Quiet and gain gear don't go hand in hand. Surely quiet and reasonably priced don't. On the other hand you don't really need quiet when it's raining.

I went with Kuiu. It's really back packable. Not cheap though.

Bowmania

 

I carry Cabela's Space Rain parka and pants. They are very light and compact, they are breathable, they stretch for comfort, each goes into its own very small stuff sack, and they cost about $90 for the jacket and $70 for the pants.

While they probably wouldn't stand up to full-time wear through multi-day rainstorms, they are great for brief rain showers, and small/light enough for week-long wilderness backpack expeditions. Reasonably quiet, too.

 

Used to use some Bass Pro’s Redhead rain gear, but just been carrying a Marmot Precip jacket for the past few years. I use it for regular hiking and backpacking as well. If it’s pouring enough to put on rain gear I’m usually not worried about noise nor being camo. The next time I go on a trip where I expect a lot of rain I’ll probably pick up some rain pants at REI as well.

 

Agree with 79 Vet, cabelas packable for reasonably priced..not durable or quite at all.

I’ve had Kuiu and Sitka both in a high end packable rain gear. I choose the Sitka.

Kuiu, more packable but noisy compared to Sitka. I use at least the bottoms on wet but not raining mornings for elk season...those cabelas will be shredded by noon wading in alders,

There are Kuiu and Sitka classifies on FB....you can get a great deal on used if you’re patient

 

The older I've gotten the more "minimalist" I've become, i.e. every ounce I don't have to carry is a good thing. I do pack a simple military surplus camo nylon hooded poncho. I wouldn't attempt a shot while wearing it, but that's my personal choice. There's just too big a chance of having a blood trail washed out in a shower, so I don't hunt when it's raining.

 

There is a bunch of wisdom above. I especially like from Bowmania "Quiet and rain gear don't go hand in hand. Surely quiet and reasonably priced don't. On the other hand you don't really need quiet when it's raining." and from olddogrib "I wouldn't attempt a shot while wearing it, but that's my personal choice. There's just too big a chance of having a blood trail washed out in a shower, so I don't hunt when it's raining."Lumis, "If it's pouring enough to put on rain gear I'm usually not worried about noise nor being camo."

I'm a minimalist too. I really like when I can pack gear that has more than one use or purpose. I went with Sitka Gear. Paid way too much 8 years ago, but it still works well and I haven't had to buy anything else. Worn by itself the jacket and pants have kept me dry in Lanai rain squall that was like being in a car wash. Worn as top layer with Sitka Gear pants and coat underneath it served as a wind proof shell when 65 degree sunshine turned to 25 degree blizzard up on the Dalton Hwy. I really like that it is vented so I can let air in when working hard in the rain. Zippers that allow access to layers below help keep me dry because I don't have to take something off to get something out of one of my inner pockets.

I have a bunch of Kuiu stuff too, just not rain gear. I'd take a close look at it for sure when my SG gives up.

 

I generally use treated soft shells, but it's fairly rare for us to get weather throughout most of the year here. Haven't had any reason to consider hard shell hunting clothing.

 

I have used Cabela's MTO50 raingear for quite a long time. It mostly worked fine , however, it was a bit noisy and a little bulky. Unfortunately, it shrank and no longer fits me very well. No matter, since I now tend to focus my hunting on those periods before and after a rain. I'm thinking that a nice quality poncho would be a better choice for my current needs. Any recommendations?

 

I've had a set of the original Cabelas MTO50 for over 20 years. Too bulky for a backpack expedition, but I use the jacket for waterfowling. I wore the full set during a November elk hunt on the Olympic peninsula a few years back - 8 days of steady medium to hard rain - while climbing around in fairly low but very steep and brushy / heavily timbered mountains. The rain gear stood up to it, but water wicked up my sleeves and socks, while perspiration from climbing built up inside, and by the end of each day I was thoroughly soaked despite the rain gear. Under those conditions the old-timer loggers' way of doing things is probably best: Wear wool or another material that insulates when it's wet, and just resign yourself to being soaked all the time.

 

my raingear top and bottom is Mossy Oak Raintamer II - I love it, but it's not real light and not packable......it "breathes" some and is pretty quiet, and with a fleece or sweatshirt underneath it is even quite warm. ALL GOOD with me, and this, as I don't hunt long distances where I need to pack it down, and it's cooler (or cold) when I hunt, so this fits the bill.

 

Will be experimenting this fall with an inexpensive poncho and liner.
It's large enough to cover my kit, and loose enough to not turn into a sauna.
Might be ideal for those brief squalls.

 

I've used a light weight poncho to hunker down during a brief shower to keep pack and myself dry. The poncho becomes less of a good idea the more you walk in it or when the wind picks up and it starts flapping around like a sheet on a clothesline.

While I've used a variety of rain gear based on the hunting situation and the forecast, for 1Longbow I think the Marmot PreCip is the ticket for packable lightweight and occasional brief showers. After a few years if it starts soaking through on the seams just treat it with ReviveX, works great.

 

The quietest plus light weight is Frog Togs.

 

The June July 2020 issue of Traditional Bowhunter magazine has an extensive article on rain gear for bow hunters.

 

If you want quiet go with wool, for rain proof go with Kuiu.

 

I'm in the Sitka camp too...Dewpoints for me most of the time. I like how light they are but have zippers in all the right places.

 

+1 for Kuiu

 

I don't hunt, at this point. Want to though. This is a good thread. Years ago, during the first 4 or 6 years of my career, I was stationed with some Vietnam vets. A couple lessons they taught me from their time stuck with me. Two of the ones applicable here were about a military poncho. They have snaps all the way around the edge. These are supposed to be for a liner. Snapping a liner into it, makes it decently warm, if you need the insulation. It'll cover most people down to the knees, or a bit further. With the liner, if you don't have a tent, and need shelter, you can just lay down and wrap yourself in it. You can use 2 3' long sticks and 4 6" sticks (tent pegs) to make an open ended tent out of it. And the other part... the snaps line up perfectly with the snaps on a "2 man" military pup tent, and adding 2 ponchos to this tuens it into a nice spacious tent for 3 men and their gear.

If you are doing spot and stalk, the poncho may work for you to keep moving, depending on the terrain you are in. If you just hunker down for the brief shower, then it would be about perfect, in my opinion.

 

Try shooting a bow wearing a poncho in the wind sometime. Oh and make sure you do it silently so you don't spook that elk of a lifetime.

 

Hard for quiet and truly rainproof, IMO. You can go oilskin but that'll bring with it a scent. I like Hunters Element, a lot. They make a huge amount of their stuff out of recycled plastics, great for the environment.

Hunters Element USA - Revolutionary Performance Hunting Clothing

Hunters Element engineer's tough revolutionary and ethical hunting clothing and gear. Engineered tough for extreme mountain hunting conditions our gear originates in New Zealand and is used by hunters across the globe. Official Hunters Element USA Global Online Shop. Explore Further | hunt Longer.

hunterselement.com

 

I've personally had really good luck with Frog Togs rain gear. It's reasonably priced, comfortable and quiet. Packs down small and light weight.

 

I wear Frogg Toggs when fishing and keep a set in the saddlebag of my bike but learned they are too fragile for spot & stalk hunting. You'll discover why when going over or under barbed wire.