What breathable/water proof jacket to buy?

[Nonsuch]

My 2ps-worth:

Only Goretex and eVent really do a good job of breathing (up to a point) AND keeping you dry. All the other membrane jackets I have tried with proprietary "breathable" membranes or coatings don't breathe that well and leak eventually. So I would buy a jacket in Goretex or eVent. Mountain Equipment Ogre? One of the Rab jackets?

I find Paramo will get you wet if you are standing still in the rain, and Ventile has a nice feel to it but isn't really a wet weather fabric, never having been designed for it (apart from the sea).

I can't comment on the Keela Munro but I would check out the breathability data before parting with cash. Goretex Proshell is 27,000g C02/24hrs, eVent is I think 22,000, most proprietary membranes are in the 5-8,000 range and some as low as 1,000 (eg Ridgeline RL Tex). Breathability is something you only really find out for real when you have bought the jacket and hacked up a hill in it! I've wasted a lot of money on the wrong jacket this way.

For my money, best waterproofs :

Mountain Equipment Ogre Goretex. Light, packable, hill-walkign jacket
Swazi Narwhal Goretex (later ones are "Aegis"). Light packable, bushcrafty smock
Swazi Wapiti Goretex (" "). Superb full zip heavyweight waterproof
Harkila Pro Hunter (Goretex). Ultra tough hunting jacket

 

[Chiseller]

For that type of money, I would go with the Artexyx Beta SV or if you want more features the Alpha SV. I have the Beta SV, and it is just a pure shell. It is very light and compresses to the size of a sock. It makes it very easy to carry around in your pack all the time.

And you look as happy as a pig missing s ##t in it

 

[Chiseller]

My 2ps-worth:

Only Goretex and eVent really do a good job of breathing (up to a point) AND keeping you dry. All the other membrane jackets I have tried with proprietary "breathable" membranes or coatings don't breathe that well and leak eventually. So I would buy a jacket in Goretex or eVent. Mountain Equipment Ogre? One of the Rab jackets?

I find Paramo will get you wet if you are standing still in the rain, and Ventile has a nice feel to it but isn't really a wet weather fabric, never having been designed for it (apart from the sea).

I can't comment on the Keela Munro but I would check out the breathability data before parting with cash. Goretex Proshell is 27,000g C02/24hrs, eVent is I think 22,000, most proprietary membranes are in the 5-8,000 range and some as low as 1,000 (eg Ridgeline RL Tex). Breathability is something you only really find out for real when you have bought the jacket and hacked up a hill in it! I've wasted a lot of money on the wrong jacket this way.

For my money, best waterproofs :

Mountain Equipment Ogre Goretex. Light, packable, hill-walkign jacket
Swazi Narwhal Goretex (later ones are "Aegis"). Light packable, bushcrafty smock
Swazi Wapiti Goretex (" "). Superb full zip heavyweight waterproof
Harkila Pro Hunter (Goretex). Ultra tough hunting jacket

I've been using Larksen trousers alot of late. They have they're own membrane as a lot of others do. Theirs is called ctex .....I've found them to be VERY waterproof and very breathable wet or dry. Before that the most breathable and waterproof thing I've ever owned are my triple eVent alpinist pant.......:thumbup:

 

[MikeLA]

Thoroughly recommend the Keela Munro had one few year now

 

[greensurfingbear]

Ventile has a nice feel to it but isn't really a wet weather fabric, never having been designed for it (apart from the sea).

In fairness to ventile my work issue jacket, which is a hand me down having services the chap before me for over 5 years has done alright so far this winter up in the hills of Scotland where its been a tad damp and you can't really get any wetter than when out at sea so all in I'd say it's not a bad wet weather option really

Down side is that it is heavier than the goretex and doesn't pack down as small.


Orric

 

[Nomad]

How is ventile for breathability once it gets wet and swollen?

 

[_Geraint_]

How is ventile for breathability once it gets wet and swollen?

Can you breathe underwater?

 

[Squidders]

I can breathe in the rain... When did diving come into it?

I think the answer is that once ventile is soaked it doesn't breathe. What I don't like about ventile is that if I were out for a few days.. That's out, not out for a day, then home, then out again, the second day, the ventile would still be soaked, stiff as sheet steel, heavy as hell and generally pretty miserable.

As far as outdoors fabrics go, I think it's perfect for cold windy dry conditions when you will be working and then resting, far better than goretex, but for some reason people are compelled to tout it as some wonder fabric that it is not.

 

[geordienemisis]

I have a Berghaus Cornice & would recommend this to any one. They are great for keeping you dry in even the heaviest downpour. Also the kit can be doubled up with a fleece to make it toasty warm. The built in hood is also very good.

I have no connection with Berghaus just fine there kit is always fit for task.

 

[Dave]

I recently got another jacket made by seeland. Originally it cost £360, but because it was end of stock, from the 2008 catalogue, they were flogging it off for £99.
Its as good, if not slightly better than the Harkila Pro Hunter jacket, which costs £399.
Seeland and Harkila are the same company, and my new jacket, is made from exactly the same stuff as the harkila pro hunter, yet is a bit more plush than the harkila pro hunter.
Well chuffed. Should last a lifetime.

 

[Rich83]

Have managed to get a second hand Munro off eBay for £20 posted - I'll let you know how it turns out lol

 

[greensurfingbear]

Have managed to get a second hand Munro off eBay for £20 posted - I'll let you know how it turns out lol

Cracking price!

 

[Rich83]

Yeah the guy didn't mention whether it was an SDP one. I don't know if there are older variants and this may be just that however it is a good start point for me to assess if the jacket suits my needs before splurging big money.

 

[toilet digger]

i got a 10 year old berghaus mera peak, only comes out in the hills, for fear of looking like a charver but a top coat. i'll be loathed to replace it when the time comes.

 

[Rich83]

Charver? That's a new one on me... What does it mean?

 

[toilet digger]

its what geordies call chavs. mera peaks were standard uniform for geordie chavs until about 5 years ago.

 

[Chiseller]

Round ere charver means friend and a 'bit of a boy ' so to speyk

 

[Rich83]

Oh I see! I'll have to google images it lol

 

[Nonsuch]

you can't really get any wetter than when out at sea so all in I'd say it's not a bad wet weather option really

Ventile was designed a) for wearing in a dry aircraft cockpit, where the pressure changes required a breathable suit, and then b) immersion in the arctic ocean for an hour while the pilot was rescued. WWII ship-launched fighter pilots. Saved many lives. Apologies if you already knew this.

Actually I like my Ventile jackets, they are brilliant when it is windy and dry, OK for a day's walk out in the rain if I and they can dry out completely afterwards. and horrible for a multi-day rainy trip!

 

[Paullyfuzz]

I gotta disagree about Keela. I had the Munro jacket issued to me in my local mountain rescue team. Gotta say it was a crock of ****e. heavy and not very breathable.