Rain gear?

[gman98]

Hello guys.  I just recieved a syllabus for my first forestry class this fall and I'm going to need a new set of rain gear.  I was wondering what you guys find to be good rain gear for working in the woods?

Thanks

[47sawdust]

gman98,
I'm not sure such a thing exists.I'm 69 and have tried a variety rain gear.No matter what you wear you are going to get wet,either from the inside or the outside.The old timers all wore wool and it is probably the best choice.Gruden makes some nice gear for commercial fishing use,one of their jackets might work,pants are going to be a problem.
Best of luck to you,
Mick

[LeeB]

We've always said the same thing in the oilfield. A slicker is just a slow way to get wet. I thought they tought you guys to stay out of the woods when it's raining.  :D

[danbuendgen]

Do you need rain gear for logging or forest education classes? Both? If you are just walking around the woods taking notes, just get whatever is cheap. When it rips, replace it. For logging I would look into Filson's Tin Cloth. Its just waxed canvas, but very rugged. Its kinda expensive, but will last a long long time. It comes pre-waxed, and you will need to wax it up now and then on your own when it wears out. Wool is always a good choice, it will keep you warm when you get wet.

Personally I hate rain gear in the woods. If you are logging, wearing chopping pants/chaps is bad enough, add rain pants and you wont be able to move. If you just have a rain jacket on, your legs get soaked instantly from the water running off the jacket right onto your legs. When logging, I chop in the rain until I am miserable (with no rain gear, just wool shirt), then jump in the forwarder and turn on the heat or go home...

[starmac]

Give frog toggs a look, I am not sure how they will hold up in the woods, but they are much more rugged than they actually lookk like and more comfortable than most.

They make several different styles, and I have never seen the ones that are fitted at wallmart, I picked mine up at gander mountain and they fit much tighter than the others, but were probably twice the cost too.

[Plankton]

I ussually don't look at the weather so mostly I wear a button up and jeans in the rain,   but if it's already raining and I decide to go to the woods I have a Filson tin coat and double tin pants I wear, they work great. It seems as if Filson has quadrupled there prices since I bought mine though. I couldn't even afford to replace them if they wore out which luckily after 7 or 8 years there still in good shape. Highly reccomended if you can swing the cost.

[WildlandFirefighter912]

Yeah rain gear wont last too long in rough woods. I mean you can check out what hunters wear but most of them would be at the house if it was raining.

Frogg toggs are good but again might not be durable enough especially in briars.

[hopm]

Filson is probably your best bet. There are tin cloth items that have been passed to the 2nd and 3rd generation.

Another quality apparel dealer is Mule Brand. That stuff is tough. Takes a year or so to get it fit to wear. I think I read somewhere there motto is Mule Brand will last longer than you live......

Both are quality but the mule is priced waaaay less than Filson.

[BargeMonkey]

 I use a place called Campmor in NJ for alot of hiking / camping gear, would be worth while checking out their website and see what they offer. I had a pair of carhdhart rainwear for almost 10yrs on the boat and lived in it for a long time, now my rainwear in my logtruck. I have a set of the orange grungens and unless your on a boat I think the brush would tear them up quick. You will sweat enough that your just getting wet from the inside.

[RHP Logging]

Do you need rain gear for logging or forest education classes? Both? If you are just walking around the woods taking notes, just get whatever is cheap. When it rips, replace it. For logging I would look into Filson's Tin Cloth. Its just waxed canvas, but very rugged. Its kinda expensive, but will last a long long time. It comes pre-waxed, and you will need to wax it up now and then on your own when it wears out. Wool is always a good choice, it will keep you warm when you get wet.

Personally I hate rain gear in the woods. If you are logging, wearing chopping pants/chaps is bad enough, add rain pants and you wont be able to move. If you just have a rain jacket on, your legs get soaked instantly from the water running off the jacket right onto your legs. When logging, I chop in the rain until I am miserable (with no rain gear, just wool shirt), then jump in the forwarder and turn on the heat or go home...

Right on. I cut in all types of crap weather until can't take it anymore.  Then I will do a full change of clothes and hop in the forwarder .  Even this time of year.  Soaked in sweat by noon I change my clothes and I feel like a new man picking up wood.

[thenorthman]

Filson's

Or if yer a cheap bastard like me, get a good thick cotton shirt, Filson's wax or saddle soap, a hair dryer, and spend an evening waxing up a cheap ole hickory shirt

Did one up like 3 years ago, worked good right up until I had to warsh it after wearing it to work on the skidder, just too greasy...

Any way the filsons wax is like $10 a tin and it should probably take 2 of em, but saddle soap is nearly the same thing, bees wax, lanolin, tree oil, though filson's uses spruce oil, and most of the saddle soaps use a pine or some unidentifiable but still pleasant smelling stuff. 

just rub  the wax in nice and thick like, then melt it in with the hair dryer let hang overnight, ready to go in the morning.  Once you have it done you'll need to maintain it now and again same process just not as much wax, rub, heat, rest. Heat gun will probably be too much heat... and a hair dryer is a cheapo item at any thrift store.

shirt, wax and hair dryer set me back like $50 all together.

Same thing from filson's but brown or grey $350 or more.

[LeeB]

Wonder how well that would work for doing a pair of coveralls? Might have to try that.

[John Mc]

If this is for learning type stuff which happens to be taking place in the woods (talking, listening to lectures, site sampling, etc) your needs will be quite a bit different than someone who is logging.

I prefer the waterproof breathable stuff. Goretex is nice, but expensive, and the breathability certainly won't keep up with logging-type activity. You'll be soaked from sweat even if it does keep the rain out. I use that for hiking/backpacking all the time.

One way to go would be to wait for some of the cheaper waterproof breathable stuff to go on sale, either at Campmor or a local Easter Mountain Sports / Dicks Sporting Goods / etc. Buy cheap, wear it till you trash it, and in the mean time, look at what the folks teaching or other students are wearing that works well for them.

[thenorthman]

Wonder how well that would work for doing a pair of coveralls? Might have to try that.

Should work just as good as Filson's, just not the same color etc

Thing with waxed cotton or Tin pants etc is they don't keep all the rain out, but they will keep you from getting soaked, and breath better then the rubber/pvc suits, and about 9 million times touogher then goretex, or any inexpensive rain stuff.

Having said that, when it gets really gross I have a carhart brand rain coat.  But working in it is murder.