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frogg
toggs
Pro Angler Suit (PA109)
Specifications |
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Material |
Microporous Polypropylene |
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Sizes Available |
Medium - XXXXL |
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Colors |
Blue, Black, Khaki, Gray, Orange |
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Price |
$79.95 |
Introducing the frogg toggs Pro
Angler Suit that's 100% waterproof and extremely lightweight
About frogg toggs: frogg toggs was founded
in 1996 with a purpose to provide outdoorsmen with outerwear that's 100%
waterproof, windproof, lightweight, and breathable. They developed and
patented their own material that is used in the construction of a complete series of
garments.
Impressions: Today's raingear
comes in the form of many different materials, some of which are definitely better than others. While
some are heavy, extremely durable, and 100% waterproof, some aren't as well
made, especially the thinner ones. Frogg toggs are thinner and lighter in
weight than most waterproof suits, and we were afraid that the same shortcomings
we have seen in other light suits might befall the frogg toggs as well.
Upon arrival, the box that held the Pro Angler Suit was
small and it almost felt as if it was completely devoid of contents. The PA109 suit is extremely
lightweight and packs very small. Upon first touch of the microporous
polypropylene made suit, it felt almost like... paper. The jacket and bib
felt nothing like the rainsuits that we are used to. The material is thin,
lightweight, and the outer side of the jacket has an unique texturized surface. The frogg toggs feature a zippered jacket that is protected via a flap, and a
hood that's stowed out of the way until needed. The bib portion uses an
elastic shoulder strap with quick connect/disconnect and at the bottom uses
Velcro to ensure a tight fit at the cuffs.
[upper left] Welded seam on the
bib [upper right] Seam from the outside [lower left] Inner side of the jacket
showing a different style of welded seam [lower right] a zipper compartment that
holds the hood
The Seams: The main panels of frogg toggs
are constructed using a unique "no-needle" seam design. The 3-layer material utilizes
the company's
patented ultrasonic seam welded process that eliminates any unnecessary holes
and prevents any entry of water. The seams
on the jacket and bib employ a different layout but feature the same welding process.
The zippers are actually sewed on and protection is provided through a storm flap.
Field Tests: The Pro Angler Suit seemed like a pretty versatile piece of
outerwear so I put it through the works. The PA109 suit was used on
backpacking trips for trout, bass fishing in lakes, and put up against
the harsh saltwater fishing conditions found on the ocean.
Performance: From my first impressions, I really had no idea how the frogg
toggs would perform in bad weather conditions. On one backpacking+fishing trip up to the high
sierras, the trip started out to be wonderful. As we trekked along the
river, we had a terrific time fishing. By the time we reached about half way
towards camp, large menacing looking thunder clouds started rolling in over our
heads. In a short while it was pouring and we had to retreat and
put on our raingear. Even thought it stopped us from fishing, I thought what a perfect time
it would be to test the frogg toggs as I packed only the jacket portion with me
on our lightweight backpacking trip. Shortly after wearing the Pro Angler
jacket, I found out just how waterproof it was. Absolutely amazing how this
paper-thin material can perform so well. The jacket was not only 100%
waterproof but windproof and extremely lightweight. The PA109 jacket has a
hood that can be taken out of its pocket when needed, and while it does provide
a good way to keep you dry from head down, the hood wasn't large enough to keep
my face from getting wet. That's because there's literally no brim. If
you wear a cap underneath the hood while it's raining, then you will be slightly more protected.
Attached to the elastic shoulder
straps are easy to use quick connects
After the thunder clouds
passed on and our hike continued, I never took off the frogg toggs as it felt
like it wasn't even there. The jacket was loose and extremely lightweight. The patented Microporous Polypropylene material is quite breathable and allowed
perspiration vapor to pass through the suit instead of remaining entrapped causing me to sweat.
The Pro Angler Suit comes with a jacket and bib
and
I suited up completely to do battle with ocean species from salmon to rockfish.
While running in rough waters, it can sometimes be extremely wet and in an open boat like
our Boston Whaler 170 Montauk, you will get completely soaked if not wearing the
right clothing. The frogg
toggs kept me absolutely dry on every trip out on the ocean. While the jacket kept my upper body dry, the bib did its part for my lower half. Since
it is a bib, it keeps the wind and water from creeping into your inner layers
and kept me dry as a bone.
Use the Velcro to make a tight fit
around your ankles so you won't step on the bib legs and trip
Comfort: The comfort level of the Pro Angler Suit is outstanding. The material isn't
"Downy" soft, but it's featherlight! You can wear it all
day and it won't weigh you down. The breathable frogg toggs material keeps
you dry and unbelievably warm for being so thin, something one wouldn't believe
until you've tried it.
Durability: While the Pro Angler Suit is thin it is also surprisingly tough for
its thickness, but in terms of durability it still isn't the best. The middle
layer is constructed of a film of polypro and through months of testing it shows no signs of
wear at all. The outer and inner layers consists of non-woven
polypropylene fibers which isn't as durable and does show some wear after much use. The locations where much rubbing occurs the outer layer will start to look like
it's thinning. The material is also prone to snags from sharp objects
especially hooks. But even with some chafing the frogg toggs suit was
still 100% waterproof.
Another thing that can be improved are the elastic
shoulder straps on the bib. At first they worked great and were easy to adjust
but after prolonged use the straps stretched and overall
elasticity declined.
The Pro Angler Suit is very
comfortable to have on, and it's loose enough to fit right over your current
clothes and won't restrict movement while fishing
Applications: The PA109 suit is great for
many applications and excels in some areas better than others. The frogg
toggs Pro Angler Suit is great for all types of freshwater fishing on foul
weather days. It packs small, is 100% waterproof, lightweight, and is loose
enough to slip right over your current clothing. The small packing size
allows any angler to stuff it into their tackle bag or boat to have ready on
those unpredictable rainy days. The suit can also be used in saltwater
applications, but like other saltwater gear, it must be able to withstand
serious
abuse. For anglers who don't need
to wear protective raingear at all times while saltwater fishing, the PA109 suit
will be great to have onboard. Also if you're doing a lot of fishing where
plenty of fish slime
and blood drench your gear it is important to note that washing it off the non-woven material isn't as
easy as with a smooth rubber based garment.
Price: Raingear comes in all qualities and
of course a substantial price range. Quality outerwear can be extremely costly
adding up to an amount well over $300 for an entire suit. Frogg toggs
developed the Pro Angler Suit that consist of a jacket and bib constructed of a
3-layer polypropylene material that makes it 100% waterproof, windproof, and
extremely lightweight, all for under $80. For the price and its function,
the suit is a good price but not exactly a great value if you factor in the long
term durability.
