Author Topic: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket  (Read 7253 times)

BuzyG

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3761
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #15 on: 23:35:37, 04/08/19 »
Your skin is waterproof. Leave the jacket at home.

ninthace

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11822
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #16 on: 00:46:50, 05/08/19 »
Your skin is waterproof. Leave the jacket at home.
Mine isn’t.  It has been leaking a lot in this weather.
Solvitur Ambulando

Rob Goes Walking

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1418
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #17 on: 03:50:49, 05/08/19 »
Your skin is waterproof. Leave the jacket at home.

Hah. Be just my luck it turns cold and windy if I do that. Actually looks like it's going to be windy for my next excursion. Your marathon training run is impressive, while I desire to be fit not sure I need to be that fit!

Owen

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1760
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #18 on: 12:30:36, 05/08/19 »
What are you planning on wearing under your waterproof?


This time of year I'll generally take off a layer if I can if I need to put my jacket on. Often all you need is a thin baselayer.

Rob Goes Walking

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1418
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #19 on: 13:31:46, 05/08/19 »
What are you planning on wearing under your waterproof?


This time of year I'll generally take off a layer if I can if I need to put my jacket on. Often all you need is a thin baselayer.

Just a polyester sports t-shirt, it's all I generally wear, rarely does anything warmer come out. When I did Lord's Seat and Balf it even snowed a little and I didn't get my fleece out. This was up near the summits where it was also quite windy...

I tried a XXL jacket on in the shop today and it fits!

Dyffryn Ardudwy

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2578
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #20 on: 18:59:35, 06/08/19 »
Do a web search for clothing made from Double Layered Ventile.
If you want the very best, fully natural, fully waterproof clothing, then Double layered Ventile is the way to go.

Unfortunately it not cheap, but its very long lasting, and in its double layered form, is almost bulletproof when keeping you dry.

As Ventile is the top 10% of the finest Egyptian Cotton, its very breathable, and when any moisture comes into contact with the cotton, its weave is so fine, that water molucues cannot pass through, yet it will allow sweat perspiration through.

Its only downside, is that its very expensive to manufacture, and when the fabric gets wet, it does increase its weight considerably, but there are few fabrics that come anywhere near it for keeping the elements at bay, and that's why its still the choice of Polar expeditions.

Rob Goes Walking

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1418
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #21 on: 19:07:46, 06/08/19 »
Cheers DA that's good to know for my next jacket, already bought one for now but in six months time I'll probably need another.

ninthace

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11822
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #22 on: 19:36:50, 06/08/19 »
DA - I have no experience of Ventile.  I would be interested in your response to this article http://welldresseddad.com/2017/05/20/ventile-ugly-facts-they-dont-tell-you/
Solvitur Ambulando

Owen

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1760
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #23 on: 20:36:19, 06/08/19 »
I remember Ventile from way back in the mists of time, it went out of fashion for very good reasons. It was heavy, it was hot, it was expensive, it soaked up water like a sponge and if the temperature then dropped it froze and was like a suit of armour. If the temperature was consistently so low that all moisture in the air had frozen and settle on the ground it was great, which is why it was used in Polar regions. These days no one not even the Antarctic Survey use it, there is far better on the market. A firm called Snowsled, they make sleds, used to sell Ventile Jackets for the wannabe posers but I think even they have stopped selling them.


P.S. Snowsled went bust, they were taken over by Aguille rucksacks up in the lakes. 

jimbob

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2503
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #24 on: 21:09:05, 06/08/19 »
when any moisture comes into contact with the cotton, its weave is so fine, that water molucues cannot pass through, yet it will allow sweat perspiration through

Well that  is 100% contradictory. Sweat molecules are actually water plus 1%trace elements.  The H2O  in sweat will find it just as easy as rain water to get through any gaps as it is the same size going out as coming in. The trace elements will be left behind, oh you've noticed sweat stains have you? Well thats them trace elements. H2O is almost the smallest molecule there is, it is much smaller than the oxygen molecules you breath(O2).

Also cotton is now recognised as not being very "green" given the enormous quantities of fresh water needed to grow the crop.  A quick Google on the effects of growing cotton on on the Aral sea will give you some idea. Fresh water is a tiny proportion of water on our planet and is in extremly short supply in cotton growing areas.
« Last Edit: 21:46:11, 06/08/19 by jimbob »
Too little, too late, too bad......

richardh1905

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12714
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #25 on: 21:13:17, 06/08/19 »
Think that I'll stick to Gore Tex thank you very much.
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

Rob Goes Walking

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1418
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #26 on: 21:21:17, 06/08/19 »
I'm glad I had you guys to discuss the Ventile I might actually have considered it (though I suspect my next jacket is going to be either the Lhotse or something archaeoroutes recommends).

ninthace

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11822
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #27 on: 22:38:27, 06/08/19 »
Well that  is 100% contradictory. Sweat molecules are actually water plus 1%trace elements.  The H2O  in sweat will find it just as easy as rain water to get through any gaps as it is the same size going out as coming in. The trace elements will be left behind, oh you've noticed sweat stains have you? Well thats them trace elements. H2O is almost the smallest molecule there is, it is much smaller than the oxygen molecules you breath(O2).
Not quite true.  Water molecules bond together in transitory structures depending on temperature (look up hydrogen bonding to find out more).  Water is at its densest at 4C.  Below that water starts to form organised structures linking many molecules together until it forms ice.  Water at room temperature is not actually H2O but rather somwhere around H32O16, give or take a few, IIRC. Pure steam is H2O.  Sweat coming through your clothing will be water vapour so the water "molecules" will be much smaller than the "molecules" in the liquid water on the outside of the fabric.  In theory, they could pass outwards whereas liquid may not be able to pass inwards because of surface tension - that is how goretex is supposed to work.
In reality, in time, I imagine that the fabric will cool (latent heat of evaporation) to the point the water vapour will condense on the inside and the fabric will stop working as advertised.
Solvitur Ambulando

BuzyG

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3761
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #28 on: 23:39:00, 06/08/19 »
Think that I'll stick to Gore Tex thank you very much.
I am with you Richard.  O0

jimbob

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2503
Re: What's the least hot, most breathable waterproof jacket
« Reply #29 on: 00:22:56, 07/08/19 »
Ninthace, believe me I understand your posting. I was being too simplistic, clearly.  My point is that it would be next to impossible to weave cotton in such a way as to create a texture so small that any form of water molecule could be blocked one way but not the other which is what DA stated.
 
As you know Goretex is a stretched membrane and is not want a weaved natural material. Clearly you understand the chemistry involved in that process. It is not weaving as is involved in cotton cloth.
Too little, too late, too bad......

 

Terms of Use     Privacy Policy