Rain Jackets That Actually Kept Us Dry!
Brendan in TN wearing the Uplad Field Gore-Tex Coat.
In a future post we’ll talk about gear we’re still looking for, things we need as Serious birders but are as yet unavailable on the market. Thankfully, one item we crossed off the list this year is rain jackets.
We make no bones about the fact that we absolutely believe LL Bean makes many of the best pieces of upland clothing on the market – an opinion we arrived at by wearing and testing many different manufacturers’ products.
This season, faced with the surety of hunting in the rain and no good waterproof jackets, we bought and tested two LL Bean coats: the Upland Field Gore-Tex Coat ($189, worn by Brendan) and the Big Game System Basic Shell ($79, worn by Jay). We were very happy to discover that both kept us dry, even when hunting in day-long (8 hours!) downpours.
Here are some of the pros and cons we found of each.
Upland Field Gore-Tex Coat
(LL Bean photo)
Pros
> Kept me dry, did not leak
> Very lightweight, a huge plus
> Did not get grabbed by thorns, brambles, etc.
> Did not interfere with gun mount
> Interior glasses pocket
> Durable, well-made
> Looks good/classic
Cons
> Not enough blaze orange
> No hood, which may bother some
> No loops or D-ring attachments
> Expensive but worth it
Would like to see
> More orange
> Pit zips
> Loops or other attachments
Overall rating = Home run
> Can be improved but very good as is.
Big Game System Basic Shell
(LL Bean photo)
Pros
> Kept me dry, did not leak at all
> Completely orange
> Has a hood
> Warm
> Quiet
> Seems durable
> Did not interfere with gun mount
> Inexpensive
Cons
> Not designed for bird hunters so minimal pockets, etc.
> Takes a while to dry
> Can sometimes be too warm
> Fuzzy/soft fabric (counterintuitive) picks up/does not shed brambles, etc., which may not even come out in the wash
Would like to see
> Pit zips
Overall rating = Home run for the price
> This is not designed for bird hunting let alone grouse hunting, and the material doesn’t feel like it should be waterproof – so much so that I had to check to make sure I’d received the correct jacket. But it is waterproof. We hunted many days this season in the pouring rain and snow (too many!), and this jacket kept me completely dry – plus very visible. For the price, it absolutely is a home run. We’ll see how well it holds up during the upcoming season.
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
LL Bean does make some very nice upland gear. Especially for the $$. The Upland Gore-Tex jacket is a fine jacket, but can be improved. It definitely needs a DOUBLE ZIPPER. The earlier models, of which I have three, have double zippers. I bought the latest model with Blaze and was very disappointed on finding no double zipper. I also found the jacket to cause more condensation than earlier models. Coursing the uplands on a rainy warm day you will definitely build condensation inside and get wet. Coat needs to breath better….maybe venting of some sort?
Good tips! (as always!) What about the blaze orange hat that Brenden is wearing? Can you tell us where he got that? I’d like to get one for myself. Is it Gore-Tex?
Jim
Lack of orange? No problem – wear your orange vest over it. Been wearing this jacket for years and it’s still waterproof and can be worn in warm weather without excessive moisture. A+.
Jackets fall into that category where I can’t find everything I want but I’m almost there. I own a Pella Bird N Lite jacket. I was tired of having a few cock birds in my game bag and having the jacket pull back against my neck. The Bird N Lite has an internal harness system that shifts the weight to your hips and chest. Like a good back pack does. I had 3 cock birds in the bag in SD and felt great. The jacket is also not too long. I hate jackets that go half way down my thigh. Sleeves come off and you have a vest. Granted a heavy vest but it works. Cons: of this jacket are 1) no Gore Tex. But I carry birds more often than I hunt in the rain so I spray on some waterproofing and make due. 2) Velcro front pockets. I’m not a fan of Velcro. Most often I want the pockets open for easy access to shells and my collar transmitter. I took the velcro off.