Dukats Journal of Hunting

Frogg Toggs Raingear Review

Written by Dave Dukat

Frogg Toggs, an Alabama company specializes in lightweight rain gear. I had several hunts lined up this year in areas known to be continually wet, so I orderd a set of their Pro Action Camo Raingear. The rain gear set came in Mossy Oak Break up and weighed less than a pound with tops and bottoms.

Fishing in Alaska in Frogg Toggs Frogg Toggs doesn't do a whole lot of advertising, so they are not a well known name. I ran across their gear in a sporting goods store and was curious, so began to do some research on the internet. I was initially impressed by the weight of the gear combined with a very reasonable price. I eventually found some pretty good references including David Long, author of the book Public Land Mulies and a die hard backcountry mule deer hunter.

I tried on a set at the local sporting goods store and then found them online for under $50.00 including tax and frieght. The package included the top and bottom with a mesh bag which is about as cheap as it come for raingear. Now to see if it worked.

My first hunt was for red stag and chamois in July in New Zealand. This time of year in New Zealand can be cold and snowy or cloudy with lots of rain. We planned to do a lot of hiking and rather than carrying my heavier North Face shell. I decided to risk taking the Frogg Toggs with testing them. Fortunately, it didn't rain the whole trip and I didn't need to try them out. They were a little bulky in my pack, but the weight was hard to beat.

My second trip with the Frogg Toggs was an archery elk hunt in New Mexico. I was camping and hunting from camp, and didn't expect much rain, but figured I'd take them along. It was fortunate that I did. Although it was warm and sunny nearly every day, it also clouded up every afternoon and poured rain. I was caught twice hiking in the downpours and the Frog Toggs passed the downpour test with flying colors. They kept me dry and with a quick shake could go back in the pack after the rain passed. They fit a little bulky, but with an arm guard, worked with the bow. One thing I was not impressed with was the hood. Rain filtered from the hood into my hair and face. I tried wearing a hat, but the hat got wet and I still had rain in my face although the situation was improved.

My third adventure was a fishing, ptarmigan and goose hunting "cast and blast" on Alaska's Penninsula. On the Penninsula, the weather can change with every change of wind direction with the Pacific and Artic Oceans on either side and mountains dotting the western shore. The trip was near the end of September and as expected it rained every day. This is a true test for raingear. We were up to our hips in water most of the day with a drizzle or downpour off and on all day. The gear not only had to make it through the day dry, but needed to provide protection from the wind and cold as well as breathe on those hikes for ptarmigan. Again, I found the Frogg Toggs performed pretty well overall. After a full day in the rain, the clothing underneath was dry, although the interior of the Frogg Togg material felt wet. They did well blocking the wind and I solved the hood problem with a wax impregnated hat and the hood over it.

On the hikes for ptarmigan, I heated up pretty quick and did some sweating, but didn't find the raingear to hold in the moisture. It wouldn't be my first choice for this type of hunting, but kept me dry through the rain soaked willows and brush. When we returned to camp, my gear would be the first to dry out above the furnace and was by far the lightest and most portable.

The good. For a lightweight, breathable, inexpensive, waterproof raingear, Frogg Toggs is hard to beat. The camoflauge seemed adequate for the goose hunts although appears a little faded in color. Durability to date has been fine as well although this is the first season I've used the gear.

The bad. I am not impressed with the hood and would recommend a short brim that could be fitted with flexible wire. The sleeves, waist and ankles are equipped with elastic, which is not the most comfortable or compact, but for the price is probably adequate. A velcro strap is more comfortable. The raingear is also not as packable as some on the market. Although light, it is fairly bulky taking up a fair amount of space.

I will probably bring the Frogg Toggs on a lot of trips in the future. There is better gear on the market, but for the price, you can't beat Frogg Toggs. It sheds the rain and dries in no time making it great gear to have in camp.

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