Best waterproof jacket

[Stere]

Trouble with ive had with gortex/other breathable jackets is they seem to loose there effectiveness and stop beading the water when they get older? (less than 1 yr)

 

Admitedly they were the cheaper end of the range iv'e tried.

 

Any gortex etc ones that actually last longer or  which you can effectively reproof etc?

 

Tried reproofing old gortex didn't work very well.

 

How much life/use is reasonble to expect from a breathable waterproof before it gets knackered?

 

 

[monkeybusiness]

I bought a load of Cut and Climbs for the lads many moons ago - Clarks made them out of an orange material for us and they were lovely (but expensive) things.

Unfortunately the feedback from the guys was not at all positive - they reckoned they were too hot and similar to wearing a crisp packet... 

It was probably the fabric used as I’ve never heard anything other than glowing praise for the standard Cut and Climbs. 

[wicklamulla]

44 minutes ago, monkeybusiness said:

I bought a load of Cut and Climbs for the lads many moons ago - Clarks made them out of an orange material for us and they were lovely (but expensive) things.

Unfortunately the feedback from the guys was not at all positive - they reckoned they were too hot and similar to wearing a crisp packet... 

It was probably the fabric used as I’ve never heard anything other than glowing praise for the standard Cut and Climbs. 

so just to confirm,  the cut n' climb is a Stihl product made by Clarks?

[monkeybusiness]

25 minutes ago, wicklamulla said:

so just to confirm,  the cut n' climb is a Stihl product made by Clarks?

No - it’s Clark’s product made by them. Nothing to do with Stihl. 

[wicklamulla]

4 minutes ago, monkeybusiness said:

No - it’s Clark’s product made by them. Nothing to do with Stihl. 

Ok Minkey, thank You. 

[IronMike]

1 hour ago, Stere said:

Trouble with ive had with gortex/other breathable jackets is they seem to loose there effectiveness and stop beading the water when they get older? (less than 1 yr)

 

Admitedly they were the cheaper end of the range iv'e tried.

 

Any gortex etc ones that actually last longer or  which you can effectively reproof etc?

 

Tried reproofing old gortex didn't work very well.

 

How much life/use is reasonble to expect from a breathable waterproof before it gets knackered?

 

 

One of the key things with Goretex is making sure it’s cleaned properly. By that, I mean making sure you use the correct cleaner, followed by the correct reproofer. If you just bang your waterproof in the machine with all you other clothes, using normal detergent and conditioner it’ll absolutely ruin your coat. It’s critical to make sure your machine is clear of regular detergents and there is no conditioner lurking about in the drawer. it pays to take the draw out and rinse thoroughly beforehand, and set the machine off empty on a drum clean cycle. That way you minimise the risk of getting the bad stuff on your nice waterproof.

 

When it comes to the the cleaner itself, I tend to go for Nikwax Techwash, but Grangers is just as good. Hell, even lux soap flakes are better than nothing. You need to put the mucky waterproofs through a cycle with this product. The reproofers can be wash in or spray on. The difference here is one is for “shell” type garments (wash in variant) and one is for garments with a drop lining (spray on variant). You don’t want to use the wash in proofed on a garment with a drop lining as you’ll waterproof the lining too which can affect the breathability. 
 

Now one of the Key elements in making the reproofer work well is the application of heat. Putting the garments through the tumble dryer on a cool heat will be sufficient but if your feeling brave you can iron on the lowest setting! This application of heat will restore what’s called the DWR (durable water repellency) or the beading effect you see on a brand new garment. Unfortunately this diminishes over time and the water sits on the outer fabric in big damp patches, this is called wetting out. 
 

I think our industry is particularly cruel on waterproofs. The work is intense and hard and often in unfriendly environments. There is also fuel, oil, grease, sweat, blood, gravy, etc that all get on the garments and knacker them. I personally find goretex the best at turning water, but the moment I start grafting in the rain I sweat like mad and can’t stand it. I work in a soft shell a fair bit as it’s not quite as sweaty as My goretex. 
 

each to their own really I guess. I bought my Mountain Equipment goretex jacket and over trousers from Magic Mountain. They were cheap and very good.

[IronMike]

Ps. When I say they were cheap, I mean compared to full price ME gear. They still set me back about £350 for the pair but they are very tough and turn water well.

[Toad]

2 minutes ago, IronMike said:

One of the key things with Goretex is making sure it’s cleaned properly. By that, I mean making sure you use the correct cleaner, followed by the correct reproofer. If you just bang your waterproof in the machine with all you other clothes, using normal detergent and conditioner it’ll absolutely ruin your coat. It’s critical to make sure your machine is clear of regular detergents and there is no conditioner lurking about in the drawer. it pays to take the draw out and rinse thoroughly beforehand, and set the machine off empty on a drum clean cycle. That way you minimise the risk of getting the bad stuff on your nice waterproof.

 

When it comes to the the cleaner itself, I tend to go for Nikwax Techwash, but Grangers is just as good. Hell, even lux soap flakes are better than nothing. You need to put the mucky waterproofs through a cycle with this product. The reproofers can be wash in or spray on. The difference here is one is for “shell” type garments (wash in variant) and one is for garments with a drop lining (spray on variant). You don’t want to use the wash in proofed on a garment with a drop lining as you’ll waterproof the lining too which can affect the breathability. 
 

Now one of the Key elements in making the reproofer work well is the application of heat. Putting the garments through the tumble dryer on a cool heat will be sufficient but if your feeling brave you can iron on the lowest setting! This application of heat will restore what’s called the DWR (durable water repellency) or the beading effect you see on a brand new garment. Unfortunately this diminishes over time and the water sits on the outer fabric in big damp patches, this is called wetting out. 
 

I think our industry is particularly cruel on waterproofs. The work is intense and hard and often in unfriendly environments. There is also fuel, oil, grease, sweat, blood, gravy, etc that all get on the garments and knacker them. I personally find goretex the best at turning water, but the moment I start grafting in the rain I sweat like mad and can’t stand it. I work in a soft shell a fair bit as it’s not quite as sweaty as My goretex. 
 

each to their own really I guess. I bought my Mountain Equipment goretex jacket and over trousers from Magic Mountain. They were cheap and very good.

Great advice. Just washed my waterproofs and re-proofed them yesterday. Going to wang them in the tumble drier shortly.

[IronMike]

I spent years working in outdoor gear retail before getting into tree work. I was a Goretex expert I'll have you know ?? I actually went to the factory up in Livingston, was interesting.

[Joe Newton]

Anything fully waterproof is going to be warm.

 

Anything breathable and cool is going to let water in. 

 

I've got the SIP KIEU, which is a good compromise. Doesn't seem to leak at all but has under arm vents if its too hot. Under £100 too.