Where to get Gore Tex for a bivi???

[peterbennett9]

Hi, i have just joined this forum today, hello from belfast! are many of you from belfast?

I wish to make my own bivi bag but am struggling to find a gore tex (or similar breathable material) fabric supplier, is it possible to buy this fabric by the sheet? if not what are my alternatives??

Any help greatly appreciated!

thanks

Peter

 

[Shewie]

I don't think you can buy goretex by the metre as such, there are some good alternatives here though ....

http://www.profabrics.co.uk/snap_su...ics&termsx=Fabrics>>Breathable Coated Fabrics

 

[peterbennett9]

thanks, how would these fabrics compare in terms of breathability and hydro static head to gore tex? are they very similar? would i notice a difference? i sleep quite warm and hence breathability is quite an important factor

 

[Shewie]

I wouldn't like to say really mate, not much help I know but I don't want to give you the wrong advice. I do know that the folk there are really helpful and will happily advise you on which to pick.

I'd probably say this one but again it's best to check what their ratings are.

 

[naefearjustbeer]

I am sure I read somewhere that Gore tex only sell fabric to manufacturers that they think will produce clothing outdoor stuff that is worthy of its brand name.

 

[peterbennett9]

ok thanks il maybe give them a call and see then

 

[Dogoak]

Don't know if they do Gore-Tex but you could try Point North...........http://www.profabrics.co.uk/

 

[vildor]

Gore-Tex is a brand name. The guys that make it only sell it to whoever they want, and that certainly isn't the final consumer.
However, there are a lot of other fabrics with different names that ARE gore-tex. They just don't have the same name. Just ask the shop for details on it and they will tell you everything you need to know.

 

[Crow-Man]

how about checking ebay for cheap ex army bivvi bags? Cheapest ive seen so far is £40

 

[Chrisj]

I suspect it may not turn out much cheaper to buy waterproof breathable fabric to make a bivi and stuff to seal the seams than to buy a surplus bivi from Endicotts or ebay. Although you can make it to your own design by making it yourself.

 

[peterbennett9]

aha i see well i might give up on that idea then, i dont recon i would make something much different to the issue bivi anyway so if its not gona be much cheaper theres no point

 

[Teepee]

Gore-tex and sypma-tex and lots of others are available from the states by the metre. I cant recall the companies, but if your interested Ill find the links.

Ive just bought some forest green waterproof breathable pertex from Fabrics n stuff to make a bivi-bag. It doesnt seem to breathe much better than other coated fabrics, but seems OK. It is very waterproof though and weighs about 1.7 Oz per sq metre-its made a very light bag.

 

[peterbennett9]

Ah so how does the pertex perform in use? Do you get much condensation? I would definitely be interested in those links if you have them.

I take it sympa-tex is similar to goretex? As breathable?

Did u have to use a heavy duty sewing machine to sew the pertex?

Peter

 

[Teepee]

The pertex is really thin, sewing it is just like ripstop nylon. I use the Microtex needles for it in the machine.

I am getting a little condensation but its not too bad-its early days though and I need to test more. I made a poncho out of the pertex too and that is doing ok, but its a bit clingy when soaking wet.

From memory, sympa-tex is not quite as breathable as the modern gore-tex(maybe wrong on this). I believe a material called Epic is also for sale in the states by the metre. E-vent is the one, but the chances of getting some are less than it being 20oC and sunny tomorrow.

http://www.rockywoods.com/Fabrics-Kits/Waterproof-Breathable-Fabrics
Both Pennine outdoor and Pro-fabrics have some reasonable looking W/B fabrics (haven't used them yet) and Extremtextil do a good range too.

http://www.extremtextil.de/index_en.html

 

[Willderness]

2 years back I bought a US army bivvy bag (Gore-Tex), new on eBay for $25 (£16). I saw the exact same one at the Wilderness Gathering for £100!

It's a good idea to check the US site and ask if they'll ship it here. Often it works out a lot cheaper.

Good luck!

Will

 

[Willderness]

2 years back I bought a US army bivvy bag (Gore-Tex), new on eBay for $25 (£16). I saw the exact same one at the Wilderness Gathering for £100!

It's a good idea to check the US site and ask if they'll ship it here. Often it works out a lot cheaper.

Good luck!

Will

Edit: Ah here we go! Still the same price http://cgi.ebay.com/US-Military-Sur...aultDomain_0&hash=item2eb1a99b43#ht_500wt_922
Really breathable, tucked up inside your sleeping bag you don't even know it's there. However now I'm leaning more towards the hammock mentality, seems a lot more comfortable!

And you can always rely on the UK seller being many times the price! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/US-sof-socom-...Militaria_LE&hash=item5add87b81b#ht_500wt_922

 

[pastymuncher]

Has anyone found any comparison data on the breathable fabrics, I've been digging around on google but nothing so far.
The last comparison I read about (but didn't actually see the report) was in a book called Extreme Alpinism by Mark Twight, the report claimed gore tex was a poor runner up ( this is quite a few years old now though).
There are a lot of claims made by these fabrics but I have yet to see any scientific data to compare them with one another.

 

[Highbinder]

Are you definately looking to make your own? I have a goretex bivvy (used once in the garden) I might be willing to part with. If you want to go the lazy option drop me a PM