ventile, is it...
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Thank you, i ask, as comment was made over on BB that it was'nt breathable when wet.
Thanks again,
Rob
Thanks again,
Rob
That's my understanding of it which is why fabrics are treated to make water bead up and not wet it out.
Exactly. But from what I've read of ventile (I've never seen it in real life, so take my post with a heavy grain of salt) is that it's untreated and derives it's water resistance from the fibers swelling when wet.
Hmm, hows it breathable when wet through though?
Surely water vapour doesn't just waft through water like it does dry fabric?
Admittedly, it sure won't burn when wet either...Now where's that whistling smilie?
I really don't know. As I said, I have no first hand knowledge of ventile, only what I've read. TBH I'd never heard of it until this forum.
Ive never worn it but did see a westwinds ventile snugpak second at the factory for £190! Not sure what model but it was a large. I bet its still there.. probably a collectors piece now as they have lost the westwinds brand!
I have a snugpak ventile bodywarmer for sale in the classified section
£45
I have a snugpak ventile bodywarmer for sale in the classified section
£45
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As has been mentioned, the fabric is made of a long staple cotton, very tightly woven. It expands when wetted and seals out water, so logic suggests it starts to behave more like a waxed cotton and less breathable.
I have a Keela Falkland that works amazingly well in the wet, but it changes it's properties drastically. It gets very cardboardy and stiff, once soaked it will literally stand up on it's own on the floor to dry.
Evaporation both inside and out can get you cold pretty quick, so I only use it with a fleece underneath. Amazing stuff, but I don't think it breaths well when wet.
I have a Keela Falkland that works amazingly well in the wet, but it changes it's properties drastically. It gets very cardboardy and stiff, once soaked it will literally stand up on it's own on the floor to dry.
Evaporation both inside and out can get you cold pretty quick, so I only use it with a fleece underneath. Amazing stuff, but I don't think it breaths well when wet.
It won't breath when wet through, and it does get wet through, it also gets heavy and stiff when soaked. Great in cold dry windy conditions though.
It's fair to say that, when wet/wet through, Ventile's breathability is dramatically reduced. It doesn't stop completely because you still have holes where your head, body and arms go which will afford you some breathability but it is definitely impaired. As rik_uk3 said, it's best suited to dry, windy conditions; that said, I still reckon it has some applications in our slightly damp climate.
No, it's not breathable when wet. I would look at Ventile as a soft shell. It is good to block the wind, it is breathable when dry, and it can resist some light moisture. However, it is not designed to function as a hard shell. It gets wet because it absorbs water. Once wet the water moves through to the rest of your clothing just like water moves through a Milbank bag. It then stops being breathable, gets heavy, takes forever to dry, etc. If you think you will encounter rain, then get a hard shell (Gore Tex, etc). It will not be as breathable as a soft shell in dry conditions, but it will be waterproof. Pick your poison. There is no great solution to the problem of breathability vs. waterproofness.
basically ventile sounds like canvass, and I don't remembercondensation in canvass tents, not a drip.
The answer to the breathability debate is a poncho, as everyone seems to know.
gortex is confusing to me as when wet it is drastically less waterproof, the coating wears off. When in wet conditions condensation is far higher too as humidity is at 100%+, so less evapouration, and the environment is also far cooler, aiding condensation. Armpit flaps on a goretex jacket is taking the mick !
The answer to the breathability debate is a poncho, as everyone seems to know.
gortex is confusing to me as when wet it is drastically less waterproof, the coating wears off. When in wet conditions condensation is far higher too as humidity is at 100%+, so less evapouration, and the environment is also far cooler, aiding condensation. Armpit flaps on a goretex jacket is taking the mick !
UK climate is a nightmare for fabric manufacturers, due to the temp/humidity conditions it's very hard for any of these fabrics to work, especially if you don't say partner GTX with a layer system. Also some manufacturers over egg the pudding by saying it'll keep you dry no matter what. I think that most of us who are outdoors a lot know that being comfortable is more important and realistic than being bone dry. Like the wool/cotton debate raging elsewhere on the boards.
Personably I used to wear oiled wool most of the time working outdoors as GTX didn't work with my perspiration rate. If it's piddling down I'll ware either my oiled cotton drovers jacket or if working hard my Paramo.
Personably I used to wear oiled wool most of the time working outdoors as GTX didn't work with my perspiration rate. If it's piddling down I'll ware either my oiled cotton drovers jacket or if working hard my Paramo.
"Both wear and cleaning will reduce the performance of Gore-Tex clothes by wearing away the Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment on the surface of the fabric. The DWR prevents the face fabric from becoming wet and thus reducing breathability. However, the DWR is not responsible for the jacket being waterproof. This is a common misconception, so when the face fabric becomes soaked due to an absence of DWR, there is no breathability and the wearer's sweat will cause condensation to form inside the jacket. This may give the appearance that a jacket is leaking when it is not. The DWR can be reinvigorated by tumble drying the garment or ironing on a low setting.[SUP][9]"[/SUP]
As Santaman says, the DWR will greatly effect how it performs, the amount of folk who used to sound almost proud wen they came into the shop saying "oh yes, I've had the jacket X years and never washed it you know." It's like skin, it performs better when clean. Use Nikwax or Grangers, follow the instructions, do yourself a favour.
I have never got sweaty or wet in a double Ventile jacket even when walking uphill hard and when it has been raining hard enough for the jacket to stiffen up so much that it stands up on its own! Double Ventile has regularly kept me dry all day but I wouldn't fancy wearing it the next day unless I had been able to dry it out...
In single Ventile, I have got damp in rain, but it is not perceptible with wicking under-layers. I have never fet soaked through even in single Ventile.
On the other hand, Ventile is wrecked by washing in a washing machine with normal detergent. Then it soaks up water like a sponge.
It's a good single day out choice but for all other uses, especially canoeing, I now go for Gore Tex etc. Not cheap "proprietary" breathables, as they don't breathe enough.
In single Ventile, I have got damp in rain, but it is not perceptible with wicking under-layers. I have never fet soaked through even in single Ventile.
On the other hand, Ventile is wrecked by washing in a washing machine with normal detergent. Then it soaks up water like a sponge.
It's a good single day out choice but for all other uses, especially canoeing, I now go for Gore Tex etc. Not cheap "proprietary" breathables, as they don't breathe enough.
I use a non bio to wash my Ventile and make sure that it is well rinsed - it is detergent residue (detergent being a "wetting agent" nothing more) that causes deterioration of Ventiles performance after washing.
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