water proof jacket and trouser. what to get
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Some of the Austrian surplus is just green not camo so might be worth a look. Also I think I've seen RAF goretex kit in blue....
If you've got a larger budget I'm a fan of Paramo kit.
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If you've got a larger budget I'm a fan of Paramo kit.
Sent from my moto g22 using Tapatalk
I had a blue RAF Goretex coat. It was great reminded me of my knee length berghaus lightning I had and that was the best waterproof I ever had.
So if you can still get the blue RAF goretex coat definitely worth it
So if you can still get the blue RAF goretex coat definitely worth it
I have some of the thin regatta/Peter storm type ones as they sit in a side pocket 99% of the time.
For work I have “Fort Airflex agricultural bib and braces”. They are stretchy and rubberised so possibly suitable for going nightclubbing too.
ECWCS parka or Swandri shirt. Pacamac if I don’t want to carry much.
For work I have “Fort Airflex agricultural bib and braces”. They are stretchy and rubberised so possibly suitable for going nightclubbing too.
ECWCS parka or Swandri shirt. Pacamac if I don’t want to carry much.
Goretex makes me sweat, I don’t even run hot, but whatever anyone says, it doesn’t breathe well. Great for sitting around in. Awful for doing tree work, we had the hi-viz gear and on top of chainsaw trousers I’d get soaked inside not out.
Trousers, very happy with Ridgeline Explorer, but they are warm, and though they breath well enough, the inner liner can cling if you get sweaty. Ridgeline is good stuff, its in all the farm suppliers shops round here along with Hoggs of Fife and every shepherd I see is wearing it in horrendous conditions.
Trousers, very happy with Ridgeline Explorer, but they are warm, and though they breath well enough, the inner liner can cling if you get sweaty. Ridgeline is good stuff, its in all the farm suppliers shops round here along with Hoggs of Fife and every shepherd I see is wearing it in horrendous conditions.
Kaiwaka Stormforce for me. Waterproof and tough enough to keep you dry all day whilst sat on a quad lambing outside in a spring like this
I don't think there's one waterproof to rule the world to be honest. If it's for strolling in the hills, you'll get away with lightweight breathable; if it's to shelter from a deluge but not do much whilst wearing it, the PacaMac type stuff works really well; if it's for working outdoors, you'll need robust stuff and some of the breathable kit just doesn't hack it.
I am slowly turning to the idea of having rain clothing that is as water repellent as possible and the material is still air permeable. That works in all conditions but high winds when the dynamic pressure from a water droplet is greater than what any treatment can withhold. The only thing that works then is total water "proof".
The main problem with all these filmy things is that when the outer fabric becomes wet and therefore impermeable all water vapor stops moving through it and the filmy thing is just another expensive layer doing nothing.
The draw back is that at the moment many treatments are slightly unhealthy fluorocarbons. Silicones are mostly OK and some natural waxes are very good in that respect and I think in a while they'll be commercially available with wider selection. Materials like beeswax and carnauba wax have been used for ages.
The main problem with all these filmy things is that when the outer fabric becomes wet and therefore impermeable all water vapor stops moving through it and the filmy thing is just another expensive layer doing nothing.
The draw back is that at the moment many treatments are slightly unhealthy fluorocarbons. Silicones are mostly OK and some natural waxes are very good in that respect and I think in a while they'll be commercially available with wider selection. Materials like beeswax and carnauba wax have been used for ages.
Gor-tex is a name brand and I recently found out that several times the product has been changed over the years since it came out. Mostly to reduce production costs. it is at the point now where there is little difference between gor-tex and other similar products. The original gor-tex was unique and patented
I bought some waterproof over trousers (Rab Downpour) which have full length zips, so you can actively vent the inevitable hot air, access your main trouser pockets, as well as don and doff them really easily. I'd always carry them, but hardly ever wear them because it's still a faff to stop and put them on.
So I recently bought some Paramo Velez, which use their Directional waterproofing system which is worth looking into. The idea with these is that they're waterproof trousers you wear as your main trousers rather than to wear over something else. They are however not good for going through undergrowth as the shell material is thin and will get damaged. They also run warm because of the thicker nature of the materials, but have lovely open thigh vents to vent. They're really taught me that breathable materials are never breathable enough, and I need actual ventilation options (preferably with mesh to keep bitey critters out, but the Velez don't have mesh). They're extremely comfortable to wear, but I've not yet got them properly soaked so jury is out. I've also not used them on a properly warm day. On such days I don't mind getting my Montane Terra trousers wet as they dry so quickly, but I'm also not doing multi day hikes where you might be somewhat more reluctant to get wet if you have no opportunity to dry off. I'm looking forward to using the Velez in hotter weather just to see what it's like, and to also get them properly wet.
For jackets, I've accepted I'll get wet/damp. If the jacket really does keep the rain out, then I sweat so get damp. If the jacket doesn't keep the rain out, then I get damp from that. There is no magic solution, but in hotter weather where you're not completely open to the wind, I've started using a trekking umbrella attached to my pack strap that provides both sun and rain protection. It's a game changer. But useless/dangerous in wind!
I'm keeping an eye out for a Paramo Velez Evolution Smock because of the huge amount of ventilation possibilities you get with all the zips, but again being that Directional material, it'll run warm.
The only real actionable advice I can offer is to buy and try. It's such a personal thing whether you run hot, or you mind the noise that some synthetic clothing makes, or you sweat a bunch etc.
If I could only take one system with me right now, it would be my extremely thin and ultralight Berghaus Hyper 100 jacket which is brilliantly thin, light, breathable, wind and rain proof (no pockets though so you need gloves), and then warm wool layers, including base layers to wick the inevitable sweat. Then for my trousers it would be again a very thin wool base layer for wicking, with Montane Terra trousers and then the Rab Downpour over trousers. I'd feel very comfortable and confident in that system in an awful lot of locations because you can switch all elements of it out depending on the exact conditions you're experiencing.
So I recently bought some Paramo Velez, which use their Directional waterproofing system which is worth looking into. The idea with these is that they're waterproof trousers you wear as your main trousers rather than to wear over something else. They are however not good for going through undergrowth as the shell material is thin and will get damaged. They also run warm because of the thicker nature of the materials, but have lovely open thigh vents to vent. They're really taught me that breathable materials are never breathable enough, and I need actual ventilation options (preferably with mesh to keep bitey critters out, but the Velez don't have mesh). They're extremely comfortable to wear, but I've not yet got them properly soaked so jury is out. I've also not used them on a properly warm day. On such days I don't mind getting my Montane Terra trousers wet as they dry so quickly, but I'm also not doing multi day hikes where you might be somewhat more reluctant to get wet if you have no opportunity to dry off. I'm looking forward to using the Velez in hotter weather just to see what it's like, and to also get them properly wet.
For jackets, I've accepted I'll get wet/damp. If the jacket really does keep the rain out, then I sweat so get damp. If the jacket doesn't keep the rain out, then I get damp from that. There is no magic solution, but in hotter weather where you're not completely open to the wind, I've started using a trekking umbrella attached to my pack strap that provides both sun and rain protection. It's a game changer. But useless/dangerous in wind!
I'm keeping an eye out for a Paramo Velez Evolution Smock because of the huge amount of ventilation possibilities you get with all the zips, but again being that Directional material, it'll run warm.
The only real actionable advice I can offer is to buy and try. It's such a personal thing whether you run hot, or you mind the noise that some synthetic clothing makes, or you sweat a bunch etc.
If I could only take one system with me right now, it would be my extremely thin and ultralight Berghaus Hyper 100 jacket which is brilliantly thin, light, breathable, wind and rain proof (no pockets though so you need gloves), and then warm wool layers, including base layers to wick the inevitable sweat. Then for my trousers it would be again a very thin wool base layer for wicking, with Montane Terra trousers and then the Rab Downpour over trousers. I'd feel very comfortable and confident in that system in an awful lot of locations because you can switch all elements of it out depending on the exact conditions you're experiencing.
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Gortex vs Waxed , they both offer different things. Goretex tends to be noisier when moving around but probably more waterproof, brambles hawthorn and sitka all just bounce off a barbour but a waxed jacket can be cold when things are damp they start off well in the rain but after a few hours there are always leaks at the shoulders and across the back. The Barbour imitations tend to use lighter cloth , oilier proofing and are generally not nearly as good at stopping thorns. You can reproof with barbour wax (thornrproof dressing) but you cant fix the original weight and tightness of weave of the cloth.
My Barbour coats would stand up if I took them of in cold weather, have owned many imitations and not one has managed that, but there ARE good ones out there, you just need to be very selective and know to look for the heavier cloth. Belstaff, Driza Bone etc etc.
As for Goretex, everyone seems to be able to make jackets with that, never owned one myself but all the goretex shoes I have ever had were not as waterproof as they claimed and my feet sweat terribly in them... I don't mind the shoes leaking so much they are flexing and bending and creasing constantly, wear is inevitable, but the sweaty feet annoys me so much I avoid Goretex shoes now.
My Barbour coats would stand up if I took them of in cold weather, have owned many imitations and not one has managed that, but there ARE good ones out there, you just need to be very selective and know to look for the heavier cloth. Belstaff, Driza Bone etc etc.
As for Goretex, everyone seems to be able to make jackets with that, never owned one myself but all the goretex shoes I have ever had were not as waterproof as they claimed and my feet sweat terribly in them... I don't mind the shoes leaking so much they are flexing and bending and creasing constantly, wear is inevitable, but the sweaty feet annoys me so much I avoid Goretex shoes now.
The original Monsoon was bad for that, but I’ve not had a problem since. Hard exertion maybe, but that’s going to apply to anything. I have to say, my Paramo with the pit zips really is a good jacket.
Had a ridgeline about 2 or 3 years ago, went for a gentle flat walk with a mate just as a old friend catch up and I was soaked inside just on a spring day along the Northumberland coast. Went in the bin, when it did the same on other woodland walks.
Paramo is different agreed and I do like Keela waterproofs
Paramo is different agreed and I do like Keela waterproofs
Ridgeline evolution smock came this week. Have already worn it in the rain and has been great so far in the Welsh weather. Its not a warm or lined one, and is pretty thin and has pit zips to vent if needed
This is another design I want to try given the potential benefits of the impermeable outer with supposedly breathable inner.
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