Rain Jacket?

[NRD]

2 weeks ago, several friends went up to Pulaski for a few days, and the second day we fished about 6 hours in the rain. All of us suffered failed rain gear. At least two of us were wearing Cabela's Dry-Plus jackets. While mine's getting a lot of years on it, it looks like new, having only been used a few times. My forearms were wet in about an hour.

I see Orvis and Simms offering what looks like nice nylon jackets for about twice the competitions prices. What rain jackets do you guys recommend?

 

[bdhoover77]

I have a Patagonia rain jacket that works great for me. I purchased it courtesy of my company giving away gift certificates to reward us for our efforts during the Covid mandatory-work-from-home period. So I ended up with a great rain jacket…for free.

 

[Swattie87]

Good rain jackets can keep you dry during a light to brief possibly moderate rain.

If you’re in an all day soaker, they’ll all leak, no matter what you spend though. Your shirt underneath will wick water. Best bet is to get one just good enough to keep you dry in the lighter stuff, and just accept you’re gonna get wet if you fish through a soaker. Not surprised all of the OP’s group had issues, nearly every jacket will in that scenario. Water = Worthy adversary.

I’ve had some higher end FFing specific jackets before and sold them. They were fine, good in light stuff, but they couldn’t handle a steady moderate rain. I sold them, and went back to a standard Columbia (not FFing specific) light rain jacket that does just as well (or bad depending on how you look at it) for 1/3 of the cost.

 

[Kyle]

i wear a carrhart rain jacket. if i remember correctly it was about $125. its dryer then any other jacket i have worn. minus simms. i havent tried a simms wading jacket yet. i highly reccomend trying the carrhart rain jacket. i bought mine in the olive color. im snug as a bug in that jacket.

 

[falcon]

If I fished in a place like Alaska I would get a high end rain jacket. Myself I use a Orvis Clearwater jacket I got on sale for 150.00. Orvis changed the color from blue to green and discounted the blue. It is not Gortex but it worked well in several heavy rain events

 

[dc410]

I’ve fished in AK, generally wearing rain gear all the time because if it hasn’t rained in the last 30 minutes it surely will rain in the next half hour. I’ve worn some pretty decent raingear but it usually wicks up through the cuffs in fairly short order during a substantial rain event (which may only last two minutes). If you’re resigned to fishing in the rain, you’re going to get wet. If you don’t want to get wet … don’t fish in the rain.

 

[Sylvaneous]

2 weeks ago, several friends went up to Pulaski for a few days, and the second day we fished about 6 hours in the rain. All of us suffered failed rain gear. At least two of us were wearing Cabela's Dry-Plus jackets. While mine's getting a lot of years on it, it looks like new, having only been used a few times. My forearms were wet in about an hour.

I see Orvis and Simms offering what looks like nice nylon jackets for about twice the competitions prices. What rain jackets do you guys recommend?

The New York Times has a consumer products test division. They found the Patagonia Torrenshell was far and away the best jacket; way better than ones at 2X the price.

 

[BruceC2C]

Don't know if there is outright winner in this catagory.

I have a few, various brands...Simms...LL Bean... Carhartt...Outdoor Research.
Luckily, all perform reasonably well.

Agree with previous posts that extreme conditions warrant modest expectations from even the best & most expensive.

Perhaps overlooked is comfort and function of your hood.

Not a fan of newer jackets w mesh material that form the pockets inside jacket....
....seems like a weak link to me...
FOR A RAIN JACKET...
but a lot of companies produce like this.

Suggest to buy from someone u have immediate access to return if your new one underperforms.

 

[CRB]

Best jacket for all day in moderate to heavy rain= Gortex. Simms or LL bean.
Pony up and you'll be dry.
Also take care of it.
I would never purchase a Patagonia garment as the sizes are too slim fitting.

 

[Canoetripper]

I can't argue with any of the above posts. I work outdoors for a living and my worst days are something like 34 degree temperatures with 20+ mph winds. When the rain comes at you sideways, you are going to get wet even with great rain gear. I have great rain gear.

I really pay attention to what my layering clothing is underneath the rain gear. Never wear cotton, even your underwear.

 

[STONEMAN]

If I fear a summer shower, I’ll stuff a lightweight (last year’s model) Orvis in the back of my vest. But, if I am fishing in foul weather, I wear my Orvis wading jacket. Expensive but worth it. Get it big enough to wear over layers Of warmth.

 

[sgrim]

Like others, I have a few options... Columbia for a light rain, LLBean for a steady rain, and Grundens for the days when I probably am wasting my time fishing anyway.
The LLBean wading jacket that I have is a great size and I love the pocket configuration. The downside is that it is not lined, so the PVC or whatever it is gets clammy. If that came with a mesh liner of some sort I'd recommend it without qualification.

 

[Swattie87]

IMO the general weak spots on most jackets are the hood itself…it’s a hole…so naturally water will get in around it. And then it wicks to/through your other layers.

And the seams across the top of the shoulders and upper back if any - I do think higher priced brands do make some difference there, but the ones I’ve had have failed under hard conditions there too.

Here’s how I look at it:

For Summer fishing, it’s hot, and if it rains I get wet and cool off. I don’t even carry a jacket. You get too hot. I’d rather be wet and cooler. Rain doesn’t affect my decision as to whether to fish in the Summer at all, though it can affect where I fish.

For Spring/Fall, I usually try not to deliberately fish in full on soakers, but will if I’m on a multi-day trip. I take and wear a rain jacket. I typically get wet, but not fully soaked, and am comfortable enough for the day. I carry a rain jacket all the time during these periods. Even if just as an extra layer to keep warm if I stop hiking for lunch, etc.

In Winter, I don’t fish in the rain period. I will fish in snow though and do often. I’m wearing a heavier jacket of some sort in this scenario though.

 

[Mike]

It is not a given that you will get wet in the rain. Whether or not you get wet depends upon rain gear design, rain gear age, intact seam sealing tape, your activity level, and whether or not you appropriately wash and iron some specific types of rain gear reinvigorate their waterproof properties. When you have a job that put you outside for full work days in all types of weather and you have done that work for nearly 43 years, you’ve had the opportunity to experience numerous all day affairs in the rain, wind driven rain, sleet mixed with rain, and wet snow mixed with rain, plus the waves. When you are pulling trap nets and gill nets from an open boat there is no place to hide and you just don’t pack up and leave. Likewise, if you are fishing on the ocean.

Over the years I have experienced the use of personal and state supplied rain gear. All but one or two sets kept me dry initially, except for condensation in the lighter weight ones. Some were pre-seam sealant/tape, and then I always eventually got wet, except in the old rubber jackets. In the past 15-20 yrs though, all rain gear that was under three years old kept me perfectly dry, except for the very front of the neck. The best personal rain gear I ever had for being in all day driving rain was Frog Togs, and they were cheap. I don’t think they would have handled brush very well and I think they would have been too warm in summer, but on a boat on the ocean or on a lake they were great for fishing in October and November. Furthermore, the PFBC finally provided good rain jackets late in my career and mine kept me perfectly dry, again with the possible exception of the front of the neck when operating a boat. The trouble is that I have forgotten the brand and they were too warm for most late spring, summer, and early fall weather conditions.

 

[Swattie87]

Point, in part, though is that a lot of the heavier duty stuff that is better at keeping you dry (my full on Winter Gore-Tex for example), isn’t real practical in a fishing, especially fly fishing application.

And the lighter stuff, FFing or otherwise light packable rain jackets, tend to suffer from a similar group of issues. I just look at them more as heavily rain resistant, not really rain proof.

 

[krayfish2]

Used to have 2 Cabela's jackets. Got tired of getting soaked. Now have 2 Simms jackets and stay dry. Expensive but nice product. You can find on clearance occasionally but need to act fast because they disappear quickly.

Last thing I'm going to say and it's major...... hidden cuffs are AMAZING. Fish a regular jacket where you velcro it tight around the wrist and you'll see how many thousands of times you're line catches that piece of Velcro. With hidden cuffs nothing to catch. PM sent

 

[Arminacast]

I will give a second to the Carhart jacket, it's what i grab when the weather is going to be wet and cool.

 

[discomidge]

6-7 years ago I was given a lightweight Arc'teryx gore-tex jacket (Beta something IIRC) and it still keeps me bone dry. I know it was stupid expensive, but in the 6-7 years preceding that I killed 3 decent gore-tex jackets backpacking and fishing. So in the long run it has proven to be a better value than those 3 200-something dollar jackets. That spendy jacket is totally bomber and I don't even baby it. I'm spoiled now and when it inevitably fails I'll get another.

 

[discomidge]

FWIW I've also had some Marmot Precip rain pants for at least 10 years that are still holding up. Covered in patches, but that's not their fault (briars). My buddy recently got a Precip jacket and digs it. And they're less than a bill. That single layer breathable stuff seems to wear out (like my old lightweight gore-tex jackets), but for some reason that hasn't happened to these pants.

 

[Schaefer406]

It is not a given that you will get wet in the rain. Whether or not you get wet depends upon rain gear design, rain gear age, intact seam sealing tape, your activity level, and whether or not you appropriately wash and iron some specific types of rain gear reinvigorate their waterproof properties. When you have a job that put you outside for full work days in all types of weather and you have done that work for nearly 43 years, you’ve had the opportunity to experience numerous all day affairs in the rain, wind driven rain, sleet mixed with rain, and wet snow mixed with rain, plus the waves. When you are pulling trap nets and gill nets from an open boat there is no place to hide and you just don’t pack up and leave. Likewise, if you are fishing on the ocean.

Over the years I have experienced the use of personal and state supplied rain gear. All but one or two sets kept me dry initially, except for condensation in the lighter weight ones. Some were pre-seam sealant/tape, and then I always eventually got wet, except in the old rubber jackets. In the past 15-20 yrs though, all rain gear that was under three years old kept me perfectly dry, except for the very front of the neck. The best personal rain gear I ever had for being in all day driving rain was Frog Togs, and they were cheap. I don’t think they would have handled brush very well and I think they would have been too warm in summer, but on a boat on the ocean or on a lake they were great for fishing in October and November. Furthermore, the PFBC finally provided good rain jackets late in my career and mine kept me perfectly dry, again with the possible exception of the front of the neck when operating a boat. The trouble is that I have forgotten the brand and they were too warm for most late spring, summer, and early fall weather conditions.

Mike makes a good point here towards the beginning. High end rain gear needs upkeep in order for it to retain its water proof properties. Many brands such as Orvis, Outdoor Research, etc. give recommended washing and care options for the gear. GoreTex specifically is a highly breathable and porous material, and when your skin oils, dirt, sweat, etc. clogs them, the jacket will become hot and lose some of its properties. Follow manufacturer recommended care, especially for higher end jackets and you will see improvements in the waterproof capabilities (same goes for waders - if you find you are sweating in your waders, it's likely that they are due for a washing).