Ventile (again)

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,888
2,140
Mercia
Better than "Saunatex" any day!

Buy one - vastly better than drowning in your own sweat though something that pretends to be "breathable" but isn't really. If goretex is so good - why do you get so sweaty wearing it?

If it must be waterproof - by basic waterproofs (not the "pretends to be breathable" kind). If it must be breathable - buy ventile.

Don't be conned by people who pretend that Goretex lets all the sweat out - thirty years of heavy outdoor exercise has proved this is total BS

Red
 

Chips

Banned
Oct 7, 2008
120
0
scotland
If it must be waterproof - by basic waterproofs (not the "pretends to be breathable" kind). If it must be breathable - buy ventile.


I believe that if you want something waterproof that is pretty effective at keeping you at the right temperature, wear paramo.
 

saddle_tramp

Need to contact Admin...
Jul 13, 2008
605
1
West Cornwall
Better than "Saunatex" any day!

Buy one - vastly better than drowning in your own sweat though something that pretends to be "breathable" but isn't really. If goretex is so good - why do you get so sweaty wearing it?

If it must be waterproof - by basic waterproofs (not the "pretends to be breathable" kind). If it must be breathable - buy ventile.

Don't be conned by people who pretend that Goretex lets all the sweat out - thirty years of heavy outdoor exercise has proved this is total BS

Red

totally agree with that! I shudder at the cost of ventile, but id buy it safe in the knowledge that it does what what it says on the tin.

goretex is great for bivvybags, but i think its well overrated in clothing. do anything remotely physical, and it just cant cope. and it costs a lot of money for something that cant cope.. Better off with a set of guy cottens, sweat like a pig but know full well that nothing can get through em. Or get ventile and be properly breathable, but know that they may leak a little in time
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
27
70
south wales
Better than "Saunatex" any day!

Buy one - vastly better than drowning in your own sweat though something that pretends to be "breathable" but isn't really. If goretex is so good - why do you get so sweaty wearing it?

If it must be waterproof - by basic waterproofs (not the "pretends to be breathable" kind). If it must be breathable - buy ventile.

Don't be conned by people who pretend that Goretex lets all the sweat out - thirty years of heavy outdoor exercise has proved this is total BS

Red

If Ventile is so good, why did people stop buying it;:rolleyes:

'Bushcrafters' buy it as part of the 'must have uniform,' me, I've had Ventile, still got soaked to the bones on open hills (many years ago I will add). Ventile in woodlands, or cold dry air is fine, but IMHO, Gortex (or similar) has the overall edge when out and about without the cover of woodland and the rain is really hammering down. A few in the School expedition club had Ventile, but we all ran to the shops when the proofed Nylon cagoules came on sale, yes, you would get some damp from sweat, but we all stayed drier than relying on just Ventile when out and about on Snowdonia or Brecon hills. If you limit your camping trips to the woods then go for Ventile, if you go to more exposed regions then it has to be a Gortex type jacket and trousers for me

Just my view ;)
 

Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
3,570
746
51
Wales
Did you ever waterproof the ventile?

Read a paper on the transition from cotton to nylon (and derivatives). Said cotton was easier to waterproof due to the nature of the swelling fibre.
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
27
70
south wales
Did you ever waterproof the ventile?

Read a paper on the transition from cotton to nylon (and derivatives). Said cotton was easier to waterproof due to the nature of the swelling fibre.

After getting wet a few times I did proof the ventile, same results, still got wet. Transition is a nice word, any links on the net for this? I'm 53, and I'm talking about almost 40 years ago, the nylon was welcomed with open arms, we kept drier as I said in an earlier post, but this is subjective to my own personal experience and not a study.

Ventile is the bees knees for the Arctic/Antarcic and maybe woodland etc, but as stated, not the best when its urinating down with rain and your out in the open, and to be honest, I don't like to see another thread that could make someone new to bushcraft camping thinking they have to go buy the 'bushy uniform,' they don't, not much wrong with a DMP army gortex jacket, or a pair of lightweight trousers for most camps, then they can upgrade when they have a bit of money or inclination to go and buy "De Rigeur" kit:rolleyes:
 

BorderReiver

Full Member
Mar 31, 2004
2,693
16
Norfolk U.K.
Better than "Saunatex" any day!

Buy one - vastly better than drowning in your own sweat though something that pretends to be "breathable" but isn't really. If goretex is so good - why do you get so sweaty wearing it?

If it must be waterproof - by basic waterproofs (not the "pretends to be breathable" kind). If it must be breathable - buy ventile.

Don't be conned by people who pretend that Goretex lets all the sweat out - thirty years of heavy outdoor exercise has proved this is total BS

Red

One other thing about ventile; if you tear it and mend the hole the jacket is still waterproof.

If you puncture or tear goretex membrane you have a leaky jacket because sewing up the tear won't do any good.
 

Barn Owl

Old Age Punk
Apr 10, 2007
8,246
7
58
Ayrshire
I go with ventile now as I'm as wet with g/tex due to sweat as with cotton.

It's also spark proof next to the fire.

On the hill I use Buffalo shirts 'cos of the good venting and insulation when wet.

I've a jacket in Event fabric that 'seems' to be a bit better than g/tex,but I haven't put it to extreme use really,so that's a subjective description.

All in all I'd say g/tex is good for hikers/hillwalkers due to weight packing volume etc.

But give me cotton or ventile cotton on lower ground/woods and round the fire.
 

Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
3,570
746
51
Wales
After getting wet a few times I did proof the ventile, same results, still got wet. Transition is a nice word, any links on the net for this? I'm 53, and I'm talking about almost 40 years ago, the nylon was welcomed with open arms, we kept drier as I said in an earlier post, but this is subjective to my own personal experience and not a study.

Ventile is the bees knees for the Arctic/Antarcic and maybe woodland etc, but as stated, not the best when its urinating down with rain and your out in the open, and to be honest, I don't like to see another thread that could make someone new to bushcraft camping thinking they have to go buy the 'bushy uniform,' they don't, not much wrong with a DMP army gortex jacket, or a pair of lightweight trousers for most camps, then they can upgrade when they have a bit of money or inclination to go and buy "De Rigeur" kit:rolleyes:

I'll see if I can find it again, was a PDF about the early british outdoor clothing milling industry and manufacturers (Karrimor, Troll etc).

One of the authors was Mike Parsons who was with Karrimor til '96, now making kit with OMM.
 

Paullyfuzz

Full Member
Sep 28, 2007
1,339
0
Manchester
I noticed these the other day and thought they looked good. Am I right in thinking the seller is a member?

Yep, Andywink is his user name. Been to his factory, top bloke and cant do enough for ya. Im sure he would be able to make a ventile jacket to your own design if you asked.

Ive no connection, other than knowing him from this forum.

Paul
 

Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
3,570
746
51
Wales
After getting wet a few times I did proof the ventile, same results, still got wet. Transition is a nice word, any links on the net for this? I'm 53, and I'm talking about almost 40 years ago, the nylon was welcomed with open arms, we kept drier as I said in an earlier post, but this is subjective to my own personal experience and not a study.

Ventile is the bees knees for the Arctic/Antarcic and maybe woodland etc, but as stated, not the best when its urinating down with rain and your out in the open, and to be honest, I don't like to see another thread that could make someone new to bushcraft camping thinking they have to go buy the 'bushy uniform,' they don't, not much wrong with a DMP army gortex jacket, or a pair of lightweight trousers for most camps, then they can upgrade when they have a bit of money or inclination to go and buy "De Rigeur" kit:rolleyes:

Think I found it

"The neglected legacy of Lancashire cotton: industrial clusters and the UK outdoor trade, 1960-1990"

Particularly like the quote about when ventile immersion suits where introduced in 1941, it dramatically increased their survival rates when in the sea to 80%.
 

Ogden

Forager
Dec 8, 2004
172
10
Forest of Odes
rik_uk3, is it a big problem, if you get wet in Ventile clothing? Can't be too cold if it rains.
As long as the Ventile is windproof and you wear a Merino base-layer and a Pertex mid-layer, you should stay very warm. Imho the problem is low temperature - not water.
 

susi

Nomad
Jul 23, 2008
421
0
Finland
Out walking in GoreTex - always wet inside

Out walking in Ventile - mostly dry, possible wet inside if the weather is particularly bad.

Answer - carry a disposable plastic smock, cost 2 euros. Perhaps needed every 10th trip out.
 

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