Ventile vs. G1000
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Ventile for my single skin jacket. Its quiet, breathable, thornproof very tear resistant, comfy and with a wool underneath is warm and keeps the water back even in torrential constant rain. G1000 for my trousers. They keep a good deal of water back. Very silent, keep a good degree of water back and dry quickly when active. Wind proof ,warm when wet with wool longjohns cool in summer. Thorn resistant, tear resistant and very comfy. Both lend themselves to hardy work backwoods :thumbup:
IMHO they are pretty different. G1000 is a fairly tightly woven polycotton, with limited water resistance even when waxed, and will quickly soak through and make you very wet. It tears easily, but G1000 probably wears better than Ventile because of the polyester content.
Ventile is a very tightly woven cotton that is pretty water resistant, will not soak through (just become stiff and damp). It is tougher than G1000 and although it is possible to tear it, a tear will not spread. On the other hand Ventile wears quickly and becomes tatty.
Both are very breathable and very windproof. I prefer Ventile, despite the cost.
Ventile is a very tightly woven cotton that is pretty water resistant, will not soak through (just become stiff and damp). It is tougher than G1000 and although it is possible to tear it, a tear will not spread. On the other hand Ventile wears quickly and becomes tatty.
Both are very breathable and very windproof. I prefer Ventile, despite the cost.
They both leak, both will get wet through so take your pick really, doubt there is much in it other than G1000 is lighter IIRC.
Then there is the double layer ventile to consider. You could be out in sideways rain for days and it shouldn't get through to even dampen the inside of the inner layer. So you've double the benefits of what I mentioned for single skin ventile. Plus you can dye it easily for your own personal touch :thumbup:
That's not my experience of double layer ventile. The rain gets through both layers eventually.
Ventile will leak, its cotton, very high quality but still cotton, ends up heavy, stiff and a bugger to dry
That said I've not owned Ventile for about 30 years and must admit I'd not mind a traditional overhead anorak made from the stuff.
That said I've not owned Ventile for about 30 years and must admit I'd not mind a traditional overhead anorak made from the stuff.
Ventile is my favourite fabric for jackets as it is 100% natural and an excellent weather beater.
G1000 is polycotton and therefor not so biodegradeable.
Both are comfortable but Ventile has the edge for weatherproofness and robustness.
To muddy the water I am thinking that "Epic Cotton" is pretty darn good as well - a treated cotton that claims to be 100% biodegradable... it is certainly a superior weather beater!
G1000 is polycotton and therefor not so biodegradeable.
Both are comfortable but Ventile has the edge for weatherproofness and robustness.
To muddy the water I am thinking that "Epic Cotton" is pretty darn good as well - a treated cotton that claims to be 100% biodegradable... it is certainly a superior weather beater!
I had some epic cotton Alpkit jeans and an epic craghoppers shirt but moved them on. The jeans dried quicker than normal denim but that was about all that could be said for them. They didn't keep water out at all. The shirt was stiff and crinkly, like wearing a crisp packet.
I have a Bergans Smock - feels and sounds like plain cotton and I can plunge my arm into water and the water beads up and rolls off!
It is great in rain also....
As an outer shell ventile is supposedly the best, as a windproof outer in arctic conditions. [I've never tried mine in these conditions. But we should see a steady move toward these conditions in parts of the UK over the next 50 years.]
For UK use, if you're not travelling far, or moving slowly, standing around in a forest or on a moor, I prefer something like a Harkila pro hunter. The membrame works well to keep you dry, and the outer is extremely resiliant to tears etc, plus they feel very 'snug'
For travelling all day, across moorland, or mountains, a lightweight event/goretex shell.
For bushwacking through forest for days on end, a tougher goretex xcr type shell.
My mid layers are microfleece, softshell, heavy swanndri, or down jacket.
Base layers are merino wool [ulfrotte or M&S superfine] and polypro long johns and tops.
For UK use, if you're not travelling far, or moving slowly, standing around in a forest or on a moor, I prefer something like a Harkila pro hunter. The membrame works well to keep you dry, and the outer is extremely resiliant to tears etc, plus they feel very 'snug'
For travelling all day, across moorland, or mountains, a lightweight event/goretex shell.
For bushwacking through forest for days on end, a tougher goretex xcr type shell.
My mid layers are microfleece, softshell, heavy swanndri, or down jacket.
Base layers are merino wool [ulfrotte or M&S superfine] and polypro long johns and tops.
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Not many folk seem to be worried about the environmental impact of the various choices although I am of the opinion that this is an important aspect of gear choice...
Do you mean how they are manufactured John? And I've wondered, do you get to keep all that cool clothing you review for various publications?
Various aspects of manufacture plus the biodegradability of the products, longevity of the product in use - all sorts of aspects of the products impact on the planet!Do you mean how they are manufactured John? And I've wondered, do you get to keep all that cool clothing you review for various publications?
Mostly - yes! - the products are mine to do with as I wish
Some I sell on (I get peanuts or nothing for the reviews in a £ per hour kind of way so the garment is gear is not a perk but that which makes the work pay!), some go to charity, some go back to the suppliers (for a rethink on their part if the gear is, in my eyes, "not fit for purpose"-in which case I get nothing for my efforts but good will), some I end up using to death and some of these get "super long term usage reviews" - unfortunately a lot of kit I find absolutely fantastic and ideal for eternal use goes out of production before I get to the point of doing a SLT review.
An example of a SLT review item is the Tilley hat! Best hat ever!
I would have done one on the Bison Ventile Smock - but they stopped doing them just after I got my second one!
I am always gear rich and cash poor!
These days I try and get gear for review that is made in as "eco-friendly" a way, from natural materials ... but often I am just presented with gear not of my own choice!
All the gear is reviewed on its own merits
which ended up with me via a trade.
I must admit that I do not select clothing based on its environmental impact, but that being said, the environmental impact of products can be very tricky, and is not always what people expect. Some natural materials are produced at great cost, while some non-natural ones are actually relatively environmentally friendly. Some manufacturers like Patagonia for example have started to publish the details of their production chains. Hopefully more companies will do that so people can make better comparisons.
I have seen a few comments about soggy/soaked-through Ventile, and have only seen this happen when the Ventile has been washed with normal detergents. I have single Ventile trousers that have been through the washing machine many times and soak up water like a sponge. I have a single Ventile smock that has never been washed and never wets out.
Anyway I don't think Ventile is really that suited to our climate. I now stick with Goretex
Anyway I don't think Ventile is really that suited to our climate. I now stick with Goretex
Trouble with "environmental impact" is that it rarely if ever gives the whole picture. Its like the Prius hybrids - they are phenomenally environmentally unfriendly when one considers the shipping costs (many of the parts go round and round the globe before the final product is completed!), huge environmental damage in the battery production, whole life costs etc etc etc. And similarly social costs - would you buy an "environmental" piece of kit if it had been produced by an 8-year old working 12 hours a day? Or the factory in China producing it was coal-powered? (and just to throw in a counter-argument, what if the 8 year-old's wage was needed to keep her family fed?)
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