New Article up on Hard Core Rain Gear

robby denning · Aug 20, 2014

Matt Wymer is back with another thorough test on rain gear- this time on the heavy duty stuff from Kryptek, KUIU, and Sitka. Check it out here.

http://www.rokslide.com/2012-01-09-05-09-42/clothing

You can ask Matt questions here if needed, too.

KHNC · Sep 22, 2014

Thanks for all the reviews. Very good information, especially the part regarding breathability.

How would you say Rivers West Spider series jacket/pants would compare to those tested. Currently, that is what im using. The Spider set has pit and leg vents but still not designed for high extertion. I would like to have something that breathes much better for high extertion hunting.

Matt W. · Sep 22, 2014

KHNC said:
Thanks for all the reviews. Very good information, especially the part regarding breathability.

How would you say Rivers West Spider series jacket/pants would compare to those tested. Currently, that is what im using. The Spider set has pit and leg vents but still not designed for high extertion. I would like to have something that breathes much better for high extertion hunting.

This is Matt, I did the review in question. I cannot comment on the River's West gear as I have not seen it here in Alaska. High Exertion results in different things for different people. When testing rain gear I worked closely with my wife and my hunting buddy. My wife is an avid runner and she played along and ran in the stuff a few times for me. High Exertion there is much different than my buddy and I climbing a hill. We can stop and rest and cool down where she keeps going. In her case most of the jackets HAD to be run with the pit zips wide open or condensation built up fast. The most breathable stuff (In our opinion) was the KUIU Chugach, the Sitka Dewpoint, and the First Lite Stormtight. We struggled to find enough concrete evidence to differentiate between the three. One thing to note is that the Dewpoint seemed to dry out the fast, followed by the Chugach and then the Stormtight, but the Stormtight was perceived to be the quietest.

Does that help at all?

Hunt365 · Sep 22, 2014

KHNC said:
Thanks for all the reviews. Very good information, especially the part regarding breathability.

How would you say Rivers West Spider series jacket/pants would compare to those tested. Currently, that is what im using. The Spider set has pit and leg vents but still not designed for high extertion. I would like to have something that breathes much better for high extertion hunting.

I own both the Rivers West gear and the Sitka Stormfront gear. I love both of them. I have used them both in all weather conditions, beating through thick, wet, brush, back packing trips etc. I really like my Rivers West gear, it is great quality and unbelievably waterproof for the material. That being said, the Sitka Stormfront gear out performs the Rivers West. The main advantages are definitely the breathability, the durability and the drying time. When hiking through thick, wet brush and alders, I've soaked my Rivers West through, the Sitka gear has never leaked or had water penetrate. The Sitka is much more breathable, even with the vents closed when compared to the RW with vents open. Lastly, when the RW gets wet, it takes considerably more time to dry out, which is an important feature on extended back country hunts.

Hope that helps.

Matt W. · Sep 23, 2014

Hunt365, welcome to the forum! Thanks for the info on the River's West Gear.

Like you, my Stormfront set has been very dependable and has yet to fail a test I have pushed it through. I really like the wrist enclosures for keeping rain out, but once they get wet they sure take a while to dry out!

Matt W. · Sep 25, 2014

Additional Thoughts on Rain Gear...

I've noticed a series of threads on rain gear performance and thought I would throw a few things out.. I'm not an expert, but I have been blessed to have had an opportunity to handle and use a large variety of rain gear. Hopefully you find my journey helpful.

Rain gear is a tough animal. As hunters we often buy gear and expect it to be more versatile than it was designed to be. Extreme pursuits require extreme gear. Such gear, while it may work, is overkill for less complex pursuits. If I was a gear manufacturer my biggest goal would be to educate my consumers on exactly what I designed each piece of gear to work in. Look at Sitka Gear for example, they make 6+ rain jackets! Buying one and expecting it to work across a variety of pursuits is a tough request. They make 6+ jackets because each jacket has been specifically designed for a specific activity. When KUIU started the Chugach jacket was supposed to be the "one jacket to rule them all." It was pretty darn light, breathed well, and is great performer. Yet at some point KUIU realized burlier gear was needed for guys who spend lots of time in wet, rougher conditions.

While the Chugach may perform well in a tree stand, Sitka's Downpour jacket is going to be quieter because it was designed for that use. However, you go hit the Brooks Range with your Downpour and epic failure will result. I think First Lite has a great versatile jacket in the Stormtight. Its not going to survive punishment like a KUIU Yukon or a Sitka Stormfront, but that is not what it was designed for. First Lite is in ID and that jacket is perfect for such hunts. Quiet enough for the treestand and it performs pretty good in the mountains.

I have used my Stormtight here in Alaska fishing, rafting, ATV'ing and hiking. The Dry Earth option and loose fit make a it great daily wear rain jacket. I'd call it my 80% jacket. However, when I head to sheep country on an extended expedition I want light weight, durable gear that can be punished. A complete set of Sitka Dewpoint is 23-24ozs! Is it as quiet as the Stormtight? No. But, the design intent of each is drastically different.

I can't speak for First Lite, but my assumption is that their goal was to make a versatile rain jacket that works for most uses. I think they succeeded and its a great jacket. I am sure there are guys out there using it beyond what I am describing, but like all gear it does have limitations. Using it outside of its design intent will result in mixed results.

While I like the Dewpoint, its a minimalistic design. Less pockets and features make for a lighter product. If I am headed to Kodiak and know that I am going to spend days in my rain gear I want something that is designed for that purposes. There is where the design intent of the KUIU Yukon and the Sitka Stormfront really shine. You can debate the effectiveness of each, but these products were designed for extended wet pursuits and if such a trip is encountered this is where the dollars you paid for these products starts to make sense.

I've heard comments around how Gore-Tex sucks or that it will fail. Sure, it might, but more often than not its because we have not maintained the product properly. 30 days in a garment is going to start plugging up the pores. We can't expect breathable laminates / materials from ANY maker to stand up to that sort of continued abuse without proper maintenance. I'm not sure what the magic days a field is. The reality is that it varies based on individuals and the nature of the trip itself. How you use the product, what it is exposed to, etc. all effect how quickly you push the fabric to failure.

Sweaty hands, abrasion, campfire smoke, all push materials into pores that are designed to breath. So while the jacket may be keeping you dry on the outside, the condensation on the inside is unable to escape. I was once told that many times so called "failure" isn't rain coming through, but is a result of condensation or the result of convective cooling (wet face fabric) and the sensation is only that...a sensation. Not true wetness. Heavy sweaters might beg to differ.

Outerwear is much more complex than it seems. If you want rain gear that performs for your chosen pursuit you really owe it to yourself to research and understand the DESIGN INTENT of the product you are considering. A phone call to the manufacturer is a great idea. Of all people they are the best resource for understanding exactly what they designed the garment to do. You can follow up with reading reviews and research on performance, but evaluate each review with a grain of salt.

MADE UP Example: Matt takes his Sitka Downpour on a SE Alaska bear hunt. He spends 15 days in the rain with no relief. Matt comes back and throws up a forum post / review. Jacket completely failed. Sitka sucks, Gore-Tex sucks, Matt is only running Helly Hansen from now on!! Matt tried to make a round object fit in a square hole and then blamed the round object for not fitting. If this made up "Matt" had called Sitka they probably would have suggested the Stormfront, reminded him of the impact of not maintaining his gear, and perhaps even suggested bringing back up rain gear in case the fabric got clogged.

Very few of us have the ability to do an extended test in a product and benchmark that. Reviews help some, but conditions and differences in people make rough measuring points on pushing the failure point. The trick is to find a product designed for what you intend to do. At some point you have to trust (but verify) that the manufacture knows what they are doing. Short trip, low chance of rain is a much different animal than a 30 day jaunt in a rainforest.

I've put a ton of time into using, testing, researching, and questioning rain gear. I get asked what one do you like best? My best response is, "it depends." Of all your gear, rain gear demands time and effort in picking the right product for the right task. I can point you to the gear I have tested and my results, but in reality I'm better off understanding what you expect of the rain gear and then pushing you toward an option or two. You owe it to both the manufacturers of the gear and your self to buy and use gear as it was intended. Letting folks know it failed is great, but explaining how you pushed the gear to its limits helps us all as we seek to define the outer limits of our gear and define how we plan to utilize it.

This is why I have several sets of rain gear. Each has their place, I just need to ensure I wisely utilize the gear.

fillthefreezer · Sep 25, 2014

well said matt, and what a timely post for me at least.

Matt W. · Sep 25, 2014

fillthefreezer said:
well said matt, and what a timely post for me at least.

Thanks Scott. Good luck this fall!

Yellowknife · Sep 26, 2014

High Country said:
While I like the Dewpoint, its a minimalistic design. Less pockets and features make for a lighter product. If I am headed to Kodiak and know that I am going to spend days in my rain gear I want something that is designed for that purposes. There is where the design intent of the KUIU Yukon and the Sitka Stormfront really shine. You can debate the effectiveness of each, but these products were designed for extended wet pursuits and if such a trip is encountered this is where the dollars you paid for these products starts to make sense.

I've been a heavy user of the Dewpoint the last couple years, and wanted to echo some of this. The Dewpoint works well for me, in part because it spends most of it's time in my pack and I need something that takes up as little space as possible. It's my work gear as well as hunting gear, so it gets carried a lot more than most people will ever do. When I need it, it has done very very well for me and is surprisingly durable for flywt gear. I've done some very wet mountain hunts with it and been quite happy.

HOWEVER... there are limits. On this years moose hunt it it started raining and didn't pause for 36+ hrs. It's thick & tall brush country and has traditionally been hard on GTX. I really didn't want to wear my heavy rubber stuff that day, but knew the Dewpoint would likely be outmatched. As it turned out, it lasted 8 miles and 11 hrs (out of 10 miles and 14 hrs that day) before the pants failed totally and completely. Once water started coming through, it was was soak city and even ran down my pants and filled my boots. My fault and I knew it, but that would have been a long day in rubber so that was the choice I made. For that kind of stuff, it's really all about the rubber gear, or at least some heavier duty W/B fabric that is more resistant to "push through" from brush. My partner did just fine in his much older and cheaper Red Ledge gear that was just a little heavier. Simply a better match for the job.

As Matt says, for mixed hunting scenarios, there really isn't a single solution that solves everything. The Dewpoint is perfect for most of my uses, but I've got other stuff for the serious wet, and will be using that in the future.

Yk

aboltlrhunter · Mar 23, 2015

High Country said:
I've noticed a series of threads on rain gear performance and thought I would throw a few things out.. I'm not an expert, but I have been blessed to have had an opportunity to handle and use a large variety of rain gear. Hopefully you find my journey helpful.

Rain gear is a tough animal. As hunters we often buy gear and expect it to be more versatile than it was designed to be. Extreme pursuits require extreme gear. Such gear, while it may work, is overkill for less complex pursuits. If I was a gear manufacturer my biggest goal would be to educate my consumers on exactly what I designed each piece of gear to work in. Look at Sitka Gear for example, they make 6+ rain jackets! Buying one and expecting it to work across a variety of pursuits is a tough request. They make 6+ jackets because each jacket has been specifically designed for a specific activity. When KUIU started the Chugach jacket was supposed to be the "one jacket to rule them all." It was pretty darn light, breathed well, and is great performer. Yet at some point KUIU realized burlier gear was needed for guys who spend lots of time in wet, rougher conditions.

While the Chugach may perform well in a tree stand, Sitka's Downpour jacket is going to be quieter because it was designed for that use. However, you go hit the Brooks Range with your Downpour and epic failure will result. I think First Lite has a great versatile jacket in the Stormtight. Its not going to survive punishment like a KUIU Yukon or a Sitka Stormfront, but that is not what it was designed for. First Lite is in ID and that jacket is perfect for such hunts. Quiet enough for the treestand and it performs pretty good in the mountains.

I have used my Stormtight here in Alaska fishing, rafting, ATV'ing and hiking. The Dry Earth option and loose fit make a it great daily wear rain jacket. I'd call it my 80% jacket. However, when I head to sheep country on an extended expedition I want light weight, durable gear that can be punished. A complete set of Sitka Dewpoint is 23-24ozs! Is it as quiet as the Stormtight? No. But, the design intent of each is drastically different.

I can't speak for First Lite, but my assumption is that their goal was to make a versatile rain jacket that works for most uses. I think they succeeded and its a great jacket. I am sure there are guys out there using it beyond what I am describing, but like all gear it does have limitations. Using it outside of its design intent will result in mixed results.

While I like the Dewpoint, its a minimalistic design. Less pockets and features make for a lighter product. If I am headed to Kodiak and know that I am going to spend days in my rain gear I want something that is designed for that purposes. There is where the design intent of the KUIU Yukon and the Sitka Stormfront really shine. You can debate the effectiveness of each, but these products were designed for extended wet pursuits and if such a trip is encountered this is where the dollars you paid for these products starts to make sense.

I've heard comments around how Gore-Tex sucks or that it will fail. Sure, it might, but more often than not its because we have not maintained the product properly. 30 days in a garment is going to start plugging up the pores. We can't expect breathable laminates / materials from ANY maker to stand up to that sort of continued abuse without proper maintenance. I'm not sure what the magic days a field is. The reality is that it varies based on individuals and the nature of the trip itself. How you use the product, what it is exposed to, etc. all effect how quickly you push the fabric to failure.

Sweaty hands, abrasion, campfire smoke, all push materials into pores that are designed to breath. So while the jacket may be keeping you dry on the outside, the condensation on the inside is unable to escape. I was once told that many times so called "failure" isn't rain coming through, but is a result of condensation or the result of convective cooling (wet face fabric) and the sensation is only that...a sensation. Not true wetness. Heavy sweaters might beg to differ.

Outerwear is much more complex than it seems. If you want rain gear that performs for your chosen pursuit you really owe it to yourself to research and understand the DESIGN INTENT of the product you are considering. A phone call to the manufacturer is a great idea. Of all people they are the best resource for understanding exactly what they designed the garment to do. You can follow up with reading reviews and research on performance, but evaluate each review with a grain of salt.

MADE UP Example: Matt takes his Sitka Downpour on a SE Alaska bear hunt. He spends 15 days in the rain with no relief. Matt comes back and throws up a forum post / review. Jacket completely failed. Sitka sucks, Gore-Tex sucks, Matt is only running Helly Hansen from now on!! Matt tried to make a round object fit in a square hole and then blamed the round object for not fitting. If this made up "Matt" had called Sitka they probably would have suggested the Stormfront, reminded him of the impact of not maintaining his gear, and perhaps even suggested bringing back up rain gear in case the fabric got clogged.

Very few of us have the ability to do an extended test in a product and benchmark that. Reviews help some, but conditions and differences in people make rough measuring points on pushing the failure point. The trick is to find a product designed for what you intend to do. At some point you have to trust (but verify) that the manufacture knows what they are doing. Short trip, low chance of rain is a much different animal than a 30 day jaunt in a rainforest.

I've put a ton of time into using, testing, researching, and questioning rain gear. I get asked what one do you like best? My best response is, "it depends." Of all your gear, rain gear demands time and effort in picking the right product for the right task. I can point you to the gear I have tested and my results, but in reality I'm better off understanding what you expect of the rain gear and then pushing you toward an option or two. You owe it to both the manufacturers of the gear and your self to buy and use gear as it was intended. Letting folks know it failed is great, but explaining how you pushed the gear to its limits helps us all as we seek to define the outer limits of our gear and define how we plan to utilize it.

This is why I have several sets of rain gear. Each has their place, I just need to ensure I wisely utilize the gear.

Thanks for the info Matt. With all that said I'm not sure if you will be able to give me an answer on this or not? But here it goes. I hunt in west Oregon where the brush is very THICK and wet to say the least. I'm not sure if the lightweight rain gear will hold up or not through the brush? For example, Kuiu Chugach vs. the Yukon, or posiedon vs. koldo, etc. I like the packability of the lightweight stuff but dont want the material to tear. Anyways I dont have any experience with this gear so any help would be appreciated that way i can narrow down my search for rain gear.

Trent

Matt W. · Mar 23, 2015

Of the 4 you mention it would be Yukon vs. Koldo. Both are similarly tough, but the Yukon breathes better. As you know, hours in wet brush, will push any rain gear to the max. If you have a lot of black berries in your area you might tear up just about anything.

What type of hunting are you doing? If you can go slow and take it easy, something like the rubber Helly Hansen stuff might be a better bet. If you need breathability, just remember sooner or later heavy wet brush will saturate a breathable material and it will wet through.

I spent a week busting brush in mixed weather on Raspbery Island here in Alaska. I wore the Sitka Stormfront, very similar to the Yukon, and it performed well. No tears, and I had a tipi and stove to ensure it dried out every night. Knees did soak through a few times, but nothing major. Hope that helps.

aboltlrhunter · Mar 24, 2015

Yes thank you for the help. Since this thread is older I wasn't sure if I'd get a response haha. Anyways yeah I'm looking for somewhat breathable. As for what type of hunting I do, I guess a little bit of everything besides hunting out of stands. I'm new to back pack hunting so I'm slowly acquiring gear as I can. In the past we would hike into areas off of trailheads, hike into units behind locked gates etc. But like i said I'm slowly getting gear so I can get into back country hunting.
From the little research I've done I think I wanna stick with Kuiu, Firstlite, or Kryptek. Sitka is out of my budget unfortunately. But my main concern was like I said, should I go with the heavier gear or the lighter gear? But it sounds like I should go with the heavier. How does the heavier stuff pack down compared to the lighter ones? And what about the boundary Stormtight jacket? Will that one hold up like the Koldo or Yukon? Thanks for your help! I wish there was a place around hear that had all this gear I could go look at in person!
Trent

Matt W. · Mar 24, 2015

The Stormtight might be a good middle ground between the light weight and heavy weight stuff. The heavier stuff does not pack down like lightweight stuff does. I think the Koldo is the least breathable of the three you are looking at. KUIU Yukon is heavier and burlier than the Stormtight, but the Stormtight packs down better. Stormtight is also a little quieter in the woods.

Beendare · Apr 4, 2015

Any take on the new Kuiu Ultra NP? Fabric is 3 layer 1/2 the weight of the Chugash. The inner is the same as the chugash [same stats] but outer is 30d- so not exactly brush busting material...but curious about performance if anyone has tried it?

F16pointy · Apr 23, 2015

Beendare, Im guessing since Kuiu hasn't stocked it yet you wont get much feedback. I have been looking at the same set, but from past experience I never like to buy the first offering. Usually they offer it out and modify based on the negative feedback and returns from customers. I always give it a few years to let it go through the ringer and let them tweak the item. I bought the Koldo set on camofire a few weeks ago. I haven't had it out in the field yet but it is definitely built tough. Looking at the Yukon set from Kuiu also. Gotta cover all your bases in AK!

Matt W. · Apr 23, 2015

The Sitka Dewpoint vs. the new KUIU Ultra NP will be an interesting thing to see unfold..

Matt W. · Oct 31, 2015

Just wanted to post an update to the Heavy Duty Rain Gear thread. I spent a good portion of my caribou hunt in my Stormfront rain pants this year. I noticed that I was getting leaks in the lower leg, primarily around the knees. I assumed this was because my rain pants were just knargly muddy dirty and that the fabric was just wetting out. I reached out to Sitka and let them know my issue. They had me check for pin prick holes and the like and I couldn't find anything definite, perhaps a few maybe spots. So, they promptly mailed me a return label and took the pants in. After evaluation they sent me pictures showing where I had several minor tears in both knees. The thought is that I caught the fabric in something, like maybe a zipper, and created a minor tear. On the other leg it appeared I had some minor holes.

I expected to have a repair job and the pants returned to me. However, they stood by their pants and sent me a replacement pair. My experiences with Sitka is that they stand behind the gear. Can't ask for more than that....

In general, I think that the knees are big weakness any rain pant for the guy who wears pants with integrated knee pads (my preferred hunting pants). We just can't help but be rough on the knees. I am confident the tears were due to my abuse and rough wear, not a product /fabric failure. However, I think such damage could be avoided with a double material or reinforced material of some sort on the knees of "guide" designed rain gear. With that said, I have read of some guys experiencing failure with the Stormfront in heavy wet brush.

I think breathable rain gear can only take so much, but I am still comfortable using my Stormfront for 90%+ my trips. I have also found that zippers can be a weakpoint, not that the zippers leak, but that where they zip together a small hole is created. As such if I want to stay dry I ensure BOTH zippers (on pants) are zipped up as high as possible into the upper portion of their channel. With pockets, one always needs to double check you have them zipped completely. I have tested my pockets, filled them with water and hung the jacket, and they did not leak. My next test is to wash the jacket with the pockets zipped and see if something in the pockets stay dry.

I just wanted to post this update and remind folks that this is purely my experience, other's may differ. I hope I am able to articulate my experiences in a manner that helps others as they compile data in their decision process.

Piscatory_4 · Oct 31, 2015

High Country said:
Just wanted to post an update to the Heavy Duty Rain Gear thread. I spent a good portion of my caribou hunt in my Stormfront rain pants this year. I noticed that I was getting leaks in the lower leg, primarily around the knees. I assumed this was because my rain pants were just knargly muddy dirty and that the fabric was just wetting out. I reached out to Sitka and let them know my issue. They had me check for pin prick holes and the like and I couldn't find anything definite, perhaps a few maybe spots. So, they promptly mailed me a return label and took the pants in. After evaluation they sent me pictures showing where I had several minor tears in both knees. The thought is that I caught the fabric in something, like maybe a zipper, and created a minor tear. On the other leg it appeared I had some minor holes.

I expected to have a repair job and the pants returned to me. However, they stood by their pants and sent me a replacement pair. My experiences with Sitka is that they stand behind the gear. Can't ask for more than that....

In general, I think that the knees are big weakness any rain pant for the guy who wears pants with integrated knee pads (my preferred hunting pants). We just can't help but be rough on the knees. I am confident the tears were due to my abuse and rough wear, not a product /fabric failure. However, I think such damage could be avoided with a double material or reinforced material of some sort on the knees of "guide" designed rain gear. With that said, I have read of some guys experiencing failure with the Stormfront in heavy wet brush.

I think breathable rain gear can only take so much, but I am still comfortable using my Stormfront for 90%+ my trips. I have also found that zippers can be a weakpoint, not that the zippers leak, but that where they zip together a small hole is created. As such if I want to stay dry I ensure BOTH zippers (on pants) are zipped up as high as possible into the upper portion of their channel. With pockets, one always needs to double check you have them zipped completely. I have tested my pockets, filled them with water and hung the jacket, and they did not leak. My next test is to wash the jacket with the pockets zipped and see if something in the pockets stay dry.

I just wanted to post this update and remind folks that this is purely my experience, other's may differ. I hope I am able to articulate my experiences in a manner that helps others as they compile data in their decision process.

First year this year using kryptek koldo suit and I am impressed. I like the zipper arrangement, makes it easy to put on pants and get venting. Climbed to a bit of elevation the other day with legs half open and armpit vents open and didn't sweat much at all. Like you say though the knees take allot of abuse. I was in a clearcut and encountered some BlackBerry briars and one knee had several thorns in it that I had to pick out. Didn't notice it leaking when I wore them yesterday and it was raining pretty good. The lighter weight stuff I cannot imagine would last long under those conditions. Maybe a knee pads outside of the waterproof later would be good.

bivouaclarry · Nov 1, 2015

High Country said:
Just wanted to post an update to the Heavy Duty Rain Gear thread. I spent a good portion of my caribou hunt in my Stormfront rain pants this year. I noticed that I was getting leaks in the lower leg, primarily around the knees. I assumed this was because my rain pants were just knargly muddy dirty and that the fabric was just wetting out. I reached out to Sitka and let them know my issue. They had me check for pin prick holes and the like and I couldn't find anything definite, perhaps a few maybe spots. So, they promptly mailed me a return label and took the pants in. After evaluation they sent me pictures showing where I had several minor tears in both knees. The thought is that I caught the fabric in something, like maybe a zipper, and created a minor tear. On the other leg it appeared I had some minor holes.

I expected to have a repair job and the pants returned to me. However, they stood by their pants and sent me a replacement pair. My experiences with Sitka is that they stand behind the gear. Can't ask for more than that....

In general, I think that the knees are big weakness any rain pant for the guy who wears pants with integrated knee pads (my preferred hunting pants). We just can't help but be rough on the knees. I am confident the tears were due to my abuse and rough wear, not a product /fabric failure. However, I think such damage could be avoided with a double material or reinforced material of some sort on the knees of "guide" designed rain gear. With that said, I have read of some guys experiencing failure with the Stormfront in heavy wet brush.

I think breathable rain gear can only take so much, but I am still comfortable using my Stormfront for 90%+ my trips. I have also found that zippers can be a weakpoint, not that the zippers leak, but that where they zip together a small hole is created. As such if I want to stay dry I ensure BOTH zippers (on pants) are zipped up as high as possible into the upper portion of their channel. With pockets, one always needs to double check you have them zipped completely. I have tested my pockets, filled them with water and hung the jacket, and they did not leak. My next test is to wash the jacket with the pockets zipped and see if something in the pockets stay dry.

I just wanted to post this update and remind folks that this is purely my experience, other's may differ. I hope I am able to articulate my experiences in a manner that helps others as they compile data in their decision process.

Is this the same hunt that Sitka spiffied you with their $700 parka? Hmmmmm, sounds a lot like an infomercial.

Matt W. · Nov 1, 2015

Piscatory_4 said:
First year this year using kryptek koldo suit and I am impressed. I like the zipper arrangement, makes it easy to put on pants and get venting. Climbed to a bit of elevation the other day with legs half open and armpit vents open and didn't sweat much at all. Like you say though the knees take allot of abuse. I was in a clearcut and encountered some BlackBerry briars and one knee had several thorns in it that I had to pick out. Didn't notice it leaking when I wore them yesterday and it was raining pretty good. The lighter weight stuff I cannot imagine would last long under those conditions. Maybe a knee pads outside of the waterproof later would be good.

Dang.. Of all the gear tested in this review the Koldo seemed the toughest. I concur, either reinforced (i.e. double knees) or an exterior cap of some sort would be nice on these heavy duty series. I'm not sure I would want knee pads on my rain gear if I am wearing integrated knee pads on my main pants. How does the hood on the Koldo jacket work for you? Just curious if they have modified it much from the version I tested. ??

I passed my Yukon set on a few months back, but if I recall correctly they had a double layer, but layered on the inside vs. externally. The First Lite Stormtights do as well. I am going to really push the Stormfront Pants against the Stormtight pants and see if that extra layer helps. The Stormtight Pants were introduced to late to make it into my initial reviews.

New Article up on Hard Core Rain Gear

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