modern day fabric question

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Pang

Forager
Sep 8, 2007
170
0
london
As some of yo might know i've been looking for a all year round jacket for bushcraftig in the woods. And i;m sure you are all more experienced then me in what jackts are great and what are not.

My Problem is goretex and eVent fabrics, and whether they are fire retardent, i wudn;t want to splash out £150 on a jacket then will soon be full of holes form flying embers.

Any suggestion on a wasterproof yet breathable jacket for all year use will be great.
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
Ventile or proofed cotton is your best option for fireside shenanigans.

Goretex and event are certain no nos
 

gregorach

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 15, 2005
3,723
28
50
Edinburgh
Much more breathable, but it's not technically "waterproof" in the absolute sense.
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
It`s not my first choice for heavy downpours as it will eventually start letting water in, it also has a tendancy to turn into cardboard when thoroughly soaked.
There are choices you have to make as to what environment you will be wearing your new coat in, for exposed hill walking and long days walking in the rain then ventile isn`t the best and I would go for a more hi-tech fabric such as goretex. But if you`re planning to bimble around in the woods and have plenty of fire time then ventile wins hands down in my opinion.

Just my thoughts remember and everybody has their own views, Doc did a useful review of field jackets a few days ago so you might want to have a read of that and do some searching in the forums before splashing out your hard earned cash.
 

dogwood

Settler
Oct 16, 2008
501
0
San Francisco
If you really want to go with ventile and/or gabardine in *very* wet environments, there is an option worth considering: carry a silnylon poncho with you.

A stuffed silnylon poncho isn't much bigger or heavier than a pack of cigarettes (OK a pack and a half of cigarettes) and it's completely waterproof.

You can carry one -- completely unnoticed until you need it -- in a pocket, or possibles back or rucksack.

Combined with a ventile or gabardine jacket, you have a nice system with a silnylon poncho. To wit:

1) In a light rain or snow, you just wear your ventile or gabardine jacket and have the silnylon in your pocket or possibles bag or backpack.

2) if it starts to come down heavily, you put on your poncho and it takes the lion's share of the rain-shedding duty -- you still have all the advantages of ventile or gabardine beneath it. It's a breathable and flexible approach. And since the gabardine/ventile jacket can shed a lot of moisture, you don't worry too much about gaps in the poncho.

3) a bonus -- if you use a silnylon poncho, it can serve as a minimal tarp if you decide to wait out the storm. If you buy -- or make -- a poncho, just make sure to have one with tie-out points. In other words, with this system you *always* have a core shelter with you.

3.5) another bonus -- a silnylon poncho will also cover your pack, sparing it from the moisture.

You can buy silnylon ponchos or you can make them yourself if you've got access to fabric and basic skills with a sewing machine.

In the US you can often find enough silnylon fabric for a poncho or tarp at (boo, hiss) Walmart for a couple of dollars in their discount fabrics bin. It can be a trick to sew because it's so slippery, though.

Personally, I think goretex and event etc. are just fine and I look at the prices of ventile and shudder -- so I have never tried Ventile myself. Gabardine, however, I do use and like a lot and it's not as dear.

But I've never burned a hole in goretex one with a popping ember -- after all, embers aren't ballistic. Maybe I've been lucky. And because I'm on the west coast of America and usually do low impact camping, I don't build as many fires outside of the hobo stove as it sounds like you do in the UK.

But here on the West Coast, I've got as much experience in wet woods as you do in the UK and I can promise you the silnylon combo approach I recommend works well and has genuine benefits.
 

Pang

Forager
Sep 8, 2007
170
0
london
thanks for the insight, i think i'll stick with Event, as Ventile is breath takingly Expensive. It's nearly about twice the amount i was going to spend.

After a long think i realised that i would most proberlly wear the jacket under wet and windy situations, hardly fire making situations. I guess i'll just have to be careful with the jacket.#

thanks
 

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