I'm a bit of a gear head. I have an addiction to steepandcheap.com and every time I step into a EMS, Patagonia, etc. I immediately feel the need to buy something. What's worse is I'm drawn to the most expensive products. In reality, a two layer Gortex shell is going to keep me dry all day but I usually convince myself that there will be some doomsday scenario where it'll be totally worth the extra $100 for a 3rd layer. While I've fed my addiction over the years I've become familiar with the materials used in performance clothing. Gortex, eVent, and c_change are (in my opinion) the best on the market right now. However, I've never really dug into the detail.
Here is a quick rundown of what you want to consider before buying performance outerwear:
Membrane vs. Coated
Water Repellency
Breathability
If you only cared about protecting yourself from the elements, you'd wear a rubber jacket and be done with it. But when you're being active (skiing, hiking etc.) you sweat and rubber does not breathe. Suddenly, you're a walking sauna and whatever you were doing isn't so fun anymore. Fabrics like Gortex, eVent, and c_change repel water but also allow your water vapor (sweat) to escape, keeping your body dry.
I hope this was informative and you stay dry.
Here is a quick rundown of what you want to consider before buying performance outerwear:
Membrane vs. Coated
This guy is a crumb but start listening 30 seconds in and stop listening at 2:58.
Bottom line: It's worth the extra money for a membrane jacket. It will keep you dryer for longer.
Water Repellency
Whether you're walking down the street or your in the middle of the backcountry, no one wants to be wet. When considering the fabric you want use in your battle against mother nature, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with levels of water repellency. To measure a fabric's ability to block water, testers will pour water on the fabric until until it seeps through (shocking). They measure this property in 1000's of mm (Example: you'll see a jacket described as 10k waterproof, that means 10,000 mm of water was suspended above the fabric before water seeped through.) Typically, any fabric which can withstand 1,000 mm of water pressure prior to leaking is considered waterproof. Mid-range shell fabrics tend to hover around 5,000 mm and anything over 20k is going to be considered top of the line.
Bottom line: If you're doing anything more than walking the dog in the rain, look for material that is 15k + waterproof.
Breathability
If you only cared about protecting yourself from the elements, you'd wear a rubber jacket and be done with it. But when you're being active (skiing, hiking etc.) you sweat and rubber does not breathe. Suddenly, you're a walking sauna and whatever you were doing isn't so fun anymore. Fabrics like Gortex, eVent, and c_change repel water but also allow your water vapor (sweat) to escape, keeping your body dry.
Crumb #2. Testing the rate at which water vapor is transferred through Gortex and eVent.
Bottom Line: It is rumored that eVent is more breathable than Gortex. This video shows very little difference. I personally don't know, I've really only used Gortex. An interesting alternative to consider is C_change. C_change independently reacts to changing temperatures and activities. Depending on the situation, breathability or heat-retention increases or decreases.
Pat's Picks:
I hope this was informative and you stay dry.
You forgot to mention the fact that the reason you have so much jacket knowledge is that you lose them constantly.
ReplyDeletethis is 100% true.
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