Rain prep/gear

[Neckbone]

What kind of gear does everyone pack for rain? I have a lightweight extremely packable rain poncho (if its warmer) My outer shell jacket is waterproof, I have waterproof rain pants. Waterproof rifle cover.

I understand if you are hiking around in the rain you will eventually get soaked through, either by water finding its way in or by sweating yourself drenched. Does anyone else routinely keep a lightweight tarp with them in case they get caught away from camp? Any other ways you prevent yourself from getting soaked in the back country away from camp?

 

[Deerhunter6250]

If I see rain coming, I personally head back to camp and take a nap till its over with, or I find shelter under a big tree and use my big garbage bag as a rain blanket over my rain gear. If I'm a ways in I don't like getting soaked, so I do what i can to stay dry. I don't take a tarp.

 

[Valumpessa]

Kuiu Kutana storm shell jacket/pants, rain cover for pack, OR gaiters, and Butler Creek rubber scope bikini will get me through a day of rain. I'll still get damp, either through wicking or sweating from the inside out, but with good merino base layers I stay comfortable. Dry stuff out overnight as needed, then ready to go again the next morning

Never tried carrying a tarp around but could see it being useful if you intend to sit and glass for extended periods in rain.

 

[justinspicher]

I just hang out under a tree. I’ve never used rain gear. If I’m putting up a tarp, I’m taking a nap.

 

[ThreeOhSeven]

Find a big pine if it's coming down heavy. Bust out the goretex if it's light precip.
Unless I'm backpacking in, I never carry a shelter.

 

[TaperPin]

I enjoy hunkering down in the trees during a down pour.

 

[ganngus]

I've lived in my KUIU Yukon raingear during my last two blacktail hunts in SE Alaska.

 

[doublez72]

I’ve got a foray OR rain jacket that I use if it’s pouring. I keep a pair of lightweight pants that I’ve never used. Saw one of these packable jackets made of the same material as tarps but $100 bucks is a tough buy in for experimentation.

 

[SonnyDay]

I hunt rifle seasons in CO so any precip is snow. But between that and wind I always bring rain jacket and pants. I figure one of these years I’ll get rained on and have considered a tarp, but it hasn’t yet made the list.

 

[cq0302]

For quality I like Kuiu chugach. If you want something cheaper to get you by in a pinch I say frog togg

 

[Bcool208]

I hate packing heavy rain gear that I rarely use in the western states I hunt. Found the new Stone Glacier X1 jacket and love it. Just a little over 9 oz and now always in my pack. Just ran it and my dwr softshell pants for spring bear through several couple hour storms

 

[bozeman]

As some have stated. I keep a lightweight tarp (bear paw) with me and I put it up, kick back, enjoy a nap. Some of the best sleeping I have ever had. I do also keep an REI lightweight rain jacket as a wind/rain shield 'just in case'. For me the 8ozor so is worth the tradeoff. I wouldn't over think it. Keep it simple. I do advise, if you want to carry a tarp, practice putting it up in diff configurations at your house several times before you go off in the woods/backcountry with it.

 

[Troutlord]

What kind of gear does everyone pack for rain? I have a lightweight extremely packable rain poncho (if its warmer) My outer shell jacket is waterproof, I have waterproof rain pants. Waterproof rifle cover.

I understand if you are hiking around in the rain you will eventually get soaked through, either by water finding its way in or by sweating yourself drenched. Does anyone else routinely keep a lightweight tarp with them in case they get caught away from camp? Any other ways you prevent yourself from getting soaked in the back country away from camp?

For jackets I use a Raceface conspiracy. They are an MTB company based out of Vancouver.

 

[NVbowhunter05]

I have the SKRE pants and jacket but i find my self never taking them with me. I always carry a tarp so i use that if things get bad. Any big tree will do just fine to wait out a high elevation summer storm

 

[RedSmoke]

I carry a rain top/bottom and a tarp. For light rain I just throw on the top, for moderate/heavy rain I throw on the top and bottom. I'll wrap the tarp around my pack when I'm moving and can still use it to setup a little lean-to or lay it on the ground to keep my help keep me and my gear dry. Inside my pack I waterproof anything that needs to stay dry. I don't really mess with ponchos. They're great if you've got to sit or stand in the rain all day, but I don't like them if you need move around a lot. The temperature and your camping situation should dictate how seriously you take the rain. If the temperatures are moderate and you've got a change of clothes or you're spending your evenings indoors you can really just ignore the rain and go about your business if you can tolerate being wet all day. If you only have the clothes on your back and you're sleeping in cold temperatures at night you have to take keeping dry very seriously.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Jacket-
Early season:
Sitka Evo -light rain
Columbia -out dry extreme -expected rain

Late season:
Columbia out dry extreme above 30
stone glacier-M7 < 30 degrees

Pants-kuiu katana

 

[TaperPin]

Even in Wyoming some years if you don’t hunt in the light rain and drizzle, you’ll be back in camp most of the week. There’s no way around full breathable rain pants and shell top. If it’s really pouring animals will hunker down until it clears - the last place I want to be when that happens is back at camp.

It should also be said that if the rain comes with a lot of lightning, the worst place to be is under big trees. Also, some ridges just get hammered by lightning more than others - looking around at trees where I’m sitting, if there are a lot of old lightning scars I’ll work down to a less exciting spot.

Drying out wet or damp clothes when it keeps drizzling all night is a lot of wearing them in your bag. It’s 100% humidity so hanging them in a cold tent doesn’t do anything. Just going out to pee makes you and everything in the tent a little wetter. Lol