OK, so did anyone else get as soaked as I did on Saturday? My rain gear is [censored]! So here is my question, who’s rain gear kept them dry, what brand is it, and did you get it at a reasonable price?
Tight Lines!
Steve
<<<Life is Fishing, the rest is just details!>>>
I use Cabela’s Guidewear series (2 piece) suits. I have the parka version in both insultated and un-insulated. I Wear the insulated as it gets colder and for winter fishing ,( way too warm for now) but it keeps me absolutely 100% dry! It is pricey, but I have found it to be the best I have ever owned. I think a set is close to $400 with tax.
I’m not 100% certain but I believe some of the FTR staff wear this stuff too.
I`ve been using the same 10X stuff that I bought 10 years ago and I still stay dry.
Get something that`s 100% Gore-Tex. Lightweight, breathable, but not cheap. But,like almost everything else, you get what you pay for. Better to spend $200-$300 once in ten years and be dry and comfortable, than to spend $50 every year or two and be sweaty and clammy……unless you like that feeling.
Get something made of Gore-Tex.
Beav
I wear the stearns and love it. I think you can find a set at Gander right now for around 150.00 on clearance, very good buy. This suite normally runs in the $200.00 range. Follow Beav’s advice and you can’t go wrong.
Best rainwear I’ve owned is by ProRanier. I bought it at Reed’s in Walker. It was about $150 total for top and coveralls. It’s been great. I use it during rain, snow, and as a windbreak. Highly recommended. Halvy
I use the columbia suit. I got my last pair one sale at gander for about 40 bucks!! I use this for fishing and for hunting. This is great stuff. I can walk through all the hazel brush and weeds up north and it doesn’t get cut and you stay dry!! In the boat I have yet to get the slightest bit of dampness on me!!
That is what I recomend.
good luck
I’ve got a set of the “Stearns” gear. I’d give it a rating of “Pretty Good”. You can get a set at Reeds in walker for about $150. The thing I like about the Stearns suit is it is very light-weight.
I have another set of “Helly Hanson” that I really like. (That’ the suit I was wearing at check in time) A bit heaver than the Stearns stuff. Never has leaked a drop. Reinforced everywhere. They retailed for $400 in Cabela’s. Got my set for about half that in the “Bargain Cave” online.
What every you choose, get a set that has Bibs rather than Pants. Your choice for the top side. Parka or jacket. I like the parka for fishing. Also, make sure it fits right. When you try on the suit, squat to your knee and make sure your not bound up anywhere. Look to make sure the legs don’t run up your leg. A little loose is the best way to got in my opinion.
Dinosaur and I were talking rainsuits in the boat. He had a good point about his Guide Wear. If you stop at Cabela’s in Owatonna and find what you want, there is no sales tax on clothing in MN. Save shipping costs too.
J.
Ditto on the Guide Wear. Spendy, but buy it once, stay dry for life! I love it! I went with the un-insulated, and use it year around. I like to layer clothes underneath to keep them warm if it terribly cold.
Tuck
I just bought guide – wear Sunday after the picinic. Ive had two different sets of spendy rain wear this year and both were returned. One was from Gander Mountain it was made out of new type of material that was supposed to be as good as gore-tex, not. It cost around $200. I traded that in for Cabelas “dry plus”, got soaked in it at the get together tourney, my wallet is still drying out. And that cost about$250. So I took the advice of everyone who was dry at the picinic and broke down and bought the good stuff. Whatever you buy make sure it is guarenteed just in case it dont work out for you.
Real men just stand out in the rain. LOL I like my camo rain gear from cabelas. Too bad i didn’t have it along.
Guide Wear is pricey…. my first set lasted 7 years! Oh no, it didn’t fall apart, the sun faded the red cloth the color of a faded pink and I couldn’t stand looking like a big, pink clown in the front of my boat anymore! So I wussed out, bought new, and gifted the jacket to a friend who fishes almost relentlessly as I and he swears its the most water-tight piece of foul weather gear he’s ever owned. It never once leaked for me.
I’ve average 150 -225 days on the water over the time that I owned that rain gear before I gave it away. Multiply that by the number of years I owned it (7) and assess for yourself if its worth it to buy the best up front once or waste some money now only to buy it later.
IMHO You can’t find better.
James Holst
Moving Waters Guide Service
http://www.movingwaters.net
Go naked then you don’t have to worry about it LOL!!! Gore -tex is the way to go, but don’t let anyone tell you that their product is 100% water proof!!! Even goretex under a long hard soaking will seep some!!!.
With goretex you need to coat the outer side of garment with scotch guard to make top layer “water repellent” or else the breatheability ceases to work as well. If your garment gets totally soaked you will get capillary action via the fabric and it will creep or seep to the inside and then you may get damp. Ive been using some stuff called Viking (United stores).Outer is quite durable, gets nicer after washing and is reasonable. 70 bucks or so for jacket. Just one summer so not alot of wear testing thus far. Gets clammy when warm, but most stuff does that I have used, including my old goretex jkt.
Thanks for all the great advise guys, I have decided to bite the bullet and go with theUN-insulated
Guide Wear, I have a Columbia Quad Parka & Bibs used mostly by waterfowl hunters that I have had for 10+ years that I use for late fall and winter fishing it was pricey at the time but I have got a lot of use out of it, well worth it. I like the idea of buying something one time and being done with it.
Tight lines! 
Steve
Just a note, Cabela’s Bargain cave usually has Guide Wear in it for about half the cost. I bought mine three years ago and still can’t find anything wrong with it.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
