Favorite rain shell for bushwhacking?

My choice for bushwhacking in Southeast Alaska’s rainforest is Helly Hansen rubber for the fall rainy season and OR Furio for the less than rainy season, but still pretty wet. It has to be tough and you have to stay dry. Devil’s club, alders and huckleberry bushes might not be an issue in Colorado. When Andrew Skurka came through here in June of last year he called me from Gustavus and asked, “What do you people wear for rain gear.” Whatever he had been using wasn’t working.

This image was taken after a 29 mile bushwhack around Douglas Island. I’m in the middle with the OR Furio on the left is a Helly Hansen and the right Cabellas guide jackets.

I know it's not exactly light, but it is the toughest shell you can get, and IMO the best shell for bushwhacking. The ECWCS goretex parka, you can find them at most military surplus stores and on Ebay. The military has stopped using the woodland camo pattern so you can find the pieces for cheap sometimes as they are being phased out. I bought a brand new parka and pants set for 60$ about 6 months or so ago.

The ECWCS parka and pants are tough as nails, and can stand up to any bushwhacking and ask for more. I ruined 1 nice expensive shell, and will never make that mistake again.

Is it the best shell ever, no. Is it the best for bushwhacking? You bet your ass it is.

Thanks for the ideas guys, anyone using anything lighter for bushwhacking?

A 12oz Westcomb Specter LT eVent shell served me well for lots of bushwhacking in Alaska this summer. It was my favorite piece of gear for the entire trip. The DWR probably wore off for sure but the eVent still did a decent job for the rainy weather we experienced. The higher durability of a Westcomb shell sure paid off as it still looks almost like new. Think of it as a lightweight Arcteryx in eVent.

I would go with Joseph's advice for a Helly Hansen shell if you expect lots of continuous rain though.

remember that the DWR will wear off much faster … the key IMO is CHEAP, fairly durable and well ventilated

i picked up a OR revel for climbing and other fun destroy yr gear stuff … well see how well it works … it is well ventilated … cost me a whole $90 ;)

if you want something CHEAP … try the OR rampart, non breathable but as well ventilated as a poncho as most OR jackets are IMO

Eric, I like that idea, a cheap jacket to thrash around in and save my better ones for less destructive activities.

I'll take a look at the OR Rampart and Revel, one of them might be just what I need.

-David

Edit: found a nice deal on the Revel, so we'll see how it holds up once it gets here.

i was actually going to comment that the rampart is like $50 now and is 70D vs the revels 40D …

the nice part about OR is that you can call them up if it doesnt work for you and they generally help you out …