Gander Mtn. Guidewear - Rain Gear

[yellowsubmarine]

I'm tired of wearing cheap PVC and plastic rain gear. It's uncomfartable and I'm very warm blooded anyway, so I get real hot in the stuff in a hurry. I simply can't afford the Cabelas Guide wear so that's out of the question. I've been looking at the Gander Mountain series Guide Wear and my only concern is the nylon as opposed to a GORTEX fabric. Does anyone have any experience with this stuff? Does it breathe well and more importantly, does is it stand up and stay waterproof if you're out in the rain all day? Thanks in advance for any input.

[irvingdog]

It's a flagrent Goretex knock-off. I love mine. Waterproof/breathable and durable so far.

[Northlander]

The crtch wore out on mine after only 1 year but I kept dry as long as I was standing. I really like the Hodgemans as well as Stearns I have used. In real warmer weather I have some Helly Hanson rain gear and love it.
Also Viking makes some nice stuff at a real nice price. Cabelas Guide wear is bulletproof from what all the guys that can afford it tell me.

[rmh2o]

I bought a set of stearns a couple years ago at GM and for the price I think they are very good.

[sandman469ss]

I'll bet if you checked into it, the Cabelas brand is actually made by Stearns. Cabelas doesn't make half their stuff, they just buy the right to put their name on it. One example would be lifejackets. I know there is a lifejacket out there made by stearns, but has either the cabelas name or Ranger boats name on it. If it has Cabelas name on it and looks like another brand, it probably is. I've never had a problem with anything made by stearns. I have a pair of bibs from whitewater outdoors that I've been extremely impressed with that I picked up from Fleet Farm pretty cheap.
I say, get the best you can afford. One cold rainy 8 hour day on a lake, will prove it's worth a little extra $$, especially if they last 5 years.

Nice thing about Cabelas, if you wear them and decide, say after this season, that you don't like them, they'll take em back 9 times out of 10.

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Takin it easy! & if it’s easy, I’ll take it twice!

[buzbunni]

I've heard some people recommending Froggs Toggs. I have never used the brand myself(may try this year though), but they are relatively inexpensive, and are supposedly breathable.

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SERIOUSLY! It was THIS big!

[rmh2o]

I was also looking at the frogg toggs.Any opinions on these?Are they more for warmer weather?Bibs or pants?Have heard good things about them but have only seen them online.Thanks

[Jason Boser]

frogg togs just dont hold up. A couple of guides in our group had them. I would stick with the good stuff. GM,Cabelaa,stearns. I have the stearns for 100 bucks they hold up pretty well.

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fishing fever guide service
fishingminnesota.com/fishingfever/
phone 218-327-2191
e-mail boser@grandrapidsmn.com

[Dennis Steele]

I have a set from one of the big chains that has "Dry Plus" fabric.Just like Gore Tex in my opinion.Been using it for over a year now and no complaints. I think I paid about half of what a comparable Gore Tex suit would have cost.

[IceHawk]

I have a pair of the gander guidewear and have been real happy with it. I have had it for over a year and its durability is great. As far as the frogg toggs rain gear I heard alot of things about them, but after looking at them and talking to others my opinion is that they don't look durable and they seem to light to be really windproof. Go with a setof Gander,Stearns,Cabelas, guidewear and you will be happy.

[fiskyknut]

Josh, hey man get yourself a jar and each day put all your change in it! That good stuff commands a premium price, but in the longrun you will be happier....and drier!

EGF Cabelas had it on sale last time I was out there.

fiskyknut

[yellowsubmarine]

Wow, thanks for all the replies folks. Fisky, in order to put change in the jar you have to spend money, and I don't have any.

Northlander - good to hear from you again. Did water soak thru those on you or did you not have the bibs?

Thanks again.

[Farley]

Remmington makes a decent set of raingear for around $50. I bought mine at fleet farm and am happy except for the bottoms of the bibs, they started to bubble up and look really nasty. But I think that is from wearing them in the swamp duck hunting(they have a cammo pattern).

[rich4walleyes]

I have a set of the Frog Togs and I love them. They are totally windproof and will last if you take care of them. I have been using the same pair for 3 years now. Guys are right they do not provide alot of extra warmth unless you put another jacket under them. But as far as wind protection goes I don't think you can beat them.

Rich

[Shurdaddy]

Fleet Farm has the Stearns Walleye Hunter Rainsuits on sale for $125 right now. I have one and love it.

[bucketmouth64]

I've got a suit from Capra's called Old Reliable. Pvc suit/bibs for $20.00. Kinda stiff, and at times I get warm in it. It's not one of the best, but it'll do for me.

[chief]

To All,

Waterproof/Breatheable Fabric Points:

1. Nearly all proprietary (brand name) fabrics and/or processes out there (Dry Plus, Entrant, H2No, Triple Point Ceramic. Hydropel, etc.) are copies of Gore's original patent from 1976.

2. Typically these companies manufacture a very thin double sided fabric, with the inside layer hydrphobic in nature, and the outside hydrophillic. Additionally, the weave of these fabrics are big enough to let waper vapor molecules pass outward, but too small to let water molecules pass inward. This layer of fabric is most often sandwiched between two layers of a garment's standard fabric, and--viola, you have a waterproof garment.

3. This evaporation of water vapor molecules through the fabric pores is a very slow process--despite all marketing claims. So...if you fish a lot in hot weather, fish actively, or are just a hot-blooded person, the ONLY way to breathe/cool down quickly is to buy garments that feature physical venting such as "pit zips", or other openings. These add weight and cost to garments, but it's the only way to go if you want your gear to double for hiking, skiing, biking, etc. These garments excel as protection when moisture from within is as unwanted as moisture from without. These are the garments pushed by The North Face, Marmot, Arctyrex, Patagonia, Mountain Hardware. They're all technical marvels, they're all very light, they're all expensive.

4. If you plan on mostly sedentary usage, standard wear such as Dry Plus, Entrant etc are fine, and they have the added advantage of being able to withstand the many sharp, pointy objects encountered while fishing.

5. Think of a good rain suit as "Equipment" rather than clothing. I have a very solid, resonably priced jacket/bib combo from REI Co-op, bought years ago, that I wear 10 months out of the year for many activities. It was the best money I ever spent.

[J. Hall]

For those of you that have Gander Mountain Guide Series do you have the TecH2O, or do you have the gore-tex stuff? What do you think of the kind you have?

Thanks

[IceHawk]

I have the TecH2o. I love this setup it works great in the summer and great as a outside shell in the winter, the water and ice just fly off this stuff.

[alwayscatchineyes]

I have the srearns dry wear which I bought at fleet farm for $200 about 3 yrs ago which are around $125 to $150 now for top and bottoms and they are great, fished a tournament for 8 hrs. before in a pretty hard rain and stayed completely dry

[MIDNIGHT777]

Tech20 is a great setup. I could not be happier with it. I would sugget it to anybody.

Matt