Hunting in the rain and getting old?

[wtpops]

In the past i loved hunting in the rain and still do, i dont mean a downpoor. I would layer up and did not mind at all if i got wet as long as i didnt get cold. As i get older i seem to dislike getting wet more and more and therefor not enjoying my raining hunts as much. Im a spot and stalk pig hunter and winter and spring time rains are golden times to be out.

Anyway my question is you guys in the raining states what do you use to stay dry.

What im thinking is some kind of pull over parka that would fit over my pack and me. I could throw it on when needed and pull it off and stow in in my pack when not needed. Noise would not be to big of an issue, within reason. If raining and i spotted a hog i could pull it off for the stalk, i would not mind getting wet then.

Can anybody recommend somthing like this?

[Mudd]

I came on here to see if you were asking if either was a choice...lol

I will be watching to see what ideas or things folks are using that works for them.

Good question but not much of a choice...lol

God bless,Mudd

PS: My sense of humor is sometimes lacking which is why Jay Leno doesn't call...lol

[LKH]

I've noticed a significant malfunctioning of my thermostat in recent years.  I can't tolerate near the cold I used to.  

I think the only way to hunt in the rain anymore is to keep somewhat dry.  I've become a big fan of the hothands.  Amazing how much just keeping your hands warm helps.

[Gray Buffalo]

Don’t like hunting in the rain. Blood trails wash out and the only deer I lost was in the rain. A rainy day is a good day to check equipment and rest.

[straitera]

Texas is way hot in the summer. Cool rain is a blessing. After is a sauna.

When cold, I wear wool w/a windbreaker over the first layer. This combo is hot when stillhunting. The windbreaker sheds water. My old Stetson Open Road sheds water also.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I use a Goretex shell to stay dry, preferably in a quiet clothing shell.  A single piece pull over holds in heat really well.  Downside of a single piece is that when your moving it doesn't let the heat out very well.

As for staying warm.  Nothing beats good old fashioned wool.  I hunt in a light button up wool shirt in any kind of cool or rainy weather. Moderate to heavy rain sees me putting on the shell to stay dry.  Cold and wet finds me in the light wool shirt under a heavy wool shirt or pullover.  I don't bother keeping the pack dry.  We get lots of rain where I hunt.

Another trick to staying warm is to eat regularly timed snacks throughout the day while hunting to keep your energy levels and body heat levels up.  The hottie hand heaters are another trick I use.  I keep two in my pockets and when I fell a chill warming my hands helps me feel a lot warmer. If you start to feel cold, stop at a glassing area, boil up a cup of tea and enjoy.  The last thing is to have a warm hat.  I keep fleece and wool skull caps in my pack.  When I stop to glass, eat, or the wind is cold I wear them to keep the old nogging warm.

[postman]

Largest buck I ever took was in a down pour under an umbrella, walked right by me, perfect shot was made, took about 4 more steps and fell over, never acted like he was even hit. Seems like I see more big bucks sitting under umbrella in downpour. But only like to do in warmer weather, too much of a chance of getting sick when its cold out.

[Red Beastmaster]

I have a Gore-tex rain suit but have never used it. I figure the season is long enough that I don't have to hunt on rainy days.

I also noticed that the older I get the harder it is to get up and into the woods before daybreak. It is getting really easy to hit the snooze.  

[Encino Man]

When I was young I lived in Northern Illinois. I could walk in the river in the winter breaking the ice as I went or be outside all day long sliding down a hill on a sled with my sneakers darn near frozen to my feet. Impervious I was, or darn close.

Now I live in Texas and I can't even get out in the spring rains without catching a cold. I have figured out that it's all about keeping the body temperature up. To low and the immune system gets weak.

I hunt fine in the rain as long as I have a good hat and a waterproof rain suit. Preferably the kind with the rubbery feel. They are much more quite.

[boznarras]

It rains so much in SE Alaska, you can take your choice between quiet or dry, but it is hard to have both.
 
To really stay dry you have to put on the rubber rain gear bibs and coat that fisherman wear, like Helly Hansen or Grundens, over fleece or wool, with rubber boots.
Once you get in place and sit still it is pretty quiet if you do not move.

To be real quiet, you wear just the wool or any kind of quiet rain gear, but you will get wet eventually.

An old Norwegian fisherman here told a friend of mine "If you are vearing da vool, ven you are cold and vet, you are varm and dry." I like that.

[Roadkill]

I use wool a Royal Marine issued camo jacket that covers my thighs. Wool hat and fleece gloves under mittend
Mil surplus wool pants and bean boots. Eat drink warm drinks. Move a little time to time. I have hunted AK to Tx and VA to CA. Inclemeny weather can get big game moving

[Hot Hap]

At 66 I can hunt for a while in the rain, as long as the temp is above 50 or so.

Hap

[durp]

never found a way to stay dry except stay inside...SO...i like wool cuz it's worm when wet but it's hard to dry it in camp.

getting older aint no fun!!!

[Knapper]

I could never figure out in the winter time I would go to my folks house maybe for Sunday dinner and there my dad would be in the recliner with thermo underwear on, heavy cotton shirt, and the fireplace would just be bellowing and it was so hot in there I could hardly catch my breath. NOW I UNDERSTAND!!!!
Many years ago when I was young I would go out in the rain and get drowned.  Then I matured and figured that most animals did not like the rain any better than I.  So I stay in and stay dry.
I personally have seen very little game movement unless the rain was not much more than a drizzle so on those vary rare occasions now with much better rain gear I dress one of two ways.  Gore-tex lined clothing of various weights depending on temperature. The appropriate amount of clothing with a poncho when the game is spotted I just move back the poncho. The poncho with Gore-tex lined pants is my preferred way.

[Don Stokes]

I'll hunt in the fog, but when it rains I stay in. In my youth I hunted regardless, but like Knapper I've seen little movement when it was really coming down. I don't want the blood trail washed away, either.

My wife, 63, likes for the house to be 80 degrees minimum, and wears a flannel shirt and is covered with a blanket all the while. I'm a year younger, and spend a lot of time half naked to keep from melting. We found out recently she has a thyroid problem that causes cold intolerance. Knapper, that may have been your dad's problem, too. Hopefully the medication will help my wife.

I like the rain--provided I am dressed for it, which means goretex, fleece or wool, and a good set of polar weight wicking long underwear. Having said that, the real problem with rain is that you get stiff, so some isometrics are in order. Now, if the temp drops and you freeze in place, well, that's another situation altogether...    

[twitchstick]

I always have a packable Gore-Tex or Gore-Tex like(waterproof & breathable) rain gear in my pack. My pack I also prefer to be water proof to keep my gear dry. If it's not waterproof I spray my gear down with a silicone spay and will help alot. We get alot of the monsoonal storms during our Aug./Sept deer and elk hunts. Most storms will build up and dump during the afternoon and be clear for the evening hunt. I have see it pull elk of their afternoon beds as excited as little kids. They will stay out and feed after the storms is over so it's a shame to have to hike back to camp when the elk are playing.

I am fighting a touch of pneumonia in my right lung.  the first time I have had a cold or anything in 15 years.  I went out to fill my bird feeders with my goretex fleece and my waffle stompers, and no, I most definitely do not like the wet stuff coming down, the white stuff on the ground, or those tulips that are springing up alongside my house, they are indestructible.  I find that cold wet weather brings out the best of my arthritis no matter what I am wearing.

[horsehairhunter]

Ragnarok Forge hit it pretty much right on.  I also live in the Northwest where we have the saying "if you can't do it in the rain you can't do it here".  I've tried most the "waterproof" outfits out there and never found one I stuck with.  Now I simply layer, using lots of wool.  It helps to buy quality wool cloths.  Most the time it doesn't even get wet all the way through.  I always have hand warmers around and never leave home without a stalking cap.  If it's a long day I like setting up a small tarp to get out of the rain for a warm lunch.  

One of the things that helps me get out there when it's raining is to focus on how nice it is being in the woods without being crowded.  The rain keeps most folks off public land.  It also makes stalking much quieter.

[slivrslingr]

Having lived in Oregon, Washington and SE Alaska, I've tried most raingear out there.  If it's really raining, the rubber/pvc coated stuff, like Helly Hansen or Grundens, is water tight and keeps you "dry", but it's bulky and noisy and if you're hiking it keeps the sweat in.  I have Gore-tex jacket and pants for hunting in and it has been a life saver on several occasions, though I don't like wearing it all the time if I can help it.  One thing to keep in mind is that if your raingear is keeping the rain out, it is also keeping your sweat in, even the so-called breathable stuff.  You have to decide how wet you can stand being, wearing raingear, you are typically damp and not wet.  I've heard the Frogg Toggs raingear is pretty good, light weight and keeps you fairly dry, though I've not tried it myself.  A cheap option is to take a garbage bag, cut holes for your head and arms and wear it under a wool or fleece sweater/shirt.