RIVERS WEST Waterproof Breathable Fleece
by Dave Campbell

OK, you can’t shoot this stuff – well, at least you’re not supposed to. But anyone venturing afield with a gun is going to run into wet weather, and then you have three choices: return to camp or home like a sniveling greenhorn; stay out there and be miserable; or be prepared for it and dress accordingly. Of the three, the last is by far the most intelligent – and pleasant.

For several years I have religiously subscribed to a layered system of a silk or polypropylene undergarment covered in wool and, when the need arises, a selectively permeable synthetic shell for heat management when I am hunting. It works well, but it is heavy. What if you could have a lightweight set of garments that was completely waterproof, windproof, breathable and quiet? Rivers West developed such a set of garments featuring its H2P Fleece.

When I first contacted Matt Ryan at Rivers West, I was looking for a jacket and vest that was windproof to use as a sub-garment over the silk and under the wool to augment my current system as I planned for a hunt in the Arctic. The winds there are constant and most often chilling. “I’d rather you try using just a complete outfit,” Ryan said. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” I decided on a Ranger Pant with a Cold Canyon Vest and Elk River Jacket to complete the outfit to go over my silk undergarments.

To be honest, I went ahead and brought along some of my wool – just in case – but as it turned out, I didn’t need it. I never put it on to hunt for an entire week. The Arctic was, as predicted, windy and chilly with intermittent rain all week. I hiked across the tundra. I rode in boats on choppy, wind-whipped lakes in the rain. And I huddled on the lee side of stunted spruce waiting out caribou in the wind and rain. I never was cold and never too clammy.

So, how do they do it? The heart of the H2P PowerLock System is a selectively permeable micro-film fused between two layers of poly-fleece. And unlike some selectively permeable materials, H2P will not leak, even when put under pressure – like sitting or kneeling in water. I know, I tried it. One of my caribou dropped in a puddle surrounded by more drenched tundra. I had to do the requisite “hero photo” kneeling in the puddle, and I remained dry.

This clothing is cut generously – perhaps not too stylish for the urban mosh pit but near perfect for the rigors of a hunt – and has well-designed and executed pockets, zippers and cuffs familiar to most outdoor clothing. One really cool feature of the Elk River Jacket was the adjustable neoprene internal storm cuffs. Plunge your hand into the creek, and the water won’t crawl up your arm inside of the jacket.

There is more to the Rivers West line including jackets for shooting, a line for women and a host of accessories available in camouflage, blaze orange and the sedate tan for the range. And while I may not totally give up on my wool for those occasions when I’m feeling “traditional”, the Rivers West system is one of that will be near when the conditions are guaranteed to get wet, because I’ll be damned if I’ll ever snivel and go home.

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