Rain gear on Colorado elk hunt

[Huntinman57]

First time hunting Colorado in September what rain gear are you using?

 

[peddar01]

First time hunting Colorado in September what rain gear are you using?

Kuiu ultra

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[elkduds]

Core4 Torrent, now made by Sylo. Very light, quiet, durable, packs in its own pocket. Jacket, pants available. Good as an outer layer early and late even when not raining. Typical CO Sept. rain is monsoon, couple hours in the afternoon. Possible rain can be hail and downpour lasting days, if a hurricane swirls up from the Gulf. It snows above timberline almost every September in CO.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

I have used the core4 torrent for the last 3 years. It’s definitely good for the cost. My wife bought me the Sitka Cloudburst jacket this Christmas and I can’t wait to test that out.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

I rock the original Kuiu Chugach. The past 3 years it has been great. A little loud, but nothing to my knowledge that is as light and durable that is also quiet. I wear it about every other day when I'm hunting in September. Pit zips are a game changer! I use to wear heavier quieter rain gear and I would never go back. The weight savings, pit zips, and room in my pack is great. I'd look for any brand that has pit zips, is light weight, and fits your budget. Some guys in CO don't even bring rain gear. I always do on backpack hunts. The high country weather is not very predictable in the places that I hunt in CO.

 

[Runningwater]

Whatever you have would probably be fine. Not likely to experience being socked in for very long (famous last words!). More likely a quick thunderstorm or a bit of snow at night depending on the date/location/elevation. I got by fine packing Marmot Precip out here for years before upgrading for Alaska hunts.

 

[swampokie]

Just ordered the cabelas space rain suit.

 

[Huntinman57]

I have the older Cabela’s dry plus suede and it’s not super light in fact it’s probably heavier than any of my other camo gear I’m taking on this hunt but it’s what I have I may just seam seal it and use it.

 

[justinspicher]

I don’t use it. I stand under a tree until the rain passes.

 

[Fishhead]

Been using the cabelas space rain gear the past 4 seasons... Decent stuff, light, packable, and cheap. Would like to upgrade but in 4 years of hunting between idaho, wyoming, and colorado i have only used it about 4 or 5 times.

 

[bz_711]

I don’t use it. I stand under a tree until the rain passes.

Very true!

I bought the Cabelas Space Rain top/bottom for my first hunt in 2010...I put the top on once for 5 minutes that year, then one afternoon while packing a buddies bull out. I have pulled it out once maybe twice in the 7 seasons since...both times by the time I got it put on and pack back on it was time to take pack back off and put jacket back away
Really like the space rain gear, but it's been used more for personal use/football game/etc than it has been for hunting...but I've packed that stuff 100's of miles over the years

 

[wannakillabigbull]

I don’t use it. I stand under a tree until the rain passes.

What do you do when it's raining and you have to pack out 6 miles that day in a downpour?

 

[5MilesBack]

What do you do when it's raining and you have to pack out 6 miles that day in a downpour?

If I'm packing out 6 miles wearing rain gear I'm going to be soaked from sweat, so I'm either soaked from sweat AND too hot, or I'm soaked from rain.

In 2013 it rained so much over two weeks that I didn't use rain gear at all. I was soaked most every day and alternated clothes each day. A rain jacket comes in handy for those short rain sessions, or for sitting somewhere, but in the last 10-15 years I haven't used one but maybe two or three times.

 

[justinspicher]

I know it sounds stupid, but I don’t use it. I don’t see the point. It’s loud and I usually rip it up. Here in SW Colorado rain is usually accompanied by lightening so I’m planning on moving around much.

Like 5milesback stated, if I were to move in rain gear I’d sweat so much it would be pointless to wear it in the first place.

 

[timekiller13]

I carried a rain suit my first year. Never broke it out. It rained one time for about 15 minutes and not that hard. Stood under a tree while and waited it out. Second year I carried nothing. Rained one time for 20 minutes, barely hard enough to even get my outer layer damp. I was dry in 15 minutes. I see no need to carry that extra weight and take up that space.

 

[les welch]

Lots of really good options with Sitka. For Colorado the Flash is a pretty good grab.

 

[Quackshack]

I used Cabelas space rain jacket and pants last Sept in Co. Wore them two days in rain and snow. Tougher than I thought they would be. Ditched the stuff sacks and put them in an extra pair of socks. Worked well

 

[Phaseolus]

One thing to keep in mind...especially if you are deep in the west elks and high up, you can die of exposure if you get wet, even in September. At the very least I would have a Marmot Precip jacket in my pack. They are reasonably waterproof, cost about $75, and pack down to the size of a fist. I wouldn’t be in the backcountry far from roads without a waterproof jacket of some kind. I also wouldn’t be caught out in a Walmart tent, not in the backcountry. PM me if you want some first hand experience from the 53 side of the West Elk Wilderness.

 

[dtrkyman]

I like my space rain, rarely used but omg did it pour on me in New Mexico one afternoon, I couldn't see 100 feet it was raining so hard, that stuff kept me bone dry for the 15 minutes back to the truck.

I shredded the lower legs of the pants last year turkey hunting though.

 

[JLeMieux]

I don’t use it. I stand under a tree until the rain passes.

I did that last year in a small open area with a bunch of young aspens around. Noticed the ground had been disturbed a good bit under the tree. 10 minutes later I heard something walking up behind me. A young bear was headed straight for the tree, and until I turned around and said something, he had no idea I was there. Even then he didn't want to leave. I guess I was in his spot.