Are Gore Tex jackets the best jackets for wet weather?

Just wonder which jackets will provide maximum dryness but still give the best breathability.

Thanks

Paramo

hyvent 2 is better than goretex for cycling.

Define “best”

Best marketing department and best control of their product by restricting the use of other fabrics by anyone who wants to use Gore-Tex as a part of their range? Oh yes, very much so.
Best waterproofing? A bin bag is waterproof. 🙂

For my money, eVent is the best waterproof fabric for use on the bike, as it’s the most breathable for me.

Others may, and will, have different opinions.

Remember each of the above have differing grades of fabric – GoreTex is available in many flavour’s from cr*p to good.

In my opinion, cut, fit and ventilation matter more than the fabric. e.g. my own personal jacket is a DT Entrant ‘cheap’ Montane – and it is ace.

The only difference for me is with Paramo – it does last longer, it is warmer, it is quicker when drying out.

FWIW, I had very cheap deals available at work from Mountain Equipment (GoreTex ProShell) and Montane (event), and we bought at higher price 12 new Paramo smocks. They are not perfect, but they are (for us as outdoor instructors, outside day after day, and usually standing around or on water) the best choice.

If Paramo is watching – Adventure smock, cut better (longer body etc), sort the pocket to a simple on the front tunnel, better colours and a matching waterproof short…and I will buy it now 🙂

Goretex and almost all other fabrics have a membrane that sucks water through it. The inside has to be wet for this to work, and it works much less well if it’s damp and mild outside the jacket (ie you’re in the UK).

eVent and Endura PTFE are actually lots of tiny holes, so water vapour can come straight out. Unaffected by temperature or humidity. The jacket is slightly less windproof though (which is lovely if you are hot and sweaty, less so if you are really feeling the cold). Also eVent is more sensitive to dirt and needs more washing, dunno about the Endura one.

Paramo is warm, which is awful if it’s raining in spring, summer or autumn.

Gore-tex: I’ve owned/own half a dozen Gore-tex jackets. All performed well when new but the lighter versions soon started leaking on rub points. Expensive items to throw away every four years or so. The heavier three-layer things have lasted better but fall apart at the seams after about seven years.

Endura PTFE: breathes well, I’ve no idea how good it is in really foul conditions as I stuff it in my pocket when it might rain but probably won’t.

Schöffel Venturi: the most pleasant fabric I’ve used. Fine after three years.

Adidas Storm: amazing stuff till I stupidly washed it. It’s still waterproof but no longer beads, therefore gets soggy and then doesn’t breathe.

My Gore Fusion GT active shell is very good. Got it on eBay for £128. BNWT. Still expensive, but I’m worth it 😀

No

My pertex jacket gets more wear than my goretex.

I get wetter through condensation in the goretex, but in a torrential downpour the pertex is not that great, but keep it treated well and its a superb fabric, IME/IMHO

The active membrane for both eVent and Goretex is made from PTFE, the difference is in the construction of the other layers. Goretex has a PU membrane too which makes it more robust and water proof but less breathable then eVent. As for which is better well all other things being equal eVent will breath better but goretex will be more waterproof, so decide who his more important for you.

On a bike though I’d go for the more breathable.

Pace 3X3 is supposed to be good.

I have one of the Endura PTFE jackets, a paramo jacket, various BrandX (ScuzzTex)breathable fabric efforts and have had various gore-tex jackets in the past.

In my opinion and from experience, Paramo are the best for waterproofness and comfort but for me are too hot for use on the bike outside the coldest weather. Gore-tex and eVent do a great job restricting supply – this means £££ but also a very consistent standard of product regardless of who makes it. If you stray from Gore-text and eVent you might get a great jacket at a good price, but you might not.

I’m happy with my Endura Venturi PTFE jacket. Does all it claims and very breathable. DWR isn’t up to gore/ eVent standard though.

I wouldn’t buy any jacket for biking thinking it would keep me dry, but stop me sweating like a pig, none can do that. The best you can do is get a jacket with pit zips.

And just to further confuse the issue there is now Polartec Neoshell which is meant to be even more breathable than eVent. I’ve got one of the Rab jackets made of this.

It’s great, but then again it’s new and no matter what membrane you’ve got they all work best when their new and have a fresh DWR (durable water resist) coating on it. This is what makes the water ball up and roll off. It wears off after a while though so I’m waiting for that to happen before I make a final judgement. So far, loving it, but then again I loved my eVent jacket when new too.

Stu.

+1 for Paramo. Perfect for walking, a little warm for riding except in very cold conditions.

Paramo Velez Adventure Light smock

superb. Got this and a rab bergen and the paramo gets much more wear.

Today I was wearing my 15 year old Goretex Paclite jacket and it kept me perfectly dry on the bike. It’s even been repaired twice due to tears from wipeouts.

I’m a Gore Bike Wear non-sponsored rider. 😀

Of course, it all depends on how hot you run and you chaps are just sweaty buggers. 😉

My military surplus goretex (PVM?!) camo jacket is without a doubt the most waterproof thing I’ve ever worn (other than a bin bag). It’s perfect for festivals and concerts – after a few hours of standing about in torrential rain, most other folks are wet through whilst I stand there smug and invisible due to the camo. It cost me £22 and was pretty much brand new. I also have matching trousers and gaiters for the full on ghillie effect.

The downsides are that it’s massive and doesn’t compress into the bottom of a rucksack like my Pac-lite jacket. Also too heavy and big for cycling, in any but the most foul conditions.

For general hacking about on the bike I have an ancient Helly Hansen goretex jacket which does the job. For road riding I have a stupidly yellow Paclite thing which was half price (£60) on Wiggle – I do sweat in it, but it does keep me dry.

ton – Member
hyvent 2 is better than goretex for cycling.

POSTED 2 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

How does it compare to eVent? My 7 y old eVent jacket is close to retirement & paclite boils me alive.

I don’t get this waterproofness rating. Surely it’s a measure of how much pressure can be applied before water leaks, not how long you can stand in the rain – right?

If you fancy something for snow or cold weather, Paramo is good as noted above. See also, Rab Vapour Rise, will see you through 90% but will need a shell on top in persistent downpours.

I don’t get this waterproofness rating. Surely it’s a measure of how much pressure can be applied before water leaks, not how long you can stand in the rain – right?

And it does not take account of poor design of pockets, hoods, cuffs, too many seams, multiple layers of fabric etc etc….

I think people think their jacket is leaking when the DWR has gone and the outside is wet through, and they are consequently damp from condensation.

Agreed.

I also have a wonder about how much the face fabric can help ‘hold’ the DWR – my older jackets all had a rougher surface, even my Endura bike gear has a ‘rougher’ surface, and the DWR lasts much longer than my (smooooooth) surfaced Montane and mrs_oab’s Berghaus.

Pit Zips are the biggest fail in a “Breathable Jacket”

It relies on the temp/humidity difference between the in and the out, open pit zips and no differential!! But then you only open them if it doesn’t work properly to start with.

Go for cut and shape first.
Fabrics all have different optimum conditions so hard to get the right one.

my older jackets all had a rougher surface

Yup – back when Berghaus brought out their first widely available goretex jackets, I spent the stupid amount of £190 on a bright green and purple monstrosity. The surface was pretty rough and I remember cycling through the hills and mountains of Deeside in just a T-shirt and that jacket [EDIT – I also wore pants and trousers], and being warm, dry and comfortable, even on multi-day camping trips.

The closest I’ve come in recent years has been the military goretex (mentioned above) which is thick, rough and incredibly hard-wearing.

I have an oldish eVent jacket that gets wet through now.
How can I reactivate the membrane…anyone ?

Nikwax spray on stuff followed by half an hour in the tumble-dryer has always worked for me…

http://www.nikwax.com/en-gb/index.php

trying again….

Does anyone know how well the Castelli nanoflex and Sportful no-rain stuff holds up after washing? Looks a good wet weather option to me but not if the coating doesn’t last.

How can I reactivate the membrane

You don’t reactivate the membrane, you re-coat the outside with water-repellent stuff so that the membrane can breathe.

Nikwax or Grangers are your choices of re-proofing I think.

Pit Zips are the biggest fail in a “Breathable Jacket”

Well.. with a PU membrane jacket perhaps… but you could leave the zips up for normal useae and open them when you are working hard or it’s warm. They tend to shift more moisture than the membrane anyway.

my Montane eVent comes with instructions to wash regularly and to steam iron to reactivate the membrane

my Montane pertex thing is more comfy, but less water proof

both have a good cut for cycling, the eVent more suited to winter

The best you can do is get a jacket with pit zips.

+1, as none of these breathable materials can actually cope with hi-intensity exercise, so pitzip solve the issue of getting sweaty.

LOL @

Pit Zips are the biggest fail in a “Breathable Jacket”

Cause Goretex/eVent et all, might be breathable enough for walking, but it’s **** all use when your trying to drag a 26lb+ bike up the side of a hill.

The thing I like most about GTX is it doesn’t mind being washed and lasts really well. I’ve not found anything else which lasts as well.

The thing I like most about GTX is it doesn’t mind being washed and lasts really well. I’ve not found anything else which lasts as well.

Try Paramo. All our Gore jackets or trousers for staff (all ProShell or older equivalent) have lasted about a year or so of daily use.

def. paramo.

try ‘paramo 2nd’s’ for a 3rd element jacket. thats the one with the zip off arms. excellent for cycling. shame they did’nt big it up to the cycling press when it was first released cos mine (second hand, re-proofed by paramo and with extra nikwax stuff included) has been quite the bargain and the best jacket for cycling/ high activity use imho!

A good thread, it inspired me to glue a couple of Gore Tex jackets back together and think about getting some spray to revive my Adidas Storm. It’s also convinced me it’s time to bin an old Gore Bike jacket which is like a plastic bag that’s had an argument with a barbed-wire fence in that it doesn’t breathe very well and leaks like a sieve.