Thread: Rain coat recommendations

Hey team,

I’m in the market for a new raincoat for hunting/ tramping. I recently had a Swazi Kagoule but sold it as I didn’t find it long enough to sit on and avoid a wet ass. I really liked the Kagoule so am interested in the Thar XP but just wanted to hear what people think as it’s a lot of money to spend.

Cheers, 7RMBoy

Ultralight tahr is probably your best option if you're wanting that length. Doesn't keep you warm but just layer up.

Traditional tahr xp can be pretty heavy when wet. Personally I go with lightweight options

Also gotta weigh up how often you actually wear the waterproof garment. No point in lugging around a 1kg coat if it ain't worn much. I'd pack something like the rifleman or firstlite lightweight shell

Storing an oversized coat in your pack like the XP is a bit of a pain in the ass. Imo

And hotsoup has done the research!

What is the Ultralight material like? Is it prone to being ripped in the bush? Only downside i see to it is that it’s not a quiet material

No it isnt a quiet material. Its thin but very waterproof. It also isn't that breathable(same with XP). How often do you bush stalk in a waterproof jacket?

I bush hunt sika a lot in the Kaimanawas, rarely would I use a shell when stalking

prone to being ripped? more so I guess than the other, just need to be sensible. The XP could get punctured by spear grass/anything sharp too

I've never understood this "breathable" stuff, it may keep rain out but if you are doing any exertion you get wet with sweat. Also that seam sealed stuff with a fleece type outer which is quiet gets as heavy as shit and takes days to dry out.

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

I've never understood this "breathable" stuff, it may keep rain out but if you are doing any exertion you get wet with sweat. Also that seam sealed stuff with a fleece type outer which is quiet gets as heavy as shit and takes days to dry out.

There's some pretty cool tech with some of the higher end garments available. Kuiu, sitka, & firstlite have zip dumps which encourage breathability etc

But agreed if I'm doing any high exertion then the last thing I want to be wearing is a shell

Often stalked in my Kagoule, found it good in wet bush as it wasn’t that hot and didn’t get sodden. The Kagoule isn’t exactly super quiet itself but much more quiet than i assume the Ultralight would be. Are there any other brands you would recommend other than swazi that do a longer length raincoat?

Cheers

Originally Posted by 7RMBoy

Often stalked in my Kagoule, found it good in wet bush as it wasn’t that hot and didn’t get sodden. The Kagoule isn’t exactly super quiet itself but much more quiet than i assume the Ultralight would be. Are there any other brands you would recommend other than swazi that do a longer length raincoat?

Cheers

Fair enough, none that I can think of other than the latest Ridgeline gear however I've never used it. I heard Cam from Hunters Journal thought it was pretty good.

Macpac and Cactus make decent longer raincoats. Obviously towards the more heavy-duty end of the spectrum, and definitely no soft-outer fabrics, so noisy in scrub etc. But you’ll know they should do the job..

if you go with a light weight rain layer idea, then the Stoney Creek Stowit jackets are pretty good value & pack down small. I also have a KUIU light weight rain jacket that's been tested in some solid bush bashing in SW west coast bush. Stood up remarkably well with no rips or holes.

If you are bush stalking in the rain then the sound of your jacket scraping bush (assuming this is what you mean by quiet) would most likely be drowned out by fat ass water droplets hitting everything

Have you considered a cape?

Originally Posted by Woody

Have you considered a cape?

Cape is very handy. Apart from keeping worst of rain off, it can be used as emergency shelter and also to keep blood off you when carrying carcass. Dunno about now, but used to be standard issue in military for good reasons.