Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Spawn Sack on January 17, 2015, 12:09:18 PM
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Yawn! I know this has been discussed ad nauseam... ??? But what the hell I'll throw it out there anyway. I've had the same gortex wading jacket since I got into river fishing 6 or so years ago. It's a Cabela's whatver. Not the guide jacket, it's cheaper. Got in one sale for $100 bucks or so. It's done well but despite trying to revive the water repellant finish with Nikwax etc, it beads water quite poorly and gets soaked in heavy downpour. I'll still be dryish inside as the gortex membrane is impermeable, but with the outer shell soaked the jacket does not breath, and ill get sweaty/wet/cold from the inside. Time to upgrade!
I'm generally a fan of Simms, but I am not stuck on just their jackets. The G3 jacket is what I'm leaning towards. It is at the top of my price range, I think it goes for around $400 after taxes. I'm sure the G4 is fantastic but I am not looking to spend that much.
My wife has the Cabela's guide jacket from a few years back and it's pretty solid. I almost bought one from Cabela's in Tulallip a month or so ago they were on sale for $189 I think down from $300ish. I decided against it as the new design seemed like they cheaped out a bit. The chest pockets didn't have a big flap fold over like my wife's, but rather a small flap like my crappy jacket! If you don't velcro it over well water gets it. And the quality of the outer nylon seemed not as good. Thinner, cheaper.
I deided not to buy it as if I'm going to upgrade I don't want to bother with something a bit better that I will want to replce in a year or two. I'm looking for a solid jacket to get 10+ years out of.
If anyone has another jacket(s) idea in this 300-400ish price range please chime in. I love Patagonia, but the price is a bit steep!
http://www.patagonia.com/ca/shop/jackets-waterproof-hard-shell-fly-fishing?k=6z-bb-3g
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The prices on Patagonia and Simms might be steep but at least both companies have a great repair service, and can really extend out the life of their products.
My next jacket will be one of those two brands, I'm done with paying $200-300 and having them only last a season or two before leaking and making me miserable lol. Would rather spend more and have it last.
I don't think my guide friends have ever spent much to get their stuff repaired either....usually just shipping.
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If you're close to the border, check out Steepandcheap.com. They periodically put last years' gear on sale, and right now have a deal on Patagonia's River Salt jacket - the one with the cozy liner - somewhere around half price.
HTH!
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2 Patagonia jackets on there right now in a good array of sizes. If you have a ship to for across the line, this site has great deals.
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If you're close to the border, check out Steepandcheap.com. They periodically put last years' gear on sale, and right now have a deal on Patagonia's River Salt jacket - the one with the cozy liner - somewhere around half price.
HTH!
Sick price on the Salt jacket
http://www.steepandcheap.com/gear-cache/save-big-on-fly-fishing-and-paddle-gear-essentials-for-the-river/PAT3244-CLABN
The price on the SST isn't bad either.
The thing about steep and cheap though is that you need to act fairly quickly to ensure that you get the sizing you want.
Also, its a good idea to get your stuff delivered to a mail forwarding place in Blaine. You'll save on the shipping charges, brokerage and quite possibly taxes and duties if they don't decide to ding you on your way back across the border.
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Checked out steepandcheap's website...wow good prices! What do ya'll think about the salt jacket vs. the SST? I'd lean heavily towards the SST. Yeah it comes with the liner, but big deal IMO you can duplicate that by layering under a shell like the SST. Plus the pockets on the salt jacket don't look like they'd hold a lot of gear (fly boxes etc). Basically the SST looks more like a fishing jacket whereas the salt jackt looks like it'd be a great jacket if you were just out in the elements in the winter...on a boat, etc. For the price they have on the SST I'm thinking of buying one.
Does anyone know a fishing store that stocks Patagonia? I'm between a LG and XL. I'd probably be fine just ordering the XL.
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One thing I've found when ordering clothes from the States, is that it's always a size bigger than what you would expect. I always order my stuff one size smaller than I would buy up here.
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I could be wrong...but I'm pretty sure a LG is an identical LG from the same company (in this case Patagonia) regardless of what country you buy it in. In other words a CAN large will be the same as a US large.
I have, however, noticed that some random clothing, for instance a t-shirt at an amusement park, will be big for it's size in the US.
Does anyone know a shop that sells Patagonia in the LM? I'll look on the Canadian site for authorised dealers.
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You are likely right about stuff like that, but I have bought 2 high end rain jackets, (one from up here and one from the US) same make, model and size, and one was bigger than the other...
They were totally identical in every other way.
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frogg toggs make an awesome jacket for an awesome price.
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Love my G3 jacket, it's not a very warm jacket if that's what you're looking for but it's crazy waterproof, super light and really comfortable.
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frogg toggs make an awesome jacket for an awesome price.
Two seasons in and a lot of fishing, mine is still going strong.
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Does it have to be a fishing specific jacket ? I recently bought a jacket from Taiga Works in Vancouver. It's awesome. They have other styles etc., and seem to be much cheaper than Patagonia or Simms. The quality in materials and workmanship is excellent. Another plus is that its made locally.
They tend to be outdoor generic, but with the different styles, I'm sure you could find something.
https://www.taigaworks.ca/
Another option would be MEC.
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Bare jackets are really durable and decently priced compared to other jackets.
The Bare "Vedder" is their base model and is what I have. It's the exact same jacket as all the higher end models, just with less pockets and bells and whistles.
Going on my fourth season now, with lots of fishing and outside work annually.
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Bare jackets are really durable and decently priced compared to other jackets.
The Bare "Vedder" is their base model and is what I have. It's the exact same jacket as all the higher end models, just with less pockets and bells and whistles.
Going on my fourth season now, with lots of fishing and outside work annually.
Their jacket may be better built, but the "vedder" waders are cupcakes.
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I bought the SST jacket at the start of this past salmon season. I am very happy with it. All the reviews I read on Patagonia were very good. I was out there for some seriously wet days this year and the jacket held up perfectly. I was always bone dry at the end of the day. I expect this jacket to last me many more seasons. The price listed on Steep&Cheep is quite good.
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Thanks for all the replies guys. I've been away from the PC for a few days and will try to repond to all recent replies here.
sbc chris: In the event I order one from the states, I will double check with the maufacturer about the sizing prior to placing my order. I'm pretty sure a Simms US XL is the same as a Simms Canadian XL, but you never know. Best to check first.
zap b: I know a few people who like Frogg Toggs and I have looked at/tried on their jackets and waders before. I'm sure they are decent, but the Cabela's jacket I have now is also pretty decent and if I'm going to replace it I'm looking for a significant upgrade. IMO the quality of materials and craftsmanship is not at the level of Simms or Patagonia.
wonder: I don't care if the jacket is warm. Well, let me clairify that. I want to wear it year round so I want an uninsulated shell that breaths well. In the winter I'll layer up under it to keep toasty warm.
c-pin: I'm looking for a fishing specific jacket. I have a nice 3layer gortex shell from MEC that was around $400. I use it for skiing (layer underneath), hiking, rainy winters, etc. LOVE this jacket! However not the best for fishing as the chest pockets do not have much capacity, no rear pocket for fish/roe bags, etc. I don't wear a vest so the more functional my jacket is for gear the better.
Michaelt: maybe my buddy just had bad luck, but he's had his Bare jacket replaced twice under warranty in the last 2 years. He wishes he dropped the extra $100 or whatever for a Simms. Plus Bare sounds more like a condom brand than a fishing jacket... :o
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Is the website steep and cheap LEGIT?
Has anyone on this forum bought anything there before?
Was reading some reviews, quite a bit of people saying what they got was knock offs.... and terrible experience...
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I've ordered from them a few times, and have friends that have as well. No problems so far.
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They are owned by backcountry.com which as far as I know is a legit company. I have ordered a few things from Backcountry with no issues.
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Backcountry.com and steepandcheap are legit, have ordered many times through them with no issues and great service, not sure where you got those reviews from but they sound like bs.