Jackets (real fires!)

[scrogger]

Hi guys I have a dilemma, Having just become a scout leader and geeting into bushcraft in a big way i envisage coming into contact with open fires etc a lot more. I have a number of Goretex jackets and a newly aquired Paramo jacket but im worried about sitting next to fires in these items.

I have looked at Ventile which seems to be the way to go in terms of quality but not sure I can justify £200 plus on a jacket at the mo.

Does anyone have any experience or the various cotton mix military coats which could maybe be proofed with Cotton proofer (if anyone has done this has it workd ok?), or i was also thinking of waxed jackets (Barbour type things).

Or if anyone who knows of other items that are fire friendly I would love to know.

cheers

Andy

 

[h2o]

DPM combat jacket washed in nikwax cottonproof is what i use and it has stood the test of time,

 

[DKW]

Save you rmoney....

Unless you take ou a lump of burning wood from the fire and start caressing your jackets with it, you won't have any problems with what you have allready.

Ventile is highly overrated IMO, and definately overprized.

Use what you want to use, being a scout since birth, i have never experienced any trouble relating fireplace and burned holes in any garments i have had. I have had a few pairs of molten boots as a kid tho

 

[HillBill]

British army wooly pully. Less than a fiver from most places. Good round fires and really warm. I wore one every night in the lakes recently with just a thermal top underneath and nothing over it, no problems i was warm all the time.

 

[spoony]

i where a brit army goretex jacket around fires all the time, the only burn i got was when i lent on a candle ....doh

 

[drewdunnrespect]

dpm gortex jacket 15 quid from genuine army surpless not problem with fires

 

[helixpteron]

Asbestos suit........just don't breathe in the fibres!

 

[BorderReiver]

Try One of these over your waterproof.

Useful for diy, gardening etc, as well.

 

[Claudiasboris]

Try wearing the waterproof under a tougher/less melty jacket like a combat jacket (you can get green US M65 copies if you don't like cam). You will lose some breathability but are you going to be working that hard? It'll also protect your waterproof whilst carrying wood and stuff and travelling through undergrowth. It should be quieter and more tactical, too.

Claudiasboris

 

[Rothley Bill]

Why bother, I'm a scout leader and love a fire at camps and almost always get to do the backwoods cooking, I use a wool blanket with my badges on of a night and as has already been suggested a wooly pulley for the rest of the time. Mine is nicely smoked now and is not allowed in the house by swimbo

 

[Cobweb]

What's wrong with a wax jacket? Just make sure it has some sort of lining.

 

[dogwood]

This whole issue about little sparks from the fire and goretex jackets comes up from time to time here and I think people are over-reacting.

I've seen loads of goretex over the years around many fires -- even some that pop and crackle -- and I've never seen anyone burst into flames or get holes in their jackets.

It's OK. Don't worry.

Goretex has other issues perhaps, but this one isn't a big 'un.

 

[MartinK9]

This whole issue about little sparks from the fire and goretex jackets comes up from time to time here and I think people are over-reacting.

I've seen loads of goretex over the years around many fires -- even some that pop and crackle -- and I've never seen anyone burst into flames or get holes in their jackets.

It's OK. Don't worry.

Goretex has other issues perhaps, but this one isn't a big 'un.

Burn holes from Cigarettes are another matter:tapedshut

Don't ask

 

[scrogger]

cheers for the info guys one thing at least I know I dont have to shell out on a ventile!!!
I will stick with one of my old goretex for weather resistance but will buy a olive cotton to go over the top. that should at least keep it safe from my usual pyrotechnic displays.

which surplus store do people rate ?

TA muchly

Andy

 

[inthewids]

You dont have to fork out £200+ on a ventile jacket, i had a custom made one from Hilltrek in Aboyne made for £135, Its brilliant quality and great to support a localish company.

 

[ESLRaven]

Just a thought - why do you need a waterproof jacket on while sitting by the fire?
Surely if it's raining that heavily you won't be?

As an Explorer Scout leader we have loads of fires - and the only problems I've had with clothing damage has been with fleece - so as others have said wool etc is fine.

 

[OhCanada]

Burns from fires do melt holes in fleece and nylon from personal experience.

I too am looking for a wool fire shirt but I'll eventually find it at a thrift store or make something out of a thin wool blanket.

 

[dogwood]

Burns from fires do melt holes in fleece and nylon from personal experience.

I too am looking for a wool fire shirt but I'll eventually find it at a thrift store or make something out of a thin wool blanket.

I'm a big fan of thin wool blankets when backpacking -- even ultralight. Having a blanket and a couple of blanket pins is super versatile. I almost always carry at a light wool blanket (or a very large wool shawl if weight is an issue.)

 

[Wayland]

Think about it.

How often do you need a waterproof jacket around a fire?

I just use wool around fires or if it's windy I have a canvas wind shirt on top.

I've seen a few holes in Gortex jackets but they're easily patched. the only reason people get upset is because it spoils the fashionable look of their stunningly expensive plastic mac.

In my opinion it's fleece you need to be really careful about. That burns and drips melting plastic very quickly. Great stuff for price / weight / efficiency, bad stuff for fires / and friends with sensitive noses.

 

[rik_uk3]

I agree with DKW Ventile is overpriced and sometimes over rated, no good on open hills you will end up wet through. I've never had a problem with PU coated nylon or Gortex jackets near fires to be honest and this talk of synthetics being bad near fires is almost an urban myth I feel, yes you can get small holes but you won't get them often enough to worry about it (none at all with good fire management) plus why wear a jacket near a fire, you should be warm anyway?