Breathable waterproof shells?

Pick up the latest October issue of Backpacker magazine. They just completed a year long test of different brand and types of lightweight raingear, down jackets and odor-eater shirts. Might be something of interest for you there.

COdger
 
Dale,

Check REI. I got last year's denali for 50% off hanging on a clearance rack.....granted, it's green, but for fifty percent off, i DON'T CARE WHAT COLOR IT IS LOL
 
If your gortex coats outer layer does not bead up water like a ducks back its not breathable, its waterproof still but wont breath.

As soon as the outer layer starts to absorb water ie, wet out the gortex pores cant function. You need to clean the coat and reapply a PROPER! DWR protectant/repellant to the outer surface.

I have to do this at least twice per year as I use the coat a lot.

Rubber non breathable rain gear sucks as you get just as wet with sweat as having no rain gear at all. Sitting in camp or fishing in a boat is fine but not when you are working hard.

Gortex is gortex, North Face or not. Its the coats construction that matters not the label. Look for the Gore's dry guarantee on the coats tags then shop for price and design features you want.

Skam
 
My experience mirrors those posted above. If it is not a down pour, and you are going to be doing any kind of physical actyivity, I've found that rain gear is more trouble than it is worth. On a hunting trip a few years ago, I became more wet wearing my rain gear than I would have if I had not worn it, due to perspiration. Breathable is relative. More breathable than being wrapped in cling wrap, but not nearly as breathable as "regular" clothing. The cabelas rain gear works pretty well, but I usually put it on when I get where I am going, excepting for down pours.
 
My wife bought me one of the first Gore-Tex jackets. The seams were not sealed (had to do that yourself), and the first time I got it sweaty, it leaked.

Turns out that body oils (or dirt or detergent) defeated the expanded PTFE (teflon) that was the jacket's only barrier to water = leaks.

Gore Inc. responded by adding a thin layer of polyurethane to the PFTE, making the PFTE only useful as something to bond the polyurethane to. (The PFTE does not keep out water after the first time you sweat up the garment -- or wash it in detergent or get dirt on it.)

The polyurethane layer had to be thin to pass water vapor (AKA "breath") and so had to be proptected from mechanical damage. Hence the hanging liners, if you recall those. (Now they bond a protective layer to the polyurethane layer.)

This second generation didn't breath as well as the original.

Gore has tweaked it's products to improve the breathability of some of them, but no Gore product matches the original PFTE as to breathing -- or, happily, leaking.

Many other farbics are made with polyurethane layers to provide breathable water proof characteristics. Other technologies are used, and some surpass Gore-Tex fabrics in some conditions. )Turns out the relative humidity between inside the garment and outside impacts breathability.) Other alternate technologies (example Conduit Silk) are relatively terrible.

This chart is a useful start. You can spend hours on the net looking for anything remotely objective. Mostly you get sales pitches written by the fabric or garment manufacturers.

http://www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/breathability.pdf

Skam is dead on regarding "wetting out." Gore tells you to keep up the DWR finish.

I want to get an Event jacket, but they are so @#!%^$# expensive!
 
no breathable shell works in the tropical rainforest. it's like a sauna in them.

I agree with the above postings....and those DWR / Waterproof sprays or washes are damn expensive.

btw, what's Event? anyone got a link?
 
thanks! looks good.....

anyone have any links to eVent hardshells that weigh under 12oz but have pit zips? I checked out the integral design jackets but they were a bit pricey and lacked pit zips. I think pit zips are crucial for me in the tropics.
 
Gore certifies certain jacket designs by various makers to be "Guaranteed to keep you dry".

They test the construction and seam sealing etc.... Then put their stamp of approval on them (the tags) as I mentioned above.

I would not buy a Gortex jacket without Gore's Guarantee.

A gortex coat will breath well to a point if use correctly ie, ventilation, pitzips, washed LOTS and dried hot in the dryer. Couple this with constant DWR treatments and it will work very well. The problem comes from people who buy the garment and never maintain it expecting it to perform like new for years when this wil not be the case.

It is not a low maintenance material.

Skam
 
NorthFace's Hyvent (their own waterproof/breatheable material) kinda sucks ass, as you've now found out. Their stuff that's the real deal with actual Goretex though, is excellent. As a previous poster mentioned, ventilation is the key. You can sweat up your own mini-rainstorm inside a waterproof or non-breatheable jacket as fast as all get out.

I've been happy with genuine W.L Gore pants, gloves and jackets for years, but have tried other companies 'waterproof/breatheable' products on two occasions and was thoroughly disappointed.

Best to skip the cheap stuff and go regular old goretex. Doesn't matter what namebrand the clothing is as it's all the same material in the end.
 
The features - pit zips, chest zips, open cuffs, caped back vents - may be more important than the fabric.

But as for "Guaranteed to keep you dry," it might be more honest to add: "if you don't sweat" OR "maybe." ;) (Not that I have ever had one leak, after that first one.)
 
Thomas Linton said:
The features - pit zips, chest zips, open cuffs, caped back vents - may be more important than the fabric.

But as for "Guaranteed to keep you dry," it might be more honest to add: "if you don't sweat" OR "maybe." ;) (Not that I have ever had one leak, after that first one.)
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Too true.

I have tested rubber rainwear and gortex under similar outputs and it is quite shocking the breathability difference even under high output. It doesnt seem like it at the time when you are sweating but there is a huge difference.

That said it is not a majic fabric just much better than rubberized.

Skam
 
eVent products are generally considered the most breathable while still waterproof. The shell I have appears to work quite well. eVent tends to be expensive but sometimes you can catch something at a good sale price.
The thing is that I usually am hiking in steep country and nothing is breathable enough nor are pit zips adequate to keep me dry from perspiration.
 
I have a mountain hardware goretex XCR jacket that is great but is kind of heavy so most of the time I use my marmot precip jacket and I have no complaints.
 
LikeHike said:
The thing is that I usually am hiking in steep country and nothing is breathable enough nor are pit zips adequate to keep me dry from perspiration.
Click to expand...

If this is the case you are better off with no rain gear as you are overheating and the wet will cool you off.

Skam
 
I know this is an old thread but some good info in here.
I moved to Ak about a year ago and have started doing a bunch of excploring up here and am in need of a good (reasonably priced) breathable waterproof shell.

Thanks for any and all help guys,
dave
 
I said this before...somewhere...but I don't see it here;)

In my experience in a lot of ways if I am backpacking in summer I'm just way better off to have some nylon shorts and an under armor t shirt and maybe some trail sandals and just wear them in the rain. If it stops raining they dry fast.

Seems like in any hard hike with rain gear on I sweat so much that no matter how waterproof the stuff is I get wet from the inside.

What I try to do anymore is if it is a short shower get under cover but then once I get to where I'm camping I change into dry clothes and THEN use my rain gear to keep them dry:rolleyes:
 
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