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.
Turtle
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.
Happy paddling!
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.
Helly Hansen
– Last Updated: Aug-29-14 4:32 PM EST –
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.
Looking at this thread for first time
– Last Updated: Oct-18-14 9:59 PM EST –
I see this discussion has been going on for a while, so I'll chime in late. I believe that all rain gear wears out, and that much of it is great until it does. I see several recommendations for Helly Hanson. I had a rain suit from Helly Hanson several years ago, and it was fine for about three or four years, then suddenly, with no warning, it leaked everywhere, right through the fabric (not just seams) and was no good at all. In its defense, the suit was made from very lightweight material marketed for backpacking, and it probably would have been wishful thinking for it to last longer than it did. For the last 10 or 12 years I've been using a rain suit from Columbia, marketed for hunters. I have no idea what it's made of, but it's a rubberized material bonded to a light fabric. Last year I think it started to leak a little, but I was in heavy rain for such a long time (longest duration of heavy rain I've ever been out in) that it's possible that water gradually found its way in through the various openings. If it's actually leaking, I think I'll replace it with the same thing.
I like Gore-Tex and similar fabrics, but none have ever stayed waterproof for very long, and a short lifespan for waterproofness on such fabric is expensive. On the whole, I like breathable fabrics much more for cold, windy conditions with some rain than I do for steady rain. For warmer weather, I prefer a vented, non-breathable fabric to breathable, just because breathable fabrics are heavy, bulky, and better-insulating (too warm) in comparison. When it comes to use in heavy rain, all of a sudden one day they just don't work anymore and you are screwed. And they take a really long time to dry out once they are soaked. If I needed something that must work and must be durable, and must stay waterproof for more than a year, I'd not get something breathable, even though I still think such fabrics have their place.
breatheability, waterproofness and
– Last Updated: Dec-21-14 12:15 AM EST –
windproofness of the latest versions of GoreTex and other coatings work great for me(fwiw). Great wicking layers(of different densities...loose fitting UnderArmor & other brands) and a breatheable and somewhat slightly warmer mid-layer are the other two equally important factors...but depending on the majority of temps, I go with just the shell for the outer layer...but if the majority of air temps are pretty low..I'll use a breatheable but slightly heavier outer layer shell/jacket and vary the internal two layers, often with the colder early morning air temps(if needed)...then shed as needed.
might repeat others, but the breatheable
middle layer, like in skiing, is the best…the wicking then the middle layer, followed by the breatheable shell is very comfy. Once you have the wicking and outer shell layers you can dabble with the middle layer, but those warm-moist and cold-moist 4days of showers are best conquered with the breatheables…although pricy I’ve found that they dry out enough to repeat wearing pretty quickly after one strips to towel/dry off.
$.01
I dunno
Helly Hansen is king where it is real wet. The rubber over fabric kind. It is what all the commercial fishermen use. See Deadliest Catch…
For paddling, I really like the NRS Endurance splash top. Need to get a pair of matching pants. And a wide brimmed Frog Toggs hat.
My $300 goretex camo rain suit failed miserably. I’m more of mind to buy Frogg Toggs every year than buy another set gore tex that may only last a few years.
that sounds good as well…
I’ve always stayed with two-piece Gore-Tex things…need that freedom of twisting and lightweight stuff…but I’m not a distance/long-trip guy anymore.
I’m going to give
Helly Hansen a try.