OutdoorHub Review: Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib

Most people think of the iconic orange Hercules Bib when they think of Grundéns foul weather gear, but they do have other offerings geared more towards recreational anglers. These are lighter-weight and easier-to-wear options that still don’t compromise on the ability to keep the weather out. Today I’m reviewing one of these options with the Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib. I wore this pair of bids for the past 6 months on the river, the gulf, and out in the field to test them out and keep myself dry and warm.

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Specifications – Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib

The biggest feature of the Charter Bibs is the material they are made of, the advanced GORE-TEX Paclite Plus Fabric. A 100% waterproof material that is backed by the Gore-Tex guarantee. Even with being waterproof, it is still lightweight, packable, and breathable. It makes for a perfect material for a bib that you can easily pack into a bag and take along with you to use when needed. These are a light-duty rated bibs aimed at recreational anglers, but even still Grundéns added reinforced knees for extra durability. Along with the knee reinforcement, the cuffs are reinforced and scalloped so they don’t drag as you walk. The chest of the bibs has a single drop-in chest pocket across the front. Lastly, the Charter Gore-Tex Bibs are zippered from the knees down so you can easily put them on or take them off with boots still on.

On the Dove Fields – Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib

Most of my time wearing the Charter Gore-Tex Bib was on the banks of the Coosa River, keeping myself dry and clean of scales as I threw my cast net for shad. But during other times I took full advantage of the waterproofing of the bibs by taking them to the tall wet grass of the Berry College Dove Fields. The opener for dove this year had the fields trimmed down nicely, making it easy to walk through in the early morning setting up my decoy spread. A week of heavy rain the next week had the sorghum growing like crazy by week 3. Add the 100% humidity of the early mornings in Georgia, and it made for a very wet and cold walk out through the fields.

The Charter Bib did great, keeping my legs dry and clean of all the mud and grass seed. They also added another layer of protection from the mosquitos that are out there. Those things use bug spray as hot sauce and will bite you through your clothes. The bib was comfortable to move around in and stayed breathable even when the sun was high around noon when we would leave the fields. Then one day when the weatherman was very wrong with the forecast, they kept me nice and dry in an hour and a half of driving rain. Or at least until my rain jacket decided it didnt want to be waterproof anymore.

Fishing the Pier – Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib

Bibs have more functions than just keeping you dry on the water. A big one is they keep the wind off of you. Some of the best days for fishing piers down in the Florida Panhandle are some of the windiest. Which when it’s in the summer is great, but in the spring and fall it can be surprisingly cold especially in the early morning or late evening on the pier. I had a recent trip back in October to chase King Mackerel. Even with it still being in the 60s in the early morning, combining that with a strong breeze and lack of sun at 5:00 am it can be surprisingly cold. The Charter bib combined with a hoodie was just what I needed to be out at the end of the pier hoping for the king mackerel to show up. Later on, as the sun rose I ditched my hoodie in the cart but kept the bib on to just keep the blood and scales off me. Even as it warmed it the bib still breathed well and wasn’t too hot.

As I said the bib did great with fish blood, I like gutting out my catch right away on the pier. They hold up better and the meat is nicer. Usually, I ruin at least one t-shirt on my trips with blood, but the bib saved my shirts.  Mackerel and bluefish are pretty bloody fish and tend to freak out when they hit the deck. They just splatter blood everywhere unless you get them in a slurry or water right away. So the Charter Bib kept me nice and clean even when gutting out this big king mackerel below. Clean-up was easy, just had to hose myself down with the fish-cleaning table hose to wash off the blood.

Final Thoughts – Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib

I really like this bib, it honestly lives in my truck now in a compartment behind the rear seats. The Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib is really lightweight and packs down very small for an XL bib. They have not failed me yet, even when we were getting flooded out while down in the Keys this month, they held up amazingly. Yes, they are lighter-duty gear, so something like the Neptunes Pros foul weather gear I reviewed earlier this year would last a longer time, I feel the Charter Bibs are a better fit for recreational anglers. The bib breathes well even in warm weather, so even if you work up a sweat the moisture can vent out easily. The lower-leg zippers are great for easy wearing even with deck boots on. The straps and belts are well-made and have held up great. I honestly was not a big proponent of fishing bibs, but I don’t go out anymore without these things packed in my fishing bag. But while I really do like this bib I do have one issue with them.

It needs some leg pockets, the chest pocket is all right. It keeps whatever you put in them dry by isn’t very easily accessible, especially with a jacket. So a couple of leg pockets would be awesome, that way you can keep your phone separate from anything else you’re carrying around. One last thing want to mention about the Charter Bib is the price. It is definitely on the higher end at $299.99, but this is a high-end piece of gear that will serve you well for a long time to come. If these keep me dry, warm, and comfortable in future fishing trips when the rains or the wind and spray are bad then it’s worth it to me. The bib also comes with the “GORE-TEX® GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY™ promise” That way if you do encounter leaks years down the road you know you can reach out and have that promise backing you up. I wholeheartedly recommend these to anyone in the market for that “one and done” light-weight bib.

Eugene L.

Eugene L. is currently a writer for OutdoorHub who has chosen not to write a short bio at this time.