Reviewed this week

click image to go directly to manufacturer site

GRUNDENS

Tourney Pro jacket

Grundens has been outfitting commercial fishermen and anglers since the early 20th century, and the Tourney Pro Jacket is a strong example of why the brand has endured. Sitting a step above the standard Tourney line, the Tourney Pro is built for the die-hard angler who fishes through it all, delivering uncompromised waterproof protection without sacrificing performance or price. After spending time with this jacket across some genuinely miserable weather, here's the full picture.

The headline feature is the shell. The Tourney Pro uses a 100% waterproof PU-coated polyester shell that won't "wet out," meaning water doesn't soak into the fabric even in sideways rain or persistent spray. That matters enormously when you're hours into a run and a cold front rolls in without warning. Many jackets in this price range shed light drizzle just fine but eventually absorb moisture during sustained downpours. The Tourney Pro holds its ground. The 180gsm PU coating feels substantial without turning the jacket into a rigid shell — the PU coating provides flexibility so the jacket moves with you rather than feeling stiff, which is exactly what you need when you're fighting a fish or reaching across a gunwale.

Thoughtful Features for Anglers

What separates a fishing-specific jacket from a generic rain shell is the details, and Grundens gets them right. The jacket includes elasticized neoprene cuffs to keep sleeves watertight — a small but critical feature that prevents that cold trickle of water every angler hates during a wet retrieve. A storm front placket and adjustable hood lock out wind-driven rain, while pit zips offer welcome ventilation when the action heats up or layering gets heavy. The hand-warmer and chest pockets are well-positioned and reliably waterproof, giving you somewhere practical to stash a leader, a pair of pliers, or simply cold hands between bites.

The adjustable hood deserves particular praise. It cinches down snugly without killing peripheral vision, and stays put in a stiff wind rather than flopping around your face - the kind of details that only show up in gear designed by people who actually fish.

The jacket is engineered with an athletic fit that provides ease of movement and protection against the elements. It layers well over a fleece or a midlayer on cold mornings without feeling constricting, and it doesn't balloon out awkwardly when worn alone in mild weather. Sizing runs true, though anglers who plan to layer heavily might consider sizing up.

Breathability: The Trade-Off

No review of a PU-coated jacket should ignore breathability — or the relative lack of it. If you prioritize breathability for long hikes or ultra-lightweight packability for travel, jackets with advanced waterproof membranes like Gore-Tex may be a better fit. The Tourney Pro is built for wet, demanding conditions on the water, not aerobic trail activity. For stationary or moderate-activity fishing, it performs well, but expect some clamminess during high-output moments.

At around US$180, it hits a sweet spot for anglers who don't want to go all-in on premium Gore-Tex gear but still need reliable all-day protection. For that price, you're getting a jacket that will outlast plenty of pricier options when cared for properly.

The Grundens Tourney Pro Jacket delivers exactly what it promises: rugged, no-nonsense waterproof protection built around the specific demands of fishing. It's especially well-suited for coastal anglers, offshore day boats, charter fishermen, and weekend warriors. It won't replace a breathable membrane jacket for every context, but if your priority is keeping dry on the water through sustained nasty weather, this jacket makes a compelling case for itself at a price that won't leave you anchored to the dock.

★★★★

PONCHO

Technical shirts

I've been fishing since I was old enough to hold a rod, and I've ruined more shirts on the water than I care to count. Fish slime, bait, salt spray, hook snags, sunscreen — a serious fishing trip is basically an obstacle course for clothing. So when I say Poncho shirts are built for it, I mean I've subjected four different models to a full season of exactly that punishment, and they've come through looking nearly new.

My go-to for hot summer mornings on the flats has been the Gunnison. The performance nylon breathes well in the heat — you know that miserable, soaked-through feeling by 9:30AM? Gone. The magnetic pocket closures are a genuine revelation on the water: one-handed access when you're fighting a fish or working quickly to net one, and they stay shut when a wave hits. There's also a hidden vertical chest pocket that swallows a fly box, tippet spools, or a phone without creating an awkward bulge. Poncho also built a sunglass cleaning cloth into the inside of the shirt — a small detail that sounds trivial until you're sight-fishing and desperately need a clean lens.

For cooler early-morning and overcast days, I leaned on the Original (the shirt that started everything for Poncho) — the fabric weight is just right for layering under a fleece without bunching or restricting your casting arm. The fit across the shoulders is generous enough to give you full range of motion, which matters more than most people realize over a long day of casting. It's not baggy; it's cut for people who move in their clothes.

When the temperature really climbs, I switch to the Ultra-Lite. Single chest pocket, simplified design, and noticeably lighter than the other two — it's the shirt you reach for when you want to forget you're wearing one. It wicks and dries fast enough to stay comfortable through wade fishing in knee-deep water, and after a quick rinse with freshwater it's ready for the next day.

Durability across all three has been impressive. Hook snags, a rough gunwale dragged across a sleeve, repeated washes after trips that left the shirts smelling like a bait bucket — the stitching at every stress point has held without a sign of fraying. These aren't shirts you’ll have to replace any time soon. They're shirts you still have five years from now.

If you spend serious time on the water and you're tired of burning through cheap technical shirts that pill, fade, or fall apart at the seams by October, look to Poncho. They really deliver the goods. Start with the Gunnison if you fish warm saltwater. Go with the Original if you want one shirt that handles everything. Either way, you can’t miss.

Poncho offers a multitude of models to choose from. Many come with UFP 50 sun protection.

★★★★

YETI

Tundra 35 cooler

There's a moment on day two of a fishing trip — sun high, ice starting to sweat in a lesser cooler — when you start questioning every gear decision you've made. The YETI Tundra 35 is designed to make that moment a non-issue. After time spent hauling it across boat decks, gravel campsites, and a few tailgates, it's clear why YETI has built the cult following it has. This isn't a cooler that coasts on marketing. It earns every dollar through engineering decisions that show up where it counts: in the field, on day three, when cheap coolers have long since surrendered.

At the core of the Tundra's thermal performance is the Fatwall design: extra-thick walls packed with Permafrost insulation that create a deep, continuous thermal barrier. The interlock lid system works in tandem with those walls, forming a seamless seal that stands up to extreme temperatures on either end of the spectrum. It's the primary reason the Tundra outperforms standard coolers by days rather than hours. Reinforcing that seal is the Coldlock gasket — a commercial-grade freezer gasket that circles the entire lid perimeter. The same technology found in professional food storage equipment, it blocks heat from breaching the seal point, locking cold air in and warm air out with serious intent. In testing, packed with a standard bag of cubed ice and a weekend's worth of food and drinks, the Tundra held ice well past the 60-hour mark even through repeated sun exposure. Beverages pulled on day three were still properly cold.

Moving the Tundra 35 is where the Doublehaul handles come in. Thick, UV-resistant rope handles at both ends are built for two-person carries — a smart concession to physics when the Tundra 35 is loaded to capacity. They're more comfortable under real load over distance than molded plastic grips, and they hold up to the kind of abuse that comes with repeated use on rough terrain. Once you've got it where it needs to go, tie-down slots molded directly into the body let you run a strap or bungee cord through and anchor the cooler to a truck bed, boat deck, or ATV rack. In rough water or on dirt roads, a sliding cooler becomes a hazard — these slots eliminate that risk without requiring any add-on hardware, a practical detail that anyone who's watched a cooler migrate across a boat deck will appreciate.

On the ground, Bearfoot non-slip feet keep the Tundra planted on slick surfaces — boat decks, wet dock boards, polished truck liners. They also raise the housing slightly off the ground, protecting the base from hot pavement and rough surfaces while improving airflow underneath. In testing, the cooler held its position even when used as a step, with no shifting or skidding under weight. The lid itself can handle a standing person, and the bear-resistant latch system closes with a satisfying click that signals genuine security.

At 35 quarts, the Tundra hits a practical sweet spot — large enough to provision two to three people for a multi-day outing, compact enough to fit under a boat seat or in a truck cab. Tall interior clearance accommodates a standing wine bottle, and smooth interior walls with rounded corners make cleanup quick even after storing raw meat. Hardware throughout — hinges, drain plug, latches — operates with a solidity that signals longevity rather than showing off. Available in a range of colorways, it also avoids looking like work equipment.

Is it expensive? Yes. But the Tundra 35 operates in a fundamentally different category than the cooler you'd grab at a big-box store. The Fatwall insulation, Coldlock gasket, Doublehaul handles, tie-down slots, and Bearfoot feet aren't a marketing checklist — they're a coherent system, and every piece of it shows up in real-world use. The cost-per-outing math improves every season you use it. For anyone serious about keeping food safe and drinks cold, the YETI Tundra 35 earns its place in the kit without apology — and it's very likely the last cooler you'll need to buy for a long time.

Put simply, the YETI Tundra 35 is a benchmark cooler that others are measured against. Best for multi-day fishing trips, camping, overlanding, and anyone who’s just tired of replacing cheap coolers every other season.

★★★★★