Ventile Jackets?

[mick senior]

I have two questions I would like to know the answer.First, is the bcuk ventile jacket the same product as the Westwinds Airedale. Secondly, how do you justify (to the wife!) spending £200-£300 on something that will probably get ripped,burned and covered in muck and blood.As you can probably guess I'm thinking of upgrading my jacket, but the wife (and me!) need serious convincing before I by.
Please help, any recommendations of any other suitable bushcraft jackets welcome.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

The SASS olive green smock. It's just like ventile, only they are not allowed to call it such. Works exactly the same though. It's also about half the price of a "ventile" jacket. It is styled exactly like an Army combat jacket though, which some may not like.

 

[sandbender]

The SASS olive green smock. It's just like ventile, only they are not allowed to call it such. Works exactly the same though. It's also about half the price of a "ventile" jacket. It is styled exactly like an Army combat jacket though, which some may not like.

I have one of the SASS 'ventile' jackets from when they had a 'bolt' of ventile cloth to work with. I like it, it has lots of pockets etc. however the 'ventile' they used was (IMO) of a lesser quality than the ventile used on my other jackets form Bison and Snowsled.

If your going to the 'moot' or a similar meet up there is a good chace that you will see the BCUK jacket there before making your mind up.

 

[rik_uk3]

I have two questions I would like to know the answer.First, is the bcuk ventile jacket the same product as the Westwinds Airedale. Secondly, how do you justify (to the wife!) spending £200-£300 on something that will probably get ripped,burned and covered in muck and blood.As you can probably guess I'm thinking of upgrading my jacket, but the wife (and me!) need serious convincing before I by.
Please help, any recommendations of any other suitable bushcraft jackets welcome.

Why not search the forum, this topic has been talked and talked about in the past

 

[gregorach]

If you manage to rip or burn a ventile jacket, you're doing something wrong - try not failing into chainsaws or lying in the fire.

 

[IntrepidStu]

The SASS olive green smock. It's just like ventile, only they are not allowed to call it such. Works exactly the same though. It's also about half the price of a "ventile" jacket. It is styled exactly like an Army combat jacket though, which some may not like.

Its not even waterproof is it?? Or is it not suppost to be??

 

[spamel]

Ventile and gaberdine at two different materials altogether. It is to do with the weave of the cotton. Windproof smocks are not inherently waterproof, they usually are when they are new and the proofing agent hasn't been washed out of them, but they don't cardboard up when wet like ventile.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Mine does, and it's not ventile. (or gaberdine) It is 100% cotton. It uses long stable fibres. It has 30% more cotton than normal, it goes stiff as a board when wet and it takes a good few hours of steady rain before it soaks through, but it's not ventile. Now I don't have a "Ventile" jacked to compare it with, so I don't know anything about quality of one fabric verses another or even quality of construction or waterproof comparrisions, but I can attest to the jacket that I have being very good indeed. (No connection to SASS etc, just a very satisfied customer)

 

[IntrepidStu]

mine does, and it's not ventile. It is 100% cotton. It uses long stable fibres. It has 30% more cotton than normal, it goes stiff as a board when wet and it takes a good few hours of steady rain before it soaks through, but it's not ventile.

As you said "it soaks through", and if it soaks through then its not waterproof.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Ventile isn't waterproof, it's warer resistant.

 

[fred gordon]

Just a thought on the ventile question. Double ventile is better than single for all sorts of reasons. True it is heavier, a bu**er when it is very wet, or gets frozen. Well thats my experience. Hilltrek are now piloting a single ventile jacket which is lined with Paramo material. It is lighter than double, warmer and easier to take on and off. They are making one for me at the moment but you can see the description on their website. This jacket is also under £300.
No connection with them other than I am a customer and think they give a good deal.

 

[wildrover]

Mine does, and it's not ventile. (or gaberdine) It is 100% cotton. It uses long stable fibres. It has 30% more cotton than normal, it goes stiff as a board when wet and it takes a good few hours of steady rain before it soaks through, but it's not ventile. .....

Your description, which I believe comes from the SASS site is almost exactly the same as as the description of Ventile on the Talbot Weaving site.
And the performance and characteristics sound right also.

As far as I am aware the OG fabric that SASS are using is ventile purchased from a company that had gone bankrupt (sp?) .
I would suggest that as they didn't buy from Talbot they are reluctant to market it as such( they can't prove it )

The Sand coloured material that they also offer the jacket in (so I'am told) is the result of a contract which they filled for an American Security company.
I think they were so impressed by the material that they sourced new stock from the US.

I have samples of both the OG and Sand coloured materials and they are both quite different.
The OG is definately heavier and more dense than the Sand.

Oh, I have a SASS smock in OG btw and I am mightily impressed with it, it's features and build quality.
When you consider it's price, it is no brainer IMHO.

 

[tombear]

Personally, and I've been out in it in as heavy rain as we get in the UK, real knocking the leaves off trees washing the hillside into our kitchen stuff, I never had water get through my two layer Westwind Ventile until after 3 years (I know!) I actually tried washing it. I screwed up with the soap and now if I'm out in prolonged rain it does get a bit damp. I'm hoping that getting it profesionally recleaned and reproofed will restore it to its former glory. Its either that or lose two stone and get into my old Snowsled Wilderness jacket!

What sold me the idea of ventile was getting through Goretex jackets every 4 or 5 years and what really clinched it was the fact it didn't melt when sparks landed on it. Burn yes but not melt onto you. Also you can easily repair it yourself, it's quiet, feels good and (unless your me) you can wash it at home.

What I have found is that it wears out in certain circumstances faster that the sellers let on. After 4 years use the inside of the cuffs where they rub on the body (perhaps I walk funny) have frayed to the point I need to do something about them and on the Westwings job theres a excellent internal skirt/draft excluder which has gone all holey where the draw cord has puckered it up and it rubs on the body. Had I realised this I would have always loosened and smoothed this out when I didn't need to keep the wind out. I've noticed that Snowsled for one taped the cuffs and other rub points with thin leather so I may get some one to fit them to my worn job rather than repair with ventile.


ATB

Tom

 

[spamel]

I think a thin leather trim would look quite classy. I doubt that would wear out any time soon!

 

[IntrepidStu]

Personally, and I've been out in it in as heavy rain as we get in the UK, real knocking the leaves off trees washing the hillside into our kitchen stuff, I never had water get through my two layer Westwind Ventile until after 3 years (I know!) I actually tried washing it. I screwed up with the soap and now if I'm out in prolonged rain it does get a bit damp. I'm hoping that getting it profesionally recleaned and reproofed will restore it to its former glory. Its either that or lose two stone and get into my old Snowsled Wilderness jacket!

What sold me the idea of ventile was getting through Goretex jackets every 4 or 5 years and what really clinched it was the fact it didn't melt when sparks landed on it. Burn yes but not melt onto you. Also you can easily repair it yourself, it's quiet, feels good and (unless your me) you can wash it at home.

What I have found is that it wears out in certain circumstances faster that the sellers let on. After 4 years use the inside of the cuffs where they rub on the body (perhaps I walk funny) have frayed to the point I need to do something about them and on the Westwings job theres a excellent internal skirt/draft excluder which has gone all holey where the draw cord has puckered it up and it rubs on the body. Had I realised this I would have always loosened and smoothed this out when I didn't need to keep the wind out. I've noticed that Snowsled for one taped the cuffs and other rub points with thin leather so I may get some one to fit them to my worn job rather than repair with ventile.


ATB

Tom

Tom, Where can I get one of these West Wind Ventiles. Ive tried googling but cant find anything on West Wind.
Stu.

 

[sandbender]

Some links...

http://www.west-winds.co.uk/

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/index.ph...Uk-Ventile-Jacket/Detailed-product-flyer.html

http://www.bisonbushcraft.co.uk/page6/page6.html

http://www.snowsled.com/clothing/clothing_classicsmock.htm

http://www.klattermusen.se/start.php?lang=EN

is the bcuk ventile jacket the same product as the Westwinds Airedale.

If it is, it's ten pounds cheaper from BCUK

 

[Bushcrafter1]

What I have found is that it wears out in certain circumstances faster that the sellers let on. After 4 years use the inside of the cuffs where they rub on the body (perhaps I walk funny) have frayed to the point I need to do something about them and on the Westwings job theres a excellent internal skirt/draft excluder which has gone all holey where the draw cord has puckered it up and it rubs on the body. Had I realised this I would have always loosened and smoothed this out when I didn't need to keep the wind out. I've noticed that Snowsled for one taped the cuffs and other rub points with thin leather so I may get some one to fit them to my worn job rather than repair with ventile.


ATB

Tom

This is correct - Ventile isn't as hard wearing as some synthetics - which is why Klattermusen reinforce high wear areas of their gleipner ventile trousers with polyamide

 

[sandbender]

This is correct - Ventile isn't as hard wearing as some synthetics - which is why Klattermusen reinforce high wear areas of their gleipner ventile trousers with polyamide

Gleipner, a magical chain made by dwarves from mountain roots, fish breath, women beard, bird spit and other hard to get ingredients.

Who needs ventile when the Swedish are making pants from gleipner

 

[Bushcrafter1]

Gleipner, a magical chain made by dwarves from mountain roots, fish breath, women beard, bird spit and other hard to get ingredients.

Who needs ventile when the Swedish are making pants from gleipner

Even better - the reinforcement material on the gleipner pants is called Icebreaker

Does anyone here own a pair of these incredible trousers?

 

[Celt_Ginger]

I have a pair of Icebreaker underpants. I have a sneaky suspicion that they are perhaps not the same thing though.