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Main Boards => Gear => Topic started by: gunwharfman on 16:32:53, 27/01/20

Title: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: gunwharfman on 16:32:53, 27/01/20
It was raining today so I decided to check out if my Marmot Precip is still waterproof or not? I wore my synthetic jacket underneath. I was going to run a circuit but then decided to walk it, just about 3 miles. By the time I was back at the bus stop, I felt a bit wet in a couple of places, along my arms and across my chest area. I took off my Precip on the bus, the outside of the jacket, of course, was wet but there were a couple of damp patches showing on both of my synthetic jacket sleeves. This is where I always have a problem, how do I tell the difference between a jacket that leaks from the outside to the inside to make my sleeves wet, or is it just damp caused by the build-up of moisture inside of the jacket, caused by the act of perspiring? Has anyone worked out how to recognise one from the other?
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: jimbob on 16:41:19, 27/01/20
The shower, try it in the shower.

Not exerting yourself, so, if you get damp it's the coat, if not you can be sure you are just a sweaty person  :D
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: ninthace on 16:50:05, 27/01/20
Alternatively wear it when it isn’t raining. Water used to drip out of the sleeves of my Paramo, I found it happened even when it wasn’t raining - case closed. The perspiration was wicking until it condensed and then obeying the law of gravity.
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: sussamb on 16:50:15, 27/01/20
Yep, the shower test  O0


Often it is sweat. I went out last week with just a baselayer and jacket, didn't rain and my baselayer was damp at the end of an 11 mile walk.
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: tonyk on 19:54:25, 27/01/20
This is where I always have a problem, how do I tell the difference between a jacket that leaks from the outside to the inside to make my sleeves wet, or is it just damp caused by the build-up of moisture inside of the jacket, caused by the act of perspiring? Has anyone worked out how to recognise one from the other?
Lick it.If it tastes of sodium its most likely perspiration.
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: sussamb on 22:27:34, 27/01/20
Never thought of that one  ;D
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: jimbob on 22:32:46, 27/01/20
Surgical spirits 😳
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: gunwharfman on 12:25:50, 28/01/20
Lick it! I was confident that someone on the Forum had worked out a test to check. I'll give it a go next time. A lot of ideas seem to be simple ones. When we were kids and scratched or cut ourselves we were also told to 'lick it!' When my father in law was alive, he owned a garage, we took our car to him because a red light on the dashboard kept flickering. He gave it back to us and we drove off and used the car for the next few months. We only found out after we sold it that his 'solution' was to take the bulb out! That's how much I know about cars!
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: Patrick1 on 15:34:31, 28/01/20
Lick it.If it tastes of sodium its most likely perspiration.


Seems an appealing idea (in some ways!), but I don't think it would work. Even if it starts out as sweat, by the time it ends up on the inside of your waterproofs its likely to be condensation, not actual sweat. So in theory it should be essentially distilled water, with no salts in it at all. In practice I'm sure there would be various bits of crud in it, but the principle that its essentially condensation not sweat remains true...
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: Jac on 16:07:44, 28/01/20
Alternatively wear it when it isn’t raining. Water used to drip out of the sleeves of my Paramo, I found it happened even when it wasn’t raining - case closed. The perspiration was wicking until it condensed and then obeying the law of gravity.

Proves you perspired enough to cause condensation but can't see that it proves it didn't leak when raining.
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: ninthace on 16:12:09, 28/01/20
Proves you perspired enough to cause condensation but can't see that it proves it didn't leak when raining.
If the pattern of wet patches matches that experienced in rain, that is good evidence that the damp is condensation rather than a leak.
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: GnP on 16:32:56, 28/01/20
Yep, the shower test  O0


Often it is sweat. I went out last week with just a baselayer and jacket, didn't rain and my baselayer was damp at the end of an 11 mile walk.
A  runner can sweat almost 1  to 1&1/2 litres and hour from what I read. So walking fast especially on hills I`m sure could see similar amounts pouring into our waterproofs from the inside...

My bro complained to me one time about his expensive coat letting in rain while he was cycling, which he did at speed. I mentioned it could be just sweat but he didn`t think much of my idea..I do not know why.
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:59:00, 28/01/20
Alternatively wear it when it isn’t raining. Water used to drip out of the sleeves of my Paramo, I found it happened even when it wasn’t raining - case closed. The perspiration was wicking until it condensed and then obeying the law of gravity.

The more I read or hear about Paramo jackets, the happier I am that I bought a Rohan jacket...
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: richardh1905 on 20:24:00, 28/01/20
Surest way is to wear the jacket whilst exercising when it isn't raining.
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: sussamb on 14:38:48, 30/01/20
Lick it.If it tastes of sodium its most likely perspiration.

Tried that today, no sodium taste but it was definitely moisture due to 'perspiration'  O0
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: Slowcoach on 16:30:25, 30/01/20
It’s great that there is always some brave soul out there to try these things.
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: sussamb on 18:25:02, 30/01/20
Well someone had to  ;D
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 18:58:47, 30/01/20
Tried that today, no sodium taste but it was definitely moisture due to 'perspiration'  O0
How do you find out what sodium tastes like? I would recommend licking some sodium to find out. You might get a slight burning sensation on your tongue.
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: ninthace on 19:20:24, 30/01/20
While sweat contains trace amounts of minerals it also contains organic chemicals including lactic acid and urea.  Did it taste of gone off milk or wee?  :)
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: sussamb on 22:26:47, 30/01/20
Tasted of sod all  ;D
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: Slowcoach on 07:29:15, 31/01/20
Perhaps you might add something exotic to your diet and try again....on behalf of all of us of course.
Title: Re: If I feel wet, is my waterproof jacket leaking or is it perspiration?
Post by: sussamb on 07:51:44, 31/01/20
Exotic doesn't exist in my diet  ;D