Kokanee Rain Jacket & Bibs by Rivers West
Tournament Tested ~ Field Test Report by Jon Blank
The past several months I have had the opportunity to put the Rivers West Kokanee Jacket & Bibs through the most severe weather conditions that Mother Nature can dish out fishing the Northwest Bass and ABA tournament circuit’s across the Pacific Northwest!
I’m happy to report that I was not disappointed with the performance of this new rain gear from Rivers West! Not only does this gear keep you bone dry in pouring down rain traveling 70 mph in a bass boat, it also is very comfortable to wear all day long. Below I will do deep dive on some key points that will keep me wearing this set of rain gear for years to come!
The Kokanee rain jacket was made for the angler! This waterproof membrane seam sealed jacket will keep you dry no matter how long you are standing in the rain! The outside shell of the jacket is very durable boasting a 600 denier woven oxford exterior! Additional features of the jacket are as follows:
- 2-way adjustable fixed hood that folds into the collar of the jacket when not in use. One nice feature is the hood is separate from the collar of the jacket for those of you that like to wear a ball cap the rain will not run down the back of your neck when you put the hood up!
- Dual waterproof chest pockets – there is plenty of room in these!
- Zippered Sherpa fleece lined pockets with hand warmer inserts! This feature is awesome! When your hands are cold you will really like these pockets with or without hand warmers inserted! The most comfy pockets in a jacket that I have ever had hands down!
- Neoprene storm cuffs with adjustable web belt! This is a great feature when landing and releasing fish back into the water. No more water running down your sleeves!
- Heavy duty two-way zipper with snap storm flap that will keep water out and allows for easy access when wearing your bibs when Mother Nature calls!
- Oversized D rings on both sides of the jacket as well as on the back. This is great for hooking on your safety kill switch lanyard or hanging a net off the back when fishing from the bank for easy access!
- Tricot lining on the inside provides cooling comfort in this high end fishing jacket!
- Total jacket weight 2.1 pounds
- Comfort Zone 40 to 65 degrees
- Limited Lifetime Warranty!
I was impressed how well this jacket performed! Many waterproof jackets feel heavy, restrict movement and do not breathe well. This is not the case with the Kokanee Jacket & Bibs from Rivers West! They hit the nail on the head when developing this jacket & bibs with the angler in mind. The jacket allows me to layer depending on the outside temperature and not over-heat as the day warms up. That said, I have been in near freezing temperatures running down the lake at 70 mph in the early spring mornings and I was toasty warm. This jacket is true to size and allows full range of movement for all fishing applications.
With the suggested retail price of this jacket at $139 dollars you can’t beat the performance for the price!
Hands down this Kokanee rain jacket will perform right up there with the best money can buy!
The Kokanee rain Bibs also lived up to the expectations of the jacket! Made from the same high quality materials and loaded with innovative features for the angler! As with the jacket, I have fallen in love with these bibs! From the rugged shores of Seward Alaska to the rivers and lakes of the Pacific Northwest the bibs have help up flawlessly in all fishing situations!
Many of mornings on the water I found myself grinning from ear to ear on the awesome features of these bibs! Below I will outline the features of these bibs that separate them from the competition!
- Waterproof membrane seam sealed!
- Interior Sherpa lined hand-warmer pockets on the inside of the chest! This is my favorite feature on these bibs! Often times as anglers we fish with a hoodie on or a light jacket under our bibs when it is not raining. To quickly warm up your hands we often find ourselves sticking our hands inside our bibs to break the chill. The innovation of the fleece lined pockets just on the inside chest area on the bibs will not disappoint! With or without hand-warmers inserted your hands will be toasty warm in no time. The nice thing about these pockets is you don’t even know they are there when not in use!
- 2 zip closed chest pockets with flaps on the outside for additional storage
- Cargo pockets on both sides of the bibs with D Ring holders placed in the right location. This is a great feature as the D ring holders are placed in the front of the cargo pocket where you can actually use them for a hand wiping towel etc. By placing the D ring high on the pocket you will not have to bend down as far to wipe your hands.
- Heavy duty two way zipper with storm cover to keep the rain out! Like the jacket, the two way zipper on the bibs makes for easy access so you don’t have to undress when nature calls! This is a great feature for those of you that spend a lot of time outdoors!
- Reinforced knees and inseams will provide years of durability for the most intense angler!
- Extra-long leg zips with storm fly and adjustable tabs around for your ankles. What I like most about this is feature is many bibs on the market today have Velcro all the way up the flap and I find it a pain when trying to get in and out of your bibs. These bibs only have Velcro at the bottom eliminating the difficulty when taking them on and off! Whether wearing rubber knee boots or light hiking shoes the lower legs of the bibs are made perfectly!
- Reinforced buckle ‘belted’ suspenders that convert the bibs into pants when needed. This is a great feature when you don’t want the full bib on when washing the boat, cleaning fish etc. but still want the waterproof protection on your lower body!
- Elasticized back waist to keep them in the right location no matter what your activity!
- Tricot lined insides allow full range of movement without the bibs getting bound up on your pants!
- Chest mounted accessory clip keep you clippers always in a handy location!
- Total bib weight 2.6 pounds
- Comfort Zone 30 to 65 degrees
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
I can’t say enough on how much I like these bibs! Anytime I head out the door fishing where cooler rainy weather is in the forecast I’m sure to have these in my boat! The bibs fit true to size however I do want to point out that the inseam is limited to the size of bibs you wear. For those of you with a stocky build and a short inseam you might find the legs a little long. The medium comes in a 31 inch inseam, large 32 inch inseam and XL and XXL with a 33 inch inseam. I’m wearing the XXL bibs and normally wear a 32 inch inseam on my pants and the bibs fit me perfectly! Hopefully as the Kokanee series from Rivers West grows in popularity we get more inseam options in the future. As for the price the suggested retail of these bibs are $119 dollars! You won’t find a set of bibs in the market loaded with the features these have for the price!
Both the jacket and the bibs repel the water flawlessly and are quick to dry! This is one feature that is important to me as I hate putting on rain gear that I wore the previous day that is still wet! I also was very pleased with the breathability of both the bibs and the jacket as I did not sweat to death on my hikes down to the river or back to the truck.
With a total set price for jacket and bibs for under $260 dollars you can’t go wrong! I’ve had the opportunity to wear some of the best name brand rain gear over the years and I have to tell you that the Kokanee rain series from Rivers West performs like no other! Currently the Kokanee series is only offered in one color pattern olive/gray. It’s very attractive and encourage you give them a try!
You can find more information on the Kokanee rain Series at Riverswest.com or purchase them now online at the Ridge to River Outdoors General Store or you can start finding them in your local stores who carry Rivers West apparel.
Jon Blank
Jon’s NW Outdoors
Professional Angler/Guide
