Rain Suit Recommendations?

Been considering an open water rain suit for sometime now and I am a bit overwhelmed with the various options, claims and - whelp - prices!

Looking for a two piece system wth bib bottoms, ideally something that packs pretty well, is breathable (I sweat like pig in a sauna) and has good functional design (room in crotch for bending/sitting, smartly placed pockets, clip rings, etc). Would rather not need to finance the purchase, but I'm willing to pay for quality in hopes the purchase lasts a very long time, so any experience with longevity of a suit would be nice to hear as well. Looking for something for summer, my 2 piece ice or survival suit are sufficient for spring/fall cold temps, but too hot once we get above 10deg.


What do you wear? What do you like/dislike?

I wear the simms pro dry suit, I own both the older model and the latest 2024 model. The zipper block on my old model broke off after maybe 2-3 uses, not sure if it was stepped on or if it happened in the dryer, anyways Simms deemed it irreparable and because I had no receipt, since it was gifted to me, they would not replace it, I had to do some handy work and come up with a solution to make the zipper usable. The stitching on the back end of the bibs also came undone, again not sure why. I then stumbled across a deal I couldnt turn down for the new 2024 model, this one has a much better design, with a better zipper system that would prevent the original issue I had, better stitching, and a few other nice features. So far its been good to me, but I’ve only been out in it 4 times, so we’ll see how long it can last. I really like the way their suits look and they are great in the rain, always bone dry underneath. On my last trip it was pouring rain for 6 hours straight and I was completely dry by the end of the day. In my opinion their suits look best, are comfortable, and keep you dry, I had some misfortune with the first one and maybe going up a size could have prevented the stitch problem, but this newer version definitely seems more perfected/robust. The FXR suits i’ve also heard good things about but have not tried for myself.

go to Costco and buy the Wetskins

Helly Hansen, simple rain suit. No pockets, the least amount of sewn seems , flimsy like tissue paper not like that diff plastic feeling cheaper rain suits. The bib and the jacket individually roll up quite small when packing. It can drape over any warm clothing and it's also perfect when it's summer out to have nothing but a bathing suit underneath. Not sure if it's still like this but it only comes in one color. Olive green. Simply no frills to this rain suit

Haha, I just checked and it's on sale now at Mark's.. 20 years ago I spent $110 for the bib and $110 for the rain jacket.. today I believe they're on sale for $69 each

I had a Peter storm rainsuit back in the day and loved it. Went head to head with my friend who was wearing a Cabela's goretex jacket. Both were on the older side at the time. His wetted out after 30 mins of steady rain. Mine went 60mins before saturation. Now I have a Patagonia rain and wading jacket. Both are bulletproof.

You would laugh but I once bought a Coleman rain suit at Walmart 20 years ago. It packed down into a tiny bag. It was the best rain suit I ever owned.
Only down fall was it being packed into a tiny bag as I lost it.

I have a Simms Jacket that in a down pour will eventually soak through. The old Coleman never did that and it was dirt cheap.

Super! thanks for the replies guys - keep 'em coming!

I have a Wetskins as well. Great suit and not outrageously expensive.

I prefer the thinner material for the summer months - I find I end up soaked with sweat from wearing the rainsuit if it's too heavy.

LL Bean pack lite used to be cheap and packable. I have rainpants but they re not bibs. Material is goretex like. They work good in the summer. My son has both the pants and the jacket. He was taking them on canoe trips , said was good.

interesting feedback on Simms.

For ice I went with a cheaper option in a Lucky John 2pc and have not been super impressed. I mean, it does the job and was under $400. Fit is fine, it's warm and keeps me dry, but seams have ripped, velcro ripped off pocket flaps and the general design re: pockets, clip rings and such aren't well-suited for fishing.

I bought a North Face rain coat that was a breathable. It served me well for 8 years and then the breathable lining started to delaminate. It was about 140 bucks and did me well. I have also bought MEC rain jackets that were breathable in the same price range that w were quite good.
I use an old pair of wet skins at the cottage as rain work bibs that are 35 years old. There are rips and pockets missing but it still works great.

I tried on Simms Challenger yesterday. Jacket fit is great, the bibs a bit long for me but otherwise they're a sweet kit. But damn, $300 each piece? ouch.

Going to keep shopping around and trying stuff on. We've booked a fly-in for end of August and I want a good suit for the trip, so have some time.

First lite has a quality rain suit but expensive. My son and brother in law have one and they are happy with it.

I also have a Wetskins. Bought at Cdn Tire.

Caveat: If summer and it's raining but not cold out and only wearing a simple T-shirt and light pants, you will be soaked from perspiration.

But if it's cold out and you have a fleece sweater and quality track paints, you'll be as cozy as a bug in a rug.

The point is: I prefer mine for hunting in the fall or fishing early spring in cold weather.

You almost have to have a summer rain suit.