Army GEN III Wet Weather Gear

[Sua Sponte 96]

Has anybody used the new Army GEN III wet weather gear in any type of extended bad weather? Looking forward to a sheep hunt next year and am slowly putting my gear together. After a Valdez bear hunt I found my old Army gortex just couldn't handle the weather, and on the advice of a friend bought some HH rubber rain gear. I am concerned about the bulk and weight of this gear on the sheep hunt.

I put the GEN III stuff on over a polypro top and stood under the shower for 15 minutes and came away dry, but I would like some more input if anybody has used this out in the bush.


Thanks everyone

[hre814]

if it is like the USAF ABU gortex, i would say it should be just fine. the old BDU gortex sucks. The outside material absorbs tons of water, and the seams were not taped, so you would get wet. worthless stuff. the new stuff has taped seams.

[LuJon]

I just saw the new ABU stuff this week. It is certainly a step up! I would have t really put it through it's paces but all seams are taped including the hood seam which is a common fail point on many jackets I have played with. It is by no means lite so I don't see it going head to head with precip but it seems like ti would be more comfortable and quieter. It would be fun to take on the boat and test on a fishing trip...You know that way I could keep my impertech handy just in case!
ABU wet weather coat, initial observations
pros:
seems to be constructed well
light years ahead of old Goretex mil gear
Could be very comfortable for fishing, if it is water tight
Seems like it would be fairly quiet

Cons
Thickness makes it a bad choice for layering
love it or leave it camo
Too heavy for back pack hunters

I haven't worn it so this is just my up front hands on observational opinion.