Is anyone else finding that their eVent garments just don't seem to last? I've got a Rab Drillium jacket that has seen just over a year's use, and it's wetting out pretty often, today after half an hour in the rain on the bike.
I use Grangers to proof it, washing it in the plainest non-bio I can find, with the occasional session with an iron to freshen it up. It seems like I'm doing all I can with it, is it just one of the pitfalls of the fabric?
al
Absolutely, Al; general consensus amongst several of us that you know seems to be that it doesn't last. Have Paramo Anaology walking kit now but haven't used it on the bike yet.
yeah, I remember you saying that your Endura one wasn't completely waterproof, and mine feels the same now. It's still a nice jacket with good cut, but it's disappointing that it's past its best already.
I've just got a Berghaus XCR jacket for walking, hopefully that'll be slightly more durable and do me longer.
My event is wetting through, about 2 years old, my old paclite is lasting well though 
I heard the same thing and it was one of the reasons I sold my eVent jacket.
I had a Rab eVent Latok - but it never got enough wear to the extent that it started to leak. I also found even eVent was too sweaty for wearing for any length of time - more than 20 minutes hard riding and that was it. I sold it and got a softshell - it's pretty much waterproof for the same 20 minutes but the difference is that it's properly breathable and a lot faster drying - big difference on longer rides in showers where it's on/off all day.
in constant / heavy rain you're going to get sodden, whatever you're wearing. I just decided I didnt want to have the money invested in an expensive (150+) jacket that might wear within 1 winter of commuting and then fail to do what it was designed for, regardless of how many times it was reproofed etc.
Nice jacket though. For walking / less strenuous exercise I might be tempted.
Have you tried reproofing it with something like Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In?
I've noticed that my Montane storm rider is very keen to wet out, despite relatively little use. Its pretty much the best breathing bit of plastic I've had up till then.
Forgetting waterproofness (or lack thereof) I have found eEvent limited in terms of windproofness - anyone else found that? Or is Goretex, or others, the same?
My Goretex jacket is far more windproof, although I suspect this is because the eVent jacket is far lighter by design.
I did find eVent breathes almost too much when you're standing around, it's like it draws all your body heat out.
Surely all sheets of plastic are windproof?
Obolix!!! I got an Endura eVent just before Christmas and not been on a ride wet enough to justify it yet. Does this mean it will be dead before I come to use it?
Surely all sheets of plastic are windproof?
Actually, AFAIK that is pretty much the difference between eVent and Goretex; an additional PU membrane. It's what, as I understand it, makes the former more breathable and the latter more waterproof and robust.
4 year old Gill eVent, just reproofed yesterday. Still going very strong indeed. Only problem is a slight hole in the sleeve after a rather drunken fall from a bike in Amsterdam last year!
Yes, even the lightest goretex I understood to be 2 or 3ply, whilst eVent is single ply.
Never the less, a plastic membrane is a plastic membrane. Adding more does not increase windproofedness does it?
I dunno - that's why I asked...
I have found eEvent limited in terms of windproofness - anyone else found that? Or is Goretex, or others, the same?
Sorry, but this is just rubbish. Are seriously saying that you can detect wind through an eVent jacket? The real issue with all these things is twofold, one is the limited durability of DWR - water resistant treatments - and people's inability to care for their jackets properly, the other is unrealistic expectations over their breathability.
Gore-Tex fwiw is not detectably more waterproof or more windproof than eVent, the PU layer is a very thin smear which is there to protect the eptfe membrane itself from contamination by sweat and other, erm contaminants, it doesn't have a waterproofing function, though it does limit breathability.
Anyway, the bottom line is that working hard, no waterproof fabric, no matter how breathable is going to cope with the sort of sweat output you can produce. Even with significant venting.
Some people do seem to have issues losing heat with eVent when stationary. Its becauce you don't get the familiar Gore-Tex fug building inside your clothing system. Anyway, I'll leave you to make up some more groundless stories about different fabrics... 
I found, for example, that I could suck coca cola through eVent fabric, but this wasn't feasible with Gore-Tex and that Pertex was more breathable than cotton and more waterproof than solid PVC sheeting, though this changed when I washed it in Persil Automatic etc.
Yes, even the lightest goretex I understood to be 2 or 3ply, whilst eVent is single ply.
No, eVent is a membrane layer, just like Goretex, which is then bonded to other fabrics to make either a 2 layer or 3 layer(inner lined) fabric.
The wetting out is because the DWR layer on the outer fabric has become ineffective due to wear, dirt and washing. I've found it happens pretty much the same on Goretex and eVent jackets. Doesn't stop them being waterproof, that's a function of the membrane, but it does make them far less breathable, so when riding you're likely to get wet due to sweat build up.
Thanks BWD.
I think I was being too subtle. 
I keep my eVent scrupulously clean, using regular detergent with extra rinse cycles as instructed on the eVent website. It still wets out. Worse on the arms.
I guess frequent re-application of DWR is key.
BWD beat me to it. Well explained.
Sorry, but this is just rubbish. Are seriously saying that you can detect wind through an eVent jacket?Some people do seem to have issues losing heat with eVent when stationary. Its becauce you don't get the familiar Gore-Tex fug building inside your clothing system.
I asked... you responded. In great detail.
Anyway, I'll leave you to make up some more groundless stories about different fabrics...
Get off your **** high horse.
My Gill ProSpeed jacket leaked after I'd had it about 18 months, on the arms especially. The membrane has cracked pretty extensivly on the elbows and shoulders, and it has always seemed more drafty than other waterproofs i've had.
I guess this be just because its so thin, as I can't say I found it much less boil in the bag than some of the cheaper jackets. Why can't someone do a goretex/event shell with pit zips?
Get off your **** high horse.
Sorry fella, no offence intended. The bottom line is that eVent and Gore-Tex should be roughly equivalent in terms of windproofing and, effectively, just windproof. Sometimes thinner fabrics feel subjectively draftier probably because of convection currents. I'm sorry if I seem prickly. It wasn't personal. There's so much misunderstanding and confusion about fabric technology that you get tired of explaining it all, the thing about bio and non-bio cleaners for example, which makes no odds. You actually need a soap-based cleaner like Tekwash or the Grangers equivalent or just pure soap flakes... If you use normal detergents, bio or non-bio, they leave behind residue which cloaks the DWR and stops it working - it doesn't 'clog the membrane' which is another classic myth, but wetting agents help water to penetrate the face fabric, wet it out and massively reduce breathability.
Cheers, BWD.
I am grateful for your reply - I asked an innocent question and your comprehensive reply did actually reinforce my experience of Goretex and eVent. The first 'proper' waterproof I bought was some fifteen/twenty years ago - a Sprayway Torridon (?) jacket and it was indeed both waterproof and windproof for many a year. Bought an eVent jacket a few years ago and have tried to wash and reproof (Grangers/Nikwax) as per instructions but it hasn't been as durable as I'd hoped. As regards wind, I think you put your finger on it when you mentioned the Goretex 'fug'. But then the former was a proper walking jacket, and the latter a cycling jacket - probably another factor.
Why can't someone do a goretex/event shell with pit zips?
I think the idea is that the fabric is breathable enough that you shouldn't need them, or perhaps it's just cheaper to make a jacket without them. Either way it's a shame, I've found them invaluable on my eVent Gill Alpha, which sadly now has the same leaky arm problems that you're having.
I think the lack of vents / pit-zips on cycling jackets is a price-point thing - the bike waterproof market is very price conscious compared to walking / climbing where 200 quid for a jacket is quite generally accepted as being reasonable. As soon as you add lots of complex features, prices go up.
Also, as far as durability goes, it depends a lot on the face fabric used. The one thing Gore is brilliant at is huge amounts of testing and research into the fabrics they use, which probably does pay off in terms of durability. The company that makes eVent probably has more limited testing resources, so it may be that some eVent fabrics use less proven materials.
argue argue argue
wash it with grangers and iron it after
And never use a wash-in reproofer, spray it on.
Yeah, I found that my event shoes are leaking.
Try tumble drying after reproofing, on low mind, does make a big difference.
I've had my Endura eEvent jacket since last October and used it on a 27 day cycle across Japan where it performed perfectly through snow, high winds and continuous torrential rain. Check here to see what it went through:-
http://timvsjapan.blogspot.com/
I never tumble dry it and only machine wash it if it's really, really muddy after an off road ride.
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