Spring has arrived!  Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and rain is falling.  Lots of rain is falling!  In my neck of the woods, we seem to be stuck in an endless cycle of sunshine, rain, another glimmer of sunshine and then more pouring rain.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I’m quite accustomed to rainy weather.  I actually really like the rain and get excited when it’s in the forecast after weeks, or even months, of sunshine.

The recent gloomy skies had me thinking about hunting season and the torrential downpour I got stuck in last season.  November, much like spring, in Washington can be an unpredictable month weather-wise.  Sometimes we get snow, sometimes it just rains, and other times it’s just cold with beautiful skies.  We really never know which way it’s going to turn out.

Not knowing the conditions I’d be out in, I wanted to be prepared for the worst case scenario.  My goal was to find a hunting coat that would keep me warm, dry, and not break my budget.  The search was harder than I thought.

I always read reviews online before buying a product.  This time was no different.  I spent hours reading countless reviews on several coats.  I was surprised by how many waterproof jackets had reviews where someone ended up being soaked after wearing it.

I don’t think bad reviews necessarily mean a product is bad.  But, I didn’t want to find out a coat was in fact not waterproof as I was out hunting.  Eventually, I found this coat from the Bass Pro Shops SHE line.  It was true to size and comfortable to wear.  It kept me warm and I could easily add layers underneath if I needed to.

One of the things I love most about this coat is how quiet the material is when moving around.  Overall, it definitely lived up to what they said the coat would do.  Being in the rain for a few hours and finding my upper body completely dry after taking the jacket off was proof enough.  The only downfall to the coat is the lack of pockets (three small pockets doesn’t cut it when they can barely hold more than a couple of shotshells).

This year, I plan on investing in waterproof hunting pants.  I’m prepared to spend a little more for these.   With plans to bowhunt in a couple of years, I want clothes I can use for both rifle and archery seasons.

What waterproof hunting gear do you use and swear by?  I’d love to hear what you’ve found works the best before I get back to scouring the internet for product reviews.