The Ultimate Breathable Wading Jacket

[gobrock]

So lets hear about it.. What is the best wading jacket out there and why?

So I spent a small fortune to date and I am still searching, maybe I'll get an opinion or two on a product I haven't already tried.

Opinions welcomed!

[bobbyg]

gobrock,

Have you looked at the L.L. Bean Paclite Stowaway jacket? The best? Don't know.

I have no practical experience with it but I have ordered one. I like the lightweight, stowable feature and the Gore-tex
finish. Appears to be a fine jacket for $149.00 with free shipping. 18 reviews, as I recall, and I believe they are all favorable? They must be in good demand in that mine won't be shipped until early January!!

Sorry I can't give you a practical review at this time.

Just a thought. Good luck in finding your jacket.

[Mike Thomas]

Mine is a Swazi, it is heavy but very warm and dry. Not really packable but a great Jacket. Made here in NZ though Swazi has since moved production to China.
I did see a Colorado Gortex jacket on sale a couple of weeks ago, anyone used one of these?
All the best.
Mike

[flyfishingfanatic]

I have a Cabela's brand Goretex I got on sale this spring. I can fit it in the back of my vest, though it is a little bulky.
I have worn it a lot this year, keeps me dry and no condensation build-up inside. My only problem is there are too many Velcro closures. I like the rest of it just fine.
Hope that helps,
Chris

[The Chronicler]

You might check out Chota. They were a sponsor here on FAOL for a few years. They have good products. The Ladyfisher commented that she thought their rain gear was some of the best.

[ScottP]

Wanted a Patagonia SST but couldn't justify the cost; ended up getting a great deal on their Deep Wading jacket and love it. Definitely not the ultimate, but it meets my needs; now if I was steelheading up in B.C. it might be another story.

Regards,
Scott

[maodiver]

Columbia Omni-Dry liner and shell in various forms of Camo. So many look for wading jax made by the FFing companies...duck hunters have had to deal with fiercer weather, longer. Look at the other end of the Cabela's catalog if you want to stay dry...AND WARM. And as a bonus, you get big pockets on the outside

[gobrock]

Thanks everyone! I am wondering if anyone has tried the Xtreme Guide ? Jacket TUNDRA TECH?

I have had Simms and not sure the value to dollar ratio is that great, do not get me wrong, its a good jacket just not sure if its worth it.

[pspaint]

I have had Simms and not sure the value to dollar ratio is that great, do not get me wrong, its a good jacket just not sure if its worth it.

I have the Guide Jacket and it's worked great! The driest jacket i've ever owned.

[John Rhoades]

The ultimate jacket is one that you get from a company with the ultimate warranty. For me, no one comes close to Patagonia in that regards. LL Bean may be close behind, but Simms is somewhere back in their dust, IMO (base on my experiences with Simms).

I presently have 2 Patagonia SST's, both of which are relatively new. I had originally bought my first SST when Patagonia first introduced them, which was over 15 years ago as far as I remember. When that first jacket finally gave out a couple years ago, they replaced it with a brand new one, and they did the same thing with my second jacket last year.

Buy the best you can afford, with the features you need (some of them have extra features that you might not ever use, but you'll pay dearly for them). And, make sure it fits you over whatever clothing and vest you'll be wearing. Then, make sure the company is one that will be around when you need survice down the road (a lot of them come and go), and one that offers an iron clad warranty. Make sure the jacket is breathable. Then, you'll have the ultimate jacket.