I am looking to purchase good reliable rain gear for trips in Maine - (Allagash, St. John, Machias and lessor known fresh waters in that area), as well as arctic Canada (arctic Quebec, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon) and perhaps Alaska. In Maine generally in May and October and in Canadian arctic in summer - usually July.
I have renewed the finish on my Gore Tex jacket several times but it just is not cutting it anymore. I notice some of the seam tape has separated from the fabric. Its old and its time to get something new. I have used MEC coated nylon pants as well but I have never been 100% satisfied with them - and now they are falling apart. I do not need or want to use a dry suit for these trips. Although, it would be nice to find some loose fitting rain pants made from the same high end goretex that Kokatat uses in their best dry suits. That would be nice to have.
I'm not interested in a poncho - too windy for that. A long rain coat is certainly and idea worth considering. One concern though is that whatever I end up with needs to be functional in windy conditions that are prevalent especially in the arctic, (few trees).
Storm cag? It’s like a cross between a sprayskirt and a poncho but with real sleeves added. Long in the body, it can serve as emergency storm shelter also while sitting with knees folded up to chest.
They’ve been made in both Gore-tex and non-Gore-tex versions. Mine is not Gore-tex–it’s more windproof than Gore-tex but not as breathable.
So if you are wearing a dry suit of one kind or another when you are paddling in rain - do you don the dry suit every day if there is any threat of rain or do you stop and don the suit mid paddle? Also, what do you wear in camp when it is raining and you are ducking in and out from under the tarp etc.? Also, are there "dry" suits out there that are high quality and reliable for service paddling in cold rain all day (if not for immersion which is not my concern) and that have a neck seal that is adjustable - maybe neoprene? Something that would be truly comfortable for use when immersion is not the concern?
I don't know - I'm not sure that I would like the fact that I can't change layers during the day without a huge process getting a dry suit off and back on.
great for the sea kayak - but I am talking about canoe trips at the moment. I have and use a Tuilik which is similar when I am paddling a sea kayak in bad weather and when a dry suit is not necessary because immersion is not a major concern.
Rain Gear Sounds like you are going to remote places in spring and fall. I would not mess around with any cheap stuff. I use a 2 piece rain suit designed for hikers from North Face. It is not Gortex, just coated nylon with lots of ventilation. This has served me well over the years. Good movement and ventilation are key - especially for a canoeist (and especially if you will portage).
Lifetime warranty If you have failing seam tape gore products are warrantied for life. I use gore 3 layer products. (Pants jacket dry suit and dry top) I trust them and they work as well or better than the competition. Gore is more expensive but they back up their products for life. Last year I noticed the seam tape on my rain coat was failing so I tried to contact the company (moonstone) which was purchased by Columbia (not a gore user) and was refered to gore. They had me pick out any gore jacket I wanted from any company and shipped to my house. I will only buy gore because of this. Worth every penny.
I don’t expect to stay dry while paddlin g (not enough room in the title bar)
I sweat while paddling, setting up camp, and wood gathering. So I know I will not stay dry no matter.
For that reason I’ve been bringing two sets of rain gear.
The first is an inexpensive breathable splash jacket I got from NRS with an inexpensive pair of breathable rain pants I got from Campmor. Those go over my paddling clothes as needed. So long as I’m working I stay fairly comfortable. Sometimes my paddling clothes get dryer even. Quite often those are damp inside when I take them off.
The second is a urethane coated rain suit, Jacket and bib overalls. Those go over my dry clothes when the hard stuff is done. Those keep me fairly warm and plenty dry so long as I remember to change if I’m back to cranking.
That has worked well for me in the Adirondaks, VT, NH and Maine.
I’ve had too much trouble with DWR finishes to want to pay for expensive breathables. I hope the ones I have last a few years.
What I’ve concluded I had to replace a jacket recently. It was an LL Bean Trail Model coated nylon jacket, said to be 100% waterproof, that was just terrible in the rain. It soaked through in about 10 minutes.
I compared a lot of different brands or coated nylon jackets. In the stores the coatings looked just about identical in the $40 to $80 range. From talking to product specialists at EMS, REI, Bean’s, and Cabela’s, I concluded that NONE of those coated jackets are going to protect you when you need it most: in cold, wet weather. Below 50 degrees I feel like this is a real safety issue (hypothermia) and it concerns me for kayaking and hiking.
Helvey Hanson I bought some helvey hanson rain gear years ago in anticipation of a hunting trip to Alaska. It’s still hanging unused in my closet. It’s what the big boys wear in the rain.
my experience After many systems,I have settled on a long LL Bean gortex rain parka top with a wide brimmed hat. If it’s not too cold,I just write off my lower legs and feet and wear shorts and keen sandles. When it’s colder,I wear coated rain chaps on my legs with fleece underneath and neoprene high boots. The air gaps at the neck and waist vent moisture quite well. Been was the only place i could find a goretex rain parka at the time,but i see REI or Campmore have one now. The Beam parka was pricy,but doesn’t leak at all.
Raingear for Paddling on Extended Trips Over my fifty years of canoeing, rafting, backpacking, and mountaineering I have used a large quantity of raingear from coated nylon ponchos to expensive Gore tex dry suits. My experience is you get what you are willing to pay for.
Unless you are a very slow paddler any coated nylon parka and pants will leave you soaking wet with in a few hours on the water. Ponchos tend to get blown away from your body in the canoe as it is almost always pretty windy on most lakes and rivers during wet weather.
Wearing an expensive Kokatat or NRS Drysuit in waters which are not particularly cold is over kill and very expensive Suits averaging between $550 and $1,100. There are several brands of Gore tex or other breathable fabric rain parkas, and paddle jackets that will keep you relatively dry and comfortable in most rainy weather. Some manufacturers to consider are, REI, North Face, Marmot, NRS, LL Bean, Cabelas, Sierra Designs, Pantagonia, and Mountain Hardware.
For my upper body in rainy weather I wear either a MTI Adventurwear Kayak Jacket with gusseted cuffs and neck closure or my prized Expedition Solstice Mountain Parka made of three ply Gore tex and Cordura nylon with lapped stitching on all seams. Solstice was a small California company specializing in high end mountaineering clothing. It was bought out by one of the large companies.
For my lower body I either wear my Immersion Research Paddling Pants with neoprene waist and ankle closures or if I have my spray skirt on the canoe I wear shorts or quick dry pants since my lower body is protected by the waist closure.
Anywhere in northern waters where water temperatures are immediately life threatening a dry suit is required.
As for using Froggtoggs for extended trips in wet weather, leave them at home. My wife and I use them on cruise ships to Alaska for walking around towns and escorted excursions, but “never” for serious backcountry paddling or backpacking. Duck take is no substitute for good performance in serious conditions
If my Froggtoggs fail on a cruise it doesnt do much to spoil my day. If they fail sixty to two hundred miles from civilization it taint no fun at all.
rain gear You are asking about rain gear, not, it seems, dry tops or dry suits. I live and paddle in the Tongass Rainforest. If you want to stay dry in cool, wet weather while in camp buy Helly Hansen Impertech. It doesn’t breath and it will withstand days and days of constant rain. We use Kokatat dry suits and paddle tops while in the boats, but Helly Hansen rules the land.
Lid for the mellon IMO, the best raingear is a wide brimmed hat. The rest of you is going to get wet, so just accept it and move on.
No matter how breathable the material claim is, if you walk and are active, your body steam trapped inside your raingear is going to get you just as wet as the rain… only it smells worse.
Umnak,
I can spot people that know about rain from a long ways away. I used to work on the old Quartz Hill mining project in what is now Misty Fjords, around the Keta and Blossom Rivers and Boca de Quadra. that country averages 150 inches of rain a year, including 30 inches in the month of Oct alone.