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Bushnell Rain Jacket

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supertool73 View Drop Down
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    Posted: October/08/2008 at 18:40
Well I really got to use my jacket well the other day.  While it is water proof I was disappointed with the performance.

I typically hunt in the high country and a lot of the times I get caught in the snow and rain.  I don't mind huning in either and have plenty of cloths and the proper gear to deal with it.  I almost always hunt in water proof gear unless I know for sure it is going to be a dry day.  So I have quite a bit of experince with this kind of gear and have spent a lot of money finding good stuff that meets my needs.  This Bushnell jacket is not up to it for actual hunting usage in the wet and cold.

It rained all day Saturday so my other waterproof jacket was still drying out.  I have about 5 water proof jackets/coats and have found that none of them will keep you completely dry when you are in a storm for several hours straight.  Once the cuffs of the sleeves and pants get wet the water starts too work its way up the sleeves and pant legs obsorbing up the liner as the day goes on.  So I usually come home a little wet.  Good gaters will stop that on the pants.  But finding gloves that still allow you to manipulate your gun and keep the sleeve cuffs and hands dry at the same time has proved difficult. 

So Sunday it was snowing up in the high country and I figured it would be a good day to try it out and see how it works in some real nasty wheather.  So I layered up with a some performance thermals my cablas brand water proof silent suede pants (which are excellent by the way) and a long sleeve tee over my thermal top, with a fleece pull over over top of that and my Bushnell rain jacket on top of that to keep me dry from the very wet snow storm. 

I went on a 6 hour hike up through the aspens and pines calling and tracking elk.  Never did catch up with them dangit.  Smelled them a couple times but never saw them.  I never really pushed myself hard as I did not want to sweat to bad so I would not get wet and cold.  It was a pretty cold day. 

After the hike I got back to my four wheeler and decided to change into my parka for the ride back to the truck.  I did not feel wet from the snow or sweat at all and was pleased at my pace for not getting to sweaty.  I took off the Bushnell jacket and it was completely soaking wet inside of the jacket liner.  I was actually shocked at how wet it was.  I could wring water out of it.  My thermal top and tee were completely dry and my fleece felt pretty dry as well.  Some of my other water proof jackets are sometimes damp after a hike like that but I have never seen one like this.

The Bushnell jacket obviously does not breath at all.  All the mosture from my body moved through my shirts and fleece but could not get through the jacket and was trapped in the liner.  I undone by silent suede pants to see if the liner in them was wet and they were completely dry.  So they were breathing like they were suppose to. 

So from this experience I do not recommend using the jacket for hunting if you are in a place where the sweat and cold could cause you harm.  I think it will be a great rain jacket for fourwheeling when you get caught in the rain or for a tree stand, but I do not recommend using it if you are going to be doing an physical activity that causes your body to heat up. 

In my case I think I was lucky.  The fleece put a barrier between the extremely wet liner and the other shirts I was wearing and kept my body warm and dry.  But without the fleece I don't think it would have worked out so good for me.  If a person got stuck out in a cold storm like that and having the inside of the jacket so wet I think it could be very bad news for that person and could cause them to freeze to death. 

I have a couple gortex coats and jackets and also a couple in the cablas verison of gortex called dry plus.  Both of those breath very well and allow the moisture from your body to escape and allows you to stay dry.  I recommend both of those types of water proofing and have had great luck with them.

So hopefully this will keep others from experiencing the same problem.  In my case everything worked out fine, but I would hate to see some have serious problems in the cold because of these Bushnell jackets. 


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lucytuma View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lucytuma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/08/2008 at 19:05
Nice info, I do have one of these jackets, I have not had to use it yet but I kinda figured this was going to be the typical performance it provided. .
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson
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ckk1106 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ckk1106 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/09/2008 at 00:02
Nice writeup Humper.  I'm jealous of your weather, though.  
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pyro6999 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/09/2008 at 06:19
i like mine i wear it to work when its raining and its worked well, and it cost like 8 bucks so i cant complain much
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote brodeur272 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/09/2008 at 10:57
Have to agree with supertool.  I only use mine in the stand as a wind block around my shooting rail.  I have other jackets to wear.  But for 10 bucks, it does what I need it to do.
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cheaptrick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/09/2008 at 11:11
Excellent write up! Thank you.  
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lucytuma View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lucytuma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/09/2008 at 11:15
I agree, you can't be to critical about something you recieve for $10.00 but, I also want to point out that it was great of Supertool to give us his review of the product.  I believe his intent was to protect anyone from making a grave error in using this product incorrectly.
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson
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