I'm probably not in rainy fishing weather nearly as much as you guys, but I love my little Frog Toggs raincoat. How's Cabela's Guidewear stuff? Expensive but looks good quality from what I have seen. 

[Capt. Lou]

Aftco durable and  decent fit ! 

[blackdogfish]

StormR Aero. Expensive. Well-designed, breathable, waterproof, comfortable, good looking.  Still...it's a lot of money. After decades of crappy raincoats, I just decided as I got older I was worth it. I'm sure there is good , lightweight, breathable gear that costs less. I have heard good stuff about frogs togs but never used it.

[night owl]

Thanx to all who shared their info. I'll look into some of this equipment. 

 

You guys may laugh a little at me but I'll share sumthin stupid I do to help me select the right breathable rain gear. Maybe sharing this with you will help you find the right gear too.

 

When these companies advertise "Breathable", it means nothing to me. My Grundens and Frogg Toggs are both advertised to be breathable. Truth is that if you put the Frogg Toggs material over your mouth and blow hard, air does pass through it slowly. It is truly breathable. If you try that with my Grundens, your face will turn blue and you'll crap your pants! No air passes through that fabric! They probably advertise it as breathable because according to their lab testing, they measured 1 damn molecule of air passes through the fabric ever hour under high winds. So technically it's "Breathable"!

 

You can't trust their deceptive advertising.

 

So what I do is I always put the fabric over my mouth at the store and blow through it. How much or how little air passes through the fabric tells me exactly how breathable it is. That's how I figure out the sweat factor. I may look stupid doing it but I don't care.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 27, 2019 by night owl

[Skunkoff]

On 5/26/2019 at 3:27 AM, night owl said:

It's been RAIN RAIN RAIN! I don't ever remember a spring with more rain than this one. It's been crazy.

 

Anyway.... A good rain suit is a must for us fishermen. I've personally got 2 suits for fishing. I've got a Grundens suit (Weather Watch line), and a Frogg Toggs suit (Pro Action line).

 

Each has it's pros and cons. The Grundens is a much more durable suit but not as comfortable to wear. It's not very breathable. You get clamy & sweaty in it. It's also feels like cold rubber on the skin. 

The Frogg Toggs is super comfortable. Very breathable. Doesn't feel cold on the skin. A joy to wear actually. But the drawback is that it's not a very durable material. You won't get many years out of it. The good news is that it's super cheap. So when it gets old, just throw it away and buy a new one.

 

I wish I could combine the benefits of them both. But now I wonder what you mugs are wearing. Lol... So I thought I'd ask. 

 

 

Ah, yes!!  More bumping!

 

Do the Frogg Toggs Pro Action pants feel ok on bare legs?  Can't tell by feeling with my hand, it's a weird material.  I'm going cheap for pants only in the kayak, so I don't roast in warmer weather wearing waders.  But I don't want these to feel like wool or sandpaper on my skin.  I assume most would wear these over their pants, but I plan to wear them with no pants. 

[night owl]

7 hours ago, Skunkoff said:

Do the Frogg Toggs Pro Action pants feel ok on bare legs?   

 

It's not bad. The main thing to know is that it's not a long lasting durable material. 

[Skunkoff]

6 hours ago, night owl said:

 

It's not bad. The main thing to know is that it's not a long lasting durable material. 

That's ok.  For $25-30, I'm not expecting it to last more than a year or 2.  As long as they're comfortable, I'll probably get some.  Just don't want them to be itchy or scratchy.

[outfished1957]

Frog Toggs are terrible in my opinion.

[Skunkoff]

With a $10 voucher plus sale, got 2 pair for $36.  Should work well in the kayak in summer.

[mbambara26]

Grundens neptunes are my go to. Always keep me dry.