Just a small correction to Kent's comments regarding the Orvis Silver Label jacket where he noted "It's made from the same Gore-Tex material as Orvis' Silver Label waders . . . "
The Silver Label garments aren't made of Gore-Tex, which is a proprietary material, but are made of a product that is very similar in function to Gore-Tex. However, although similar, articles I've read indicate the Orvis breathable fabric isn't quite as efficient as Gore-Tex in transmitting vapor. The Silver Label wading jacket is a pretty darn close copy/replica of the venerable Patagonia SST wading jacket which sells, for what?, about $325. The Silver Label cuffs are adequate, but the Patagonia cuffs are much superior (and opine as arguably the best out there) to the Silver Label cuffs. If price weren't an issue, I'd own the SST, but for the $100 price difference, I own the Silver Label. With that said, I will noted that I own Orvis Silver Label stockingfoot waders and the Orvis Silver Label wading jacket, and I love 'em both. And, I'm a penny-pinchin' gear head that tries to get the best bang for his buck. I give both of these items the thumbs up. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kent Lufkin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 9:43 AM Subject: Re: Best Raingear? > I think you're probably referring to Frog Toggs, lightweight rain > gear designed for golfers that's probably better suited to casual or > emergency use than day after day of fishing in a cloudburst. Frog > Togs are light, easily packable and inexpensive. However, it's also > fairly fragile and easily punctured or ripped, judging from the > experience of some packpacker friends. (There's a Frog Togg web site > at http://www.frogtoggs.com but none of the links work so it's > impossible to learn about specific products.) > > I picked up a LaCrosse 'breathable' fishing jacket a few years ago > for about $90 at Outdoor Emporium. It was light, cut short for float > tubing, had four generous gear pockets, adjustable cuffs, an attached > hood and hand warmer pockets to boot. Unfortunately, as I found out > in a downpour a 4 mile hike in at an Alpine lake two years ago, > there's a vast difference between 'breathable' and waterproof. Every > seam on the jacket leaked and after a couple hours, I was as wet > inside as out. > > After a bit of comparison shopping, I bit the bullet and bought an > Orvis 'No Sweat' Silver Label jacket > (http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choice.asp?feature_id=2&dir_id=758&Group _ID=821&cat_id=364&subcat_id=1&pf_id=02Z8A) > It's made from the same Gore-Tex material as Orvis' Silver Label > waders, has an attached, fully adjustable hood, waterproof cuffs and > fleece-lined hand warmer pockets. At $198, it's not cheap. But it > really is waterproof and I really do stay dry inside, even in the > heavy rain and 100% humidity on POW Island in Alaska last summer. I > literally lived in that jacket for 6 days and praised its virtues > regularly. > > A couple friends from this list have bought the Cabelas Dry Plus > Packable Wading Jacket for about $100, depending on size. I haven't > heard any reports on how they perform during a downpour but if they > live up to the rest of Cabelas legendary quality, they'd be a > bargain. (I also notice from Cabelas web site this morning that the > Hodgman jacket is sold out, cannot reorder.) > > Bottom line, there's no free lunch when it comes to a serious > waterproof rain jacket. You really do get what you pay for. > > Kent Lufkin > > > > > >Being that it appears the rains in Western Washington have come back > >to stay, what kind of rain gear would you recommend for fishing in > >the area. I would be wearing chest high waders of course > >(breatheable) but need a new jacket to go with them. I have some > >Goretex coats, but find I usually get as wet inside them as if I > >didn't wear them. I need something flexible, lightweight, and > >reasonable in price. I was looking at some rain gear at last years > >Puyallup show which appeared in texture to be similiar to the throw > >away type of hospital gowns. The salesman said he had been using it > >for years and it was completely waterproof and very durable. I > >forget the name of it, but came in yellow and blue. I see that > >Anglers Workshop in Woodland is now selling it. Anybody had any > >experience with this type of rain gear? Or what do you use and enjoy? > > > >Thanks, > > > >Roger > > > > > > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ > >The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE* > >http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail > >
