Hydraphilic or Sprays

[NorthernRaider]

Whose prefers what folks, I'm wondering what the balance is across the community between folks who use stuff like Gore-Tex and Ventile etc and those who use TX10 or wax to waterproof their outdoor gear.

I still use add in the washing machine type water proofing personally only cos I'm a dinosaur, I got a Gore-Tex DPM jacket decades ago when they first came out, and apart from being incredibly noisy material it delaminated or what ever its called after 18 months.

I know modern water proof materials are light years improved but wondered what folks preferred. My own is a modern DPM smock treated in the washing machine and topped off with an aerosol when needed. Its not as waterproof as it could be but its a lot quieter to wear than most goretex type jackets.

[Devonian]

For me its Gore Tex or equivalent materials everytime.

Never had a problem with delamination and as for noise, it depends on the specific item of clothing....

[BeardyMan]

depends entirely on what the item of clothing is.

I have many goretex jackets, not all are noisy when moving. Conversely, I have some jackets which I've treated to make them water-proof, either with the aerosol cans or the wash in treatment. The spray stuff, and the wash in gear still doesn't make it fully waterproof, but better than nothing if you're caught in a downpour.

I did buy a DPM full waterproof jacket - it was like some sort of fetish gear. Okay, so it was 100% waterproof, but it had 0% breathe-ability. 10 minutes of walking, even in the coldest conditions, and it had to be removed or I'd be soaked to the skin in sweat (mmmm, sweat)

So generally I stick to goretex (or equivalent) or wool. Prefer wool, makes less noise, and still keeps you warm even if it does get wet. Much heavier, but I'm happy with the trade off.




Also, has anyone found that sometime the waterproofing spray / wash in solution can leave the clothing feeling a bit greasy / strange to touch?? I think I may have applied too much though

[CharlesHarris]

My experience with Gore Tex has been that it doesn't hold up under heavy use, it is noisy and also easily torn or damaged when moving through heavy brush. I had new Gore Tex garments come apart on one SAR mission, whereas I have good quality, tightly woven wool whipcord and Mackinaw fabrics which I have used for 40 years.

During rainy weather I wear an felted wool wetterflek (cape) to keep the direct hard rainfall off my other garments and this has worked well with good freedom of movement and it is breatheable.

But it weighs a ton and smells like shep dip when it gets wet, so life isn't fair.

[NorthernRaider]

I like Ventile but can no longer afford it, I agree with Mr Harris that as a soldier Goretex has problems because it doesn't appear to like getting dirty, and straps from webbing and rucksacks rubbing on goretex can ( or used to , to be honest) cause it to delaminate, and it doesn't appear to last more than 2 years of vigorous outdoor use. But others are truly chuffed to bits with it, odd isn't.

I tend to stick with polycotton stuff like my DPM smock , treated with TX10, its definitely quieter than many goretex type fabrics. I've also removed all the bloody awful VELCRO from its pockets and cuffs and replaced them with buttons and press studs, much much quieter

I once managed to find a group of recruits training on Bellerby Moor at night simply by homing in on the noise of them opening and closing pockets and pouches secured with Velcro

[Tartar Horde]

Cotton and Wool for the above reasons, they are warm and silent. All the goretex jackets I have owned have been noisy and too shiny. Plus I believe the goretex barrier prevents the clothing from taking on the smell of the countryside and smells very Human to animals. Good Cotton DPM smocks and pants allow your clothes to absorb scents and hide the human in them. Which is why I never wash my Hunting clothes and keep them in a bag in the shed away from all the cooking and Human activity of the house. The sense of smell animals have is often overlooked because ours is so bad, and is the major reason most hunts fail in my humble opinion. Those little bunnies can smell you fields away before you ever see them.