Frabill FXE Stormsuit

Maybe you can call me superstitious but I never go anywhere without a rain suit. A few weeks back, I spent seven days in Pauldin, Arizona and I couldn’t help but toss a lightweight rain suit in the bag. Okay, so I didn’t use it, but if I had left it at home it would have surely rained on us. I never get on a boat without one and if you fish with me, you’ll have one, too. In my mind, someone in the party without a slicker invites a downpour.

The Frabil FXE Stormsuit is a serious rain suit, and a little more sophisticated than the thin short-term suit I carried to Arizona. The jacket and bibs are made of tough 330 denier nylon. It’s waterproof, windproof, and DuPont Teflon-treated. It breathes thanks to an innovative mesh lining. Chris Leonard, of Frabill, explained how the system works: “The internal mesh lining promotes convective heat transfer from the body making this an ideal suit for warmer, humid conditions. The generous patterning allows room for layers on those cooler days.”

I particularly liked the one-way zipper. Two-way zippers are often hard to start in a hurry and I never use the lower opening capability. The four front waterproof pockets are also a boon. The upper ones are plenty large enough for a pocket camera or cell phone and the lower ones are conveniently placed to use for cargo or hand warming. I also liked the hood because the bill extends far enough to keep eyeglasses dry. The hood is adjustable three ways to get the fit right and keep water out when running into the wind. I liked the Velcro and zippered inner pockets and the tethered lens cleaner is a wonderful touch.

While many rain suits feel like you’re wearing a grill cover, the fit of this suit makes it quite comfortable. There is a bungee-sealable waist string, and the elbows and knees are ergonomically shaped for comfort. The knees on the bibs are also articulated, 500 denier nylon with removable pads reinforced for wear, and there are Velcro closures for the wrists to keep your arms dry even if you have to raise your arms. There are leg zippers on the bibs to allow pulling them on and off over boots, too. There’s a D-ring for clipping the kill switch lanyard, and a strip of 3M Scotchlite, something that could save your life by allowing you to be seen in the dark.

Lewis Creek Shooting School

Dick Jones is an award winning outdoor writer and a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association Board of Directors. He writes for four North Carolina Newspapers as well as regional and national magazines. He’s hunted and fished most of his life but shooting has been his passion. He’s a former High Master, Distinguished Rifleman, and AAA class pistol shooter. He holds four Dogs of War Medals for Team Marksmanship as shooter, captain and coach. He ran the North Carolina High Power Rifle Team for six years and the junior team two years after that. Within the last year, he’s competed in shotgun, rifle and pistol events including the National Defense Match and the Bianchi Cup. He’ll be shooting the Bianchi, the NDM, the National High Power Rifle Championship, The Rock Castle AR15.com Three Gun Championship and an undetermined sniper match this shooting season.

He lives in High Point, North Carolina with his wife Cherie who’s also an outdoor writer and the 2006 and 2011 Northeast Side by Side Women’s Shotgun Champion. Both Dick and Cherie are NRA pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructors and own Lewis Creek Shooting School.