IYO what is the best rain suit/gear available for turkey hunting at a reasonable price and why?
I use and like Cabelas space rain gear, my boys use frog toggs. Both are fairly inexpensive, packable and work pretty well. I have had more expensive breathable rain gear but eventually it all leaked. My 2 cents.
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I'm a Frog Togger too. Works great. Light, packable and keeps me dry.
Military Woodland poncho Same reasons as mentioned above, plus it comes down lower than a rain jacket and keeps your pants and boots fairly dry. Best reason is its big enough to instantly go over you and your vest, and the best application is if a rain storm isn't going to last long or if you just want to hunt....sit at the base of a tree indian style and have everything under the poncho...let it rain baby. Oh yeah, rolled up tightly its the perfect lumbar support in the bird pouch against the tree.
Quote from: Ranger on March 10, 2025, 11:33:25 AMMilitary Woodland poncho Same reasons as mentioned above, plus it comes down lower than a rain jacket and keeps your pants and boots fairly dry. Best reason is its big enough to instantly go over you and your vest, and the best application is if a rain storm isn't going to last long or if you just want to hunt....sit at the base of a tree indian style and have everything under the poncho...let it rain baby. Oh yeah, rolled up tightly its the perfect lumbar support in the bird pouch against the tree.
Keeping vest dry would be nice. I may have to consider a poncho. Hmm
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If you have Gortex type rain gear, they will eventually leak and when this happens, put it in the dryer and it will restore the ability to repel the water. There is videos on how to restore it on YouTube.
IMHO.... The best rain gear, bar NONE, for turkey hunting is an Ameristep Doghouse blind (and I hate sitting in a blind). ;D
I love to hunt turkeys more than I like to breathe. But, I don't enjoy it near so much in a steady rain.
In the event that I do hunt in the rain..... old skool Walls WaterPruf is really, really hard to beat.
Browning packable Goretex rain gear. I have had it for over 20 years, looks brand new and keeps me 100% dry in pretty heavy, soaking rain.
Someone has a new poncho for turkey hunters, nomad maybe?
I pack Cabelas space rain, if it's raining enough to get really wet I'm at the house!
Occasionally in a blind but most of my hunts these days I don't have a blind with.
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I'm from a temperate rain forest. The saying goes "if the sun is shining, grab your fishing pole. If it is raining, get your gun". The majority of.my seasons are a steady down pour for day on end all day and night and a lot of deer, elk, bear and turkeys have died in the rain in my family. Rarely does my rain gear perform flawlessly.
I tend to wear wool more than anything anymore.
Sitka, KUIU and first lite all make great products
Just depends on time of the year. I run and gun so breathability is important. Dewpoint is the current set, although at times (when colder) I switch to uncompagre 2.0 Foundry top
Quote from: land cruiser on March 10, 2025, 04:13:02 PMSitka, KUIU and First Lite all make great products
Just depends on time of the year. I run and gun so breathability is important. Dewpoint is the current set, although at times (when colder) I switch to uncompagre 2.0 Foundry top
Agree, all three of these companies have good reputations... Talking to people that have used all three, Kuiu and Sitka are (felt to be) superior over First Lite. I cannot speak to experience on First Lite though.
I use a Sitka rain coat for hunting (mostly waterfowl, some turkey)... Bar none the best coat I have used to keep my dry. I use cheap Frogg Togg rain pants...
But... When it is raining, I do NOT tend to run & gun... I am far more likely to sit in a likely location for longer periods of time. I have found that I am less likely to get a responsive bird in the rain, and more likely to get a lot more wet...
I also employ an umbrella for turkey hunting in the rain, and this has improved my comfort level considerably. I fabricated a light stake, and sit on a waterproof seat... I also switch from a turkey vest to a waterproof shoulder bag (as I am not walking as much).
I've been running the nomad poncho (nwtf version) with frog toggs bottoms. I rarely bring the bottoms because the poncho covers enough in a light rain. The poncho is crazy expensive I think, but for how I hunt it suits me best. It will cover me and my gear completely when sitting at a tree. The poncho can also double as blind material and made into a tarp shelter if needed.
Quote from: jdl80 on March 17, 2025, 12:00:15 PMI've been running the nomad poncho (nwtf version) with frog toggs bottoms. I rarely bring the bottoms because the poncho covers enough in a light rain. The poncho is crazy expensive I think, but for how I hunt it suits me best. It will cover me and my gear completely when sitting at a tree. The poncho can also double as blind material and made into a tarp shelter if needed.
How small does it pack down to? I'm kind of interested in one.
I have used the Sitka downpour for several years and really like it. I just bought the Sitka Dewpoint in the new cover pattern. It's lighter and easier to pack so we will see how it goes.
How small does it pack down to? I'm kind of interested in one.
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Packed into its pouch pocket it's about 6"x9"x3.5" weighs roughly 13.5 ozs. This is the older nwtf version not the new bottomland woodhaven collab, they are probably identical though. I run an alps little bear fanny pack, and keep the poncho in a molle pouch attached to the pack suspenders at my lower back. This provides me with a back pillow when sitting to a tree.
If you folded it nicely instead of stuffing it into the pocket it could probably pack down a little smaller. I prefer to stuff it since it doubles as a tree pillow. It's breath ability and light weight makes it perfect for me hunting in Florida. It's also very quiet.
The nomad poncho and frog toggs pants will pack into a "medium" sized roll top stuff sack. The red one in the multipack from Wally world more specifically. This will compress the set down considerably when the air is evacuated while rolling the bag closed.
Frogg Toggs are light, and will keep you relatively dry in most rainy conditions you would hunt... You will get wet in a down-poor, and my experience with them is that they are very light-weight, but not very durable. I consider them disposable rain gear. Never had a set make it through a whole waterfowl season intact.
Were I hunting Arizona, Frogg Toggs might be a good choice. For Oregon, not so much.
I would far rather have good clothing than a fancy gun... Good boots are a priority, and in the rain, a good rain coat makes the difference between being comfortable (and enjoyment) to being wet and uncomfortable. As stated above, Kuiu, Sitka and First Lite all have a good reputation (and I can personally speak to Kuiu and Sitka).
I hunt in the rain enough (primarily waterfowl) that good raingear is a good investment. I use that same gear for fishing, waterfowl, turkey, and any time I am going to be outside in wet weather... Probably a dozen times a year.
Quote from: Dougas on March 10, 2025, 12:13:04 PMIf you have Gortex type rain gear, they will eventually leak and when this happens, put it in the dryer and it will restore the ability to repel the water. There is videos on how to restore it on YouTube.
That is for DWR, not gortex. Goretex is a membrane that once deteriorated there is no bringing it back.