I was pricing the simm's G3 guide jacket & the simm's guide classic today.The question I need help with, is the G3 really worth a $100.00 more then the guide classic????.I'm looking for something a little lighter then the old grundens with neo-cuff's.So Bob/Parker and any one else out there can you give some input.Thanks and Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

I own both. The short answer is yes. The G3 is well worth the $100 more.

The big things I like about the G3 over the Classic are:

a) The addition of a collar on the G3 makes that jacket 1000X more comfortable to wear with the hood down.

b) More pockets on the G3 with the addition of waterproof zippers on them.

c) The cuffs on the G3 are way more improved over the Classic. The cuffs on the classic are tucked under the jacket and are a pain to work with.

d) All G3's come with the SIMMS "30 pound steelhead" guarantee.

e) Bug tossin' geeky, but cool is the addition of that velcro patch on the jacket and the included fly-holder thing. You can see it on my avatar. I used it up North to keep 3-4 spoons handy at all times. Or, you can just pretend they are your Fishing Medals and/or merit medals. Wear them with pride.

Both jackets kick ass, IMO. Even today, my older Classic beads and sheds water like the day it was new. The G3 is just as good.

Now, I use the older Classic when fishing bait. I'll gladly switch over to the G3 in the no-bait areas. I hate the smell of eggs on my jackets and/or waders. Ugh.

Hands down, the G3 is by far, the best Gortex rain jacket that I've ever worn, or owned. Granted, I don't use it every day, nor do I row a boat with it on every day, so your mileage may vary. I'm sure Bob can chime in as to how his G3 is holding up, and what he thinks of the two jackets.

I wouldn't buy it for two reasons. One, it says Simms on it. Two, I hate manufactures that double stitch this and add that, for an extra buck, then market the lesser crap to the masses.

I still question the value of gortex, I have had at leat 5 gortex jackets over the years. I have used the renewer (I cant remember the name right now) and still they seem to not shed the rain as they should after a couple of seasons. I sill use mine all the time and complain, but for your washington weather I would think real rain gear is in order. Perhaps when only showers are forecast the gortex is the appropriate choice...

"I wouldn't buy it for two reasons. One, it says Simms on it. Two, do you have any idea how many sacks I can buy for that kind of dough?"

There.............fixed the typos for you.

So sack's are lesser crap????.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Confucius says: "Let's say you are going nut gathering. To do so, you will need a nut sack."

The serious all-weather Alaskan fisherman and guides I've seen, without exception, don't fuc% with the designer gortex bullshi%. Thick rubber, baby. Either Grundens or Helly Hansen.

Stirke Zone-- Drift Creek outdoors makes a rain jacket very similar to the Simms and it retails at Ted's for $59.00. I picked one up and so far really like it. I figure I can buy between 3 & 5 Simms for the same money. But in a soaking rain nothing beats Grundens.

Good Luck
RVW

I've got an older Simms that's in it's 4th season. It was a discontinued model when I bought it for about half price. It's been worth every cent, and I've taken it to Kamchatka and Alaska as my only rain gear with no problems. I've also got older Grundens and Helly Hanson, and altho thicker and much heavier, they don't keep me any drier.

I have no idea whether the G3 is worth $100 more than the classic. I think it depends on how you feel about $100.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

If I had Bernie's money I'd burn mine.

Thick rubber .....that's leaving a line open for someone to make a comment about ones wife

My nearly ten year old Helley Hansen finally bit the big one...no matter what I do to it, it just won't stay waterproof anymore. Considering how many miles of river it has walked, and how many raindrops have pelted it, I'm OK with it finally giving up.

I picked up a Columbia Queets River wading jacket today...just a goretex shell more than anything else...I've got other stuff to keep me warm, just looking to stay dry. The neoprene cuffs and waistband look like they'll take care of the 'dry' part just fine.

Oh, at OE, with my 10% PSA discount, it's on sale and cost me about $80.00...hard to beat.

Fish on...

Todd

Parker is right about the comfort and convienence advantages of the G3 jacket. But I would never buy one just because the goretex is a much lighter material than what is used in the classic jacket.

Most of the guys I've guided with in AK go with the classic for just that reason. Guys that have bought the G3 or the new rivertek usually end up with tears and/or lots of pinholes. But we are also probably much harder on gear than most.

B/c this will probably be my last summer guiding, I'm going to be picking up another jacket for the upcoming season and it will be another classic.

-Dom

All I know is that last weekend I would have been dry had I had my Grundens. Every Gortex jacket I've had or still own has gotten me wet at some point or another, especially on the coast. And if you use as many eggs as I do in the fall, and then you wash your jacket, you may get the smell out, but your jacket will leak more easily. And the crap you put on to get it back to waterproof is just that, crap.

while you can't beat breathable jackets for comfort, i seem to have a real problem fishing in an actual rainstorm with them. no matter what, i always end up soaking wet by the end of the day...i guess the breathable thing works 2 ways.

thinking of buying a helly hansen impertech jacket this year. they feel nice and flexible compared to the regular jackets i've owned over the years. just wish that had neoprene cuffs and some extra pockets, so i can just throw the gear in that i'm gonna use, and not have to wear my vest underneath and get soaked every time i have to tie up.

Thanks for all the input.I'm sticking with the heavy ole grundens for now as I'm not convinced the extra money will be well spent.I was just looking for a lighter more comfy rain coat to get threw those semi warm fall day's along with the late spring early summer mornings while rowing the drifter.I'm convinced that there is no such thing as a 100% rain proof coat or jacket out there that will keep ever oz of rain out in the heavy rains we all have been in while out on the OP.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

P.S. Sol if I had all your money I'd throw mine away.

there is a differance bewteen breathable and Gortex. Gortex is costly but will keep you bone dry for many years. The G3 is 100% rain proof. Also have a North Face Gortex coat, it was good for the first 10 years but finally started to let moisture in.

My experience with Gore Tex has not been good. In a light rain or drizzle, it's fine. But in a steady or heavy rain, I get wet, particuarly around the elbows and shoulders. Normally this occurs when I'm fishing.

I've switched to a Columbia Omnitech shell at 20,000psi with sealed seams and zippers. It seems okay but I haven't used it in a heavy downpour yet. The Simms G3 seems like a terrific jacket. But at the breath-taking price of $400, my budget can't take that kind of hit.

Thank goodness for friends in the fishing industry! Yeah, the SIMMS are a tad on the "over priced" side of things.