Rivers west v Ridgeline

deerstalker.308

Well-Known Member
I bought a Ridgeline Monsoon jacket about 8 months ago following on from several great reviews on here. From my own personal experience I can't fault its waterproofing qualities, however I find it really doesn't breathe, and as such it gets wetter on the inside more often than not than on the out......:confused: I am now thinking of replacing it with the rivers west smock, which now seems to be a very popular alternative and 'in-vogue' at the moment, but I kinda want this to be the last large chunk of money I spend on a jacket for a while......can anyone vouch for the breathabilty of the Rivers west smock, if you do I will hold you personally responsible if I get wet on the inside! :lol:


Cheers
 
I have rivers west gear (amongst others) and can honestly say that it is not breathable at all. If you are looking for something to keep you warm and dry in a high seat etc then I would definitely recommend, but the minute you become active you will be soaked on the inside. Because they are so waterproof I find that I have to turn the jacket inside out to get it to dry out.
 
I think that unless great advertisements, its very simple. The better the jacket is waterproof the less it's breathable. Whatever brand. There might be exceptions, but I don't know them. Some brands have a kind of braces inside the jacket, to hang them loose over the shoulders when walking uphill , when there is no rain.
Opening the zip can be an answer.
 
+2 for J4se0's reply.

I have a River's West Field Pro smock, and while it's an excellent bit of kit - lightweight, waterproof and windproof - it isn't designed or sold as breathable.
 
If getting wet from the inside is a big problem for you and if this is for stalking (i.e. alone and don't care what you look like) then as I've reported in the past I'm having good success with the mil surplus windproof smocks which I wash the nikwax waterproofing for cotton into. They are not 100% waterproof but I've been amazed at just how waterproof they are - we have had remarkable amounts of rain here in Ireland over the last month and I was out from 0830 until about 1500 in one of the smocks before water started to get in - this was constant heavy rain that flooded the roads. So, if it is for woodland stalking I imagine it will be unusual for you to be away from the car for 7 or more hours and I also imagine it will be very unusual for you to get the sort of constant heavy rain we've been having over the last while. When mine started to leak, and it was only a drop or two that got in, I just put on another spare one I keep in the car. The hood is good, the pockets are great and well suited to stalking, they are very robust and the price is right. I've been testing the windproof smocks for over a year now both here in Ireland stalking sika in forestry and also in the Outer Hebrides mostly fishing remote lochs for trout but also while working at sheep and one day of hill stalking. So far I haven't been cold or wet yet.

You see them on ebay all the time and they usually come in one of two cammo patterns - the older and well known DPM and the newer and much lighter MTP. I think the MTP will be ideal for a lot of stalking as DPM is a bit too dark and MTP certainly seems to confuse the deer but the MTP seems to be "trendy" at the minute and so can be very expensive. You do see new MTP smocks go for around £20 occasionally if you shop carefully but some are asking silly money for them. I've seen new DPM smocks go for £7, at that money you can afford to give it a try and abandon it if you don't like it. The dye used in the MTP ones is said to be designed to reflect heat so you don't get so hot in them in sunshine, I've no idea if this is true, and the MTP smocks are made of a softer fabric which is quieter in forestry whereas the DPM ones are a bit stiffer and so make more noise pushing through trees etc. As I result I imagine that the DPM version might be more waterproof than the MTP version.

The key is to wash the nikwax waterproofing into the jacket and stick it through the tumble drier to "activate" the waterproofing. Also if you really need to be 100% waterproof for very long periods of time then buy a German Army surplus flecktarn Goretex jacket for about £15 and in really rough weather, or when it is cold and you want another layer, put it on under the smock. That way you keep all your pockets but have effectively added a goretex liner.

I do have good "big name" Goretex jackets - 2 Mustos including a Highlands and their "tweed" pattern one plus a range of other stuff - and they don't come out of the wardrobe now except for cold weather fishing or if I was to be doing something more "formal" where appearances might be an issue. At the price it is well worth a try.
 
The Monsoon is not very breathable but I find if you wear a decent micro fleece (longsleeve) the sweat will wick away to an extent.

Wearing short sleaves with skin aginast the jacket it does get very "clammy". Very good in rain and for sitting on wet ground though.
 
Was I also thinking of getting Ridgeline jacket,(to replace my MUSTO really good when active just cant buy anymore?),don't think i will bother.
Had a NOMAD jacket Again really water proof, got wetter on the inside.

I like the look of these:-
Stoney Creek Long Bush Coat
BushWear: Stoney Creek Long Bush Coat

Anybody tried one?
 
Have a look at Country Covers website as an alternative. I spoke to a couple of guys recently who use this gear almost daily (both full time keepers) and they had nothing but praise for the gear. The prices range from affordable to pretty expensive but essentially all their clothing uses the same waterproof/breathable membrane. The more expensive jackets have zip out liners etc.

I looked at the kit at the Scone Gamefair in July and was impressed. What was interesting was that they had a jacket on display that was something like 10years old and claimed it was as waterproof then as the day it was made and it was holding up in the looks very well.

They also claim a 4 year guarantee against fault/failure and what looks like accidental damage!!!
 
I have a River's West Field Pro smock, and while it's an excellent bit of kit - lightweight, waterproof and windproof - it isn't designed or sold as breathable.
Thanks for that! Wasn't aware so just looked at the fabric descriptions on the website and you are right...
 
This is a conundrum I have spent a lot of time and money trying to solve, and basically failed. Barbours, Musto's, Deerhunters, and Ridgelines are all hanging in my closet.

Any coat that is really water proof - and the Ridgeline Monsoon is waterproof - will sweat you if you exert yourself. Particularly office bound fat boys like me. I was out in the deluge we had on Monday wearing my Musto Highlands, I was soaking in sweat by the time I finished.

I have started to wear a windproof fleece and put the coat in the Roesack. I try to only wear the coat when it is actually raining. I suppose the other point is that when woodland stalking, you should be going slow enough that you don't sweat. Never seems to work out that way for me though.

The Monsoon smock and trousers are a great job for sitting up a seat in though.
 
Thanks for the responses, kinda comfirmed what I had suspected, shame, I really thought that the rivers west was the answer, glad I asked before I got my wallet out, I'll keep looking!
 
the rivers west gear is excellent and keeps the water out. It is technical material that allows you to layer. Using a wicking base layer such as merino wool or bamboo cotton does solve the problem. on my ranger jacket a i have pit zips that allows air to circulate. I can't fault the stuff if you want to be warm and dry...go for it but don't be putting big thick jumpers on.
 
Ok - I'm confused. All clothing lets you add layers, but as I understand it, a modern layering system involves wicking base layers, insulating layers and a breathable wind/waterproof shell. This rivers west stuff sounds as though it combines both the insulating and (non-breathable) shell layers in one, so is it actually less versatile if its too warm to add an insulating layer?
 
Ok - I'm confused. All clothing lets you add layers, but as I understand it, a modern layering system involves wicking base layers, insulating layers and a breathable wind/waterproof shell. This rivers west stuff sounds as though it combines both the insulating and (non-breathable) shell layers in one, so is it actually less versatile if its too warm to add an insulating layer?

from my experience.......

Its not clothing you would wear in the height of summer. All you require is a base layer underneath the jacket, to allow mositure that could be built up to be wicked away. you dont need insulating layers, they are bulky and add weight. Hence why they have designed a lightweight jacket that is waterproof and wind proof. Goretex is more breathable but when pressure is applied to the outer shell i.e kneeling on wet grass........water is forced through. Before i bought any of the rivers west clothing i rang their office and spoke to a guy called Robert (i think) who was the MD. Might be worth giving them a call to find out further info 01524 548060
 
Back
Top