Ventile clothing

[Peter_t]

my problem with it is that it is so expensive. if i was to wear it at leest 3 days a week then it would be worth the money but i dont go out that oftern. also i have heard people say 'its great untill it soaks through' and what do you do if you havnt got a fire to dry it on? putting wet cloths on in the morning aint nice

i usualy wear a windproof smock and have a gortex as a backup. i never find it uncomfortable
so im sticking to cheep £15 ex amy gortex

pete

 

[Prawnster]

I have had a couple of ventile jackets and have a couple of high end gortex and and an event jacket, In hard use I get clammy at about the same point and in the same time as the goretex jacket, the interior doesn't get as damp though as with a gortex. I am about to purchase a "pump" type breathable jacket in an attempt to overcome this problem. Ventile is lovely and quiet though in use. I find the strength of the material poor, I have torn one of them simply by getting caught on a branch as walking through a bit of undergrowth. On the spot repair is in theory possible, I could not do it as the needle strength needed is tremendous and also a thimble was need to even push the needle through the cloth - sounds a bit of contradiction. I find it is not as waterproof as I thought before I bought it, The talk of ventile being able to withstand 8 hours rain is nonsense in my experience. If I am a day or two from home and its raining I want goretex available to me, If I am walking the dogs and going to get caught in shower then I dont mind being in the ventile.

I've read lots of people saying that ventile isn't waterproof and then lots of people like myself say they've never had any trouble with it when it's chucking it down.

I wonder if the reason for this is variance in the quality of the material? I couldn't imagine my jacket tearing on a branch It's much tougher material than my goretex jacket.

Are their any members here who produce ventile or make clothes from it that can tell us whether there are different grades of the material?

 

[bigmul]

You also need to consider if the weight of the clothing is an issue for you or not. If it is, then ventile probably won't be for you. Obviously the activity is paramount also....

 

[Tiley]

I love the comfort and flexibility of my Ventile jacket. It's really hardwearing and looks better and better the more you wear it. But if I am out in the hills and it is tipping it down, I make sure that I'm wearing my Paramo top. Goretex? It's OK but really, it's not nearly as good as it's cracked up to be.

In terms of the grades of Ventile, I don't think that there are differing grades. As far as I can judge, it's made from the finest, long staple Egyptian cotton available and then tightly woven. I've not heard of grades of it but that doesn't mean to say they don't exist.

 

[Barn Owl]

I'm a ventile wearer.
I feel It's better for mucking about in woods or undergrowth,more abrasion and thorn resistant,
cooler for me too.

I used to use goretex on the hill but only as a wind shell when stopping or when it was consistent rain.

I later used Buffalo shirts instead of goretex jackets.

My preference for ventile relates to mainly low level use as i'm seldom up any high hills these days.

I can't see how you can have a critical opinion of a product without trying it

 

[jimford]

O.K. then, you're starting to convince me of the virtues of Ventile over Gortex.

So how small does a Ventile jacket pack down, to go in my rucksack? My Gortex Paclite jacket ends up as a ball about the size of my fist weighing 465 grams.

Jim

 

[Noddy]

My double layer parka gets down smaller than my heavy goretex. The single layer smock is titchy - especially when wrapped up with a compression strap

 

[jimford]

The single layer smock is titchy - especially when wrapped up with a compression strap

Fist size?

Jim

 

[Shewie]

I have the Country Innovation Kestrel smock and it's my first choice coat for messing about in the woods. It's only a single layer but it's never let me down. I didn't care for the cardboard effect at first but now I've just got used to it.
It's aquired a kind of smokey bacon smell though from too many nights sat round a fire.

I also have a freebie Swazi Tahr which is a great coat but the cuffs do my head in during heavy rain.

 

[Noddy]

Fist size?

Jim

Thimble sized!

 

[bigmul]

Probably not smaller than a Montane Featherlite smock though!

http://www.montane.co.uk/productdetails.php?productid=40&rid=7

 

[British Red]

Ahhh well, if its all about how small it goes the synthetics do have it its true

And they fit on your keyring or in your hadbag too

Red

 

[Bravo4]

Ahhh well, if its all about how small it goes the synthetics do have it its true

And they fit on your keyring or in your hadbag too

Red

Looks like that has been paired up with,,,what is that he's wearing, an 1800's bathing suit?

 

[johnboy]

Hi,

I've used a Bison Bush Craft Ventile smock for the past 5 years it's a single layer garment.

I also wear Goretex waterproofs and have some Pile / Pertex clothing a Buffalo Belay jacket and a Mountain Shirt.

I've used the Ventile Jacket here in NZ in both the Bush, Above Bush Montane environment and true Alpine environment. My view is that Ventile is a bit 'wanting' at least in single layer format. It's not remotely waterproof, Highly Windproof, and moderately water resistant but definately not waterproof.

I dislike the way it stiffens up when soaked through but that's just the nature of the fabric. It has a real suit of armour feel. The fabric is very fragile the jacket has the odd rip and tear from normal use. It does breathe well but probably no better then say a pertex windproof top. For summer Bush at least here in NZ it struggles to breathe well at all so the concept of using it as a sort of bush shirt is a bit wide of the mark. It is however sparkproof and quiet in use.

Generally I was using a baseleyer beneath merino or polypro it with a Icebreaker top ( merino) or thin ultrafleece T shirt.

I wouldn't buy another one.

Cheers

John

 

[sandbender]

...I've had a Buffalo for donkey's years and I have to say, I absolutely swear by it, but I was wondering about this Ventile I keep hearing about. Is it any good as a waterproof? How hard-wearing is it? Is it any good for the rough and tumble of serious bushcraft use?

I have used Buffalo gear for years and it will always be my first choice for cold and wet conditions. I own three Ventile jackets and although I have never trusted them to keep me dry in prolonged heavy rain they have always performed admirably whenever I've been caught out by a sudden change in the weather.

I also own a very expensive Gore-tex jacket from Norrøna of Norway, I do find it to be quite comfy however I'm always paranoid about ripping it, something I'm never concerned about when wearing Buffalo or Ventile, my Bison and Snowsled jackets have had several minor rips and tears all of which were easily patched.

Swaandri and Ulfrote can be used in the UK however as others have said it really depends on what kind of trip you have planned, I wouldn't use my Swaandri on the Cairngorm plateau in February.

 

[John Fenna]

No - as I said, technology has moved on in the last hundred years. I also don't wear leather soled hobnail boots on the hills.

Jim

Well treated leather is pretty darn waterproof (many boot manufacturers ie Lowa for one) make leather lined boots which sell well and are not so easily worn out as breathable waterproof lines boots, not so clammy in summer and asre full spec "modern".
As to nailed soles - they last longer, are fully repairable and give much better grip on icy paths than rubber soles. OK in fairness they are somewhat noisy on paved roads and rip up the paths more than rubber...
The only reason that nailed soles are not more fashionable is that they are more time consuming and need a skill based workforce to produce - and therefore are not commercialy viable in this day and age.
There are still "top end" boot manufacturers who will make you nailed boots and I think there are some Lancashire clog makers who will nail soles for you - sorry - I have not contact s for these guys.
Like most craftsmen based industries nailed boots have almost disapeared not due to any shortcomings of the basic design principles or the materials involved but purely on a price/skills/mass marketing revolution involving cheap, easily replaced, synthetics over something that would last a lifetime!
Did anyone notice in the papers a while back that HRH Prince Charles wears shoes that are so well made and used that he has them REPAIRED.
No disposable synthetic trainers for this man!

Ventile is my jacket fabric of choice as it keeps me more comfortable than most synthetics for more of the time in more weather conditions. Currently I have 3 single layer smocks and 1 double layer Parka. I wear Ventile most days.
I also prefer Merino, Bamboo and Silk for underwear and socks and midwear but cotton, silk or Bamboo shirts for warm weather. Cotton underwear and socks do not do it for me in high activity/humidity conditions but are comfortable for everyday wear.
Synthetics tend to be clammy and sweaty and pong too badly/quickly (compared to natural fibres) but I tend to get to wear a wide variety of stuff in a huge range of fabrics (in my role as a pro gear reviewer) and much of it is none too bad and some of the better designed synthetic fabric garments are very useful and practical.
If you follow what I write in the magazines you will see that more and more "naturals" are coming onto the market. Not only are people learning that "synthetic" technologies are not the "be all and end all" but that natural fabrics can be less damaging in production, transportation usage and eventual disposal than their plastic alternatives.

I would be suprised if the return to mainly natural fibre technology does not gain impetus and who knows - nailed boots may yet make a comeback!

 

[gregorach]

In terms of the grades of Ventile, I don't think that there are differing grades. As far as I can judge, it's made from the finest, long staple Egyptian cotton available and then tightly woven. I've not heard of grades of it but that doesn't mean to say they don't exist.

There are four different grades.

 

[Prawnster]

There are four different grades.

Excellent! That's answered my question Dunc.

Maybe that is why we hear such widely differing views on ventile. I can't imagine the grade used for surgical scrubs is anything like as tough as the grade used for my jacket (BCUK).

The experiences expressed by some on this thread of ventile being fragile tell me that surely they can't be wearing the same stuff as firefighters

 

[speedstar]

I now have both thanks to Simon M and Andy Wink.

And I have to say that so far I am loving i t. I have been a Gore Tex wearer for years as I used to be a gamekeeper. However I found that they made me over heat . So I thought I would move to ventile to stop me from overheating.

I got my one of these http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40271 yesterday.

I have to say that I am very impressed . I went out to walk the doguppy_dog yesterday, about half way round it started to belt it down . It was like walking in a wall of water. Not a drop on me well pleased. I was also at the right temp .

So for me it’s a no bariner I will still use my Gore Tex. But for the rest of the summer this is it. I just need to test I out in the cold now. I think that will just be getting layers right TBH.

You can’t really slag it off until you try it:BlueTeamE

And I have to say my thanks to Simon and Andy:You_Rock_

 

[SimonM]

Glad you like it Speedstar!

As to layers, I use a combination of wool mid and base layers and always stay comfy.

Simon