AllOutdoor Review – Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib
Eugene L. 11.09.23
While most people are familiar with the more commercial side of Grundéns foul weather gear, with their iconic Hercules Bib, their original professional grade bib. They do make foul-weather gear that is lighter-weight and easier to use for recreational anglers, all the while not compromising on the ability to keep the weather out. I’m reviewing the Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib today after wearing it to keep dry and warm for the past 6 months on the river, the Gulf, and the field.
Grundéns Coverage on AllOutdoor
- AllOutdoor Review – Grundéns Neptune Pro Anorak & Bib
- [ICAST 2023] Keep Gear Dry with Grunden’s Wayward Roll Top Backpack
- [ICAST 2023] The Tough Sun Hoodie from Grundens
- [ICAST 2023] New Boundary Zip Stockingfoot Wader from Grundens
Specifications – Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib
- Materials – GORE-TEX PACLITE® PLUS Plus Fabric –\r\n100% Polyester – 125g/m2
- 100% Waterproof backed by the GORE-TEX® GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY™ promise
- GORE-TEX PACLITE® Fabric
- Reinforced Knees & Cuffs
- Heavy-Duty Corrosion Resistant Lower Leg Zippers – sized for easy on/off with boots
- Scalloped cuff design minimizes wear & tear on abrasive boat deck surfaces
- Drop-in chest storage pocket with Heavy-Duty corrosion resistant zipper closure
- Breathable
- Stain Resistant
- Light Duty
- Sizes – S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL
- Color- Anchorage Grey
- MSRP – $299.99
Features – Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib
The Charter Bib’s biggest feature is the GORE-TEX Paclite Plus Fabric that comprises the bib. This material is 100% waterproof, which is backed by the Gore-Tex guarantee, but it still is lightweight, packable, and breathable. So the perfect material for stowing your bib away in a gear bag and bringing it out when needed. The Charter Gore-Tex Bib has a light duty rating from Grundéns more for recreational anglers versus commercial anglers. Even still this bib comes with reinforced knees to stand up to wear and tear. Along with the knees, the cuffs are reinforced and scalloped so they don’t drag on the ground as you walk. There is a single drop-in chest pocket across the front of the bib that is easy to access. Lastly, the Charter Gore-Tex Bib is 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
While most of my use of the Charter Gore-Tex Bib in the past six months was on the Coosa River for throwing cast nets on shad. I also took full advantage of their waterproof nature by taking them out on the Dove Fields. While the opener had the fields trimmed down nice and low great for walking through. A week of heavy rain has the sorghum growing like crazy by week 3 of the first season. That added to the 100% humidity of the early mornings in Georgia made for an incredibly cold and wet walk-out to the hunting spots.
The Charter Bib took everything in stride. Staying very comfortable to walk in and out of the field with, the breathability was a lifesaver especially when the sun was high up at noon when leaving. Even on one of the days when the weatherman lied and the scattered showers turned into an hour and a half of heavy rain. I stayed nice and dry when sitting in my chair and walking off the fields, well at least until my rain jacket decided it wasn’t waterproof anymore. I do want to note, the Charter Bib is a great way of keeping the mosquitos from getting you. While they can bite through pants, they definitely can’t get through a bib.
Fishing the Pier – Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib
Besides just keeping you dry, bibs have another important function, keeping you out of the wind. Some of the best days on the piers down in the panhandle of Florida are some of the windiest. So on my recent trip down to Panama City Beach to go chase after king mackerel, it was definitely windy. Even with it still being warm in the upper 60s down in Florida, when you get out to the end of the pier at 5:00 a.m. that wind makes it feel a lot colder. The Charter Bib with just a hoodie was a godsend out there, it could have been even colder and windier and I would have still felt comfortable. Later when the sun came up I shed the hoodie but kept the Charter Bib on. It was light enough and breathed well enough to still be comfortable for most of the day.
The bib was also great for gutting out fish. They kept me from ruining some more of my clothes. My closet has a drawer full of fishing clothes that are speckled in blood stains from fishing. Mackerel and bluefish are pretty bloody and tend to spazz out when they hit the deck, splattering blood everywhere. So wearing the Charter Bib kept me nice and clean even when gutting out this big king mackerel below. The bib cleaned up easily as well, 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 pair of Grundéns Charter GORE-TEX Bib, they are a great lightweight option that will keep the rain and wind out all day, day after day. While the more commercial fishing-orientated Neptune Pros that I reviewed earlier this year would more than likely hold up better in the long run. For the average recreational angler, the Charter Bib is a much better fit. They are easily packable so you’re more likely to bring it fishing with you instead of just leaving it in the truck. Even in warmer weather they breathe very well, so even if you get sweaty moving around in the sun, they will wick it away and let you dry. The lower-leg zippers make them a breeze to put on quickly if you are suddenly caught out in the rain. The hardware and straps are well-made, I honestly was not a big bib wearer in general, but I pretty much don’t go fishing without these packed with my fishing gear. But while there are all these things I do really like about this bib I do have just one issue with them.
It needs some pockets on the legs, the chest pocket works all right. If you throw your phone a couple of other things in there you can feel it pull down on the front of the bib. 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 I need to touch on for the Charter Bib is the price. It definitely is up there 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 Charter Bibs also come 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 some support. I wholeheartedly recommend these to anyone in the market for that “one and done” light-weight bib.
