Gore-Tex is a Marketing Gimmick

I too owned a Buffalo for years, and was friends with the designers daughter for many years too, but just ended up not wearing it....
I *do* like a nice lightweight 'touch of warmth and windproof, super breathable' like a Rab VR and often find I wear a Pertex layer with multiple base or fleece layers.

I personally rarely wear a synthetic puffa jacket thing on the hill - only when I am stopped.

I do think that there has been an over egging of 'uber super, BNG, this year 10% better' from outdoor kit. And funnily enough it does not quite live up to the hype, and certainly the marketing misses out on the user needing to actively manage layers and vent and be sensible about what constitutes real rain.... Maybe the OP is partly right - Gore (and more) are OK when used and managed properly - shite if you think they solve all your issues on the hill....

That’s 100% true. However Buffalo of yore would have us believe that rolling all the layers into one and skipping the base layer was nirvana. I thought it was shite just like @spin. Either cold or damp or boiling or mebbies all three but definitely not comfortable.

It also took up about half the volume of my rucksack! They do have their place, it's just not for anything where you work hard.

You can go round and round in circles with this. Predictably the answer is probably that Gore-Tex is not consistently as brilliant as Gore would like us to believe, or a consistently awful as some folk like to think.

Probably true.
But I do think their commitment to R&D and quality means that the fabrics are generally better performing and durable.
YMMV.

But I do think their commitment to R&D and quality means that the fabrics are generally better performing and durable.

Goretex obviously has its limitations but I've had some utter shite from other manufacturers. Who remebers eVent? Had to be washed and reproofed every few weeks.

IIRC, eVent was equivalent (post patent expiration) of the fabric Gore produced first ie before the PU coating was added to avoid body oil contamination of the PTFE layer. That's why it was both more breathable than Gore-Tex and susceptible to - you guessed it - bodily oils contamination hence the need to keep it clean...

You can still buy eVent, and guess what...still has a lifespan of weeks

OK, I've tried TJ's experiment again.  Goretex pro jacket, 3 years old.  Filled hood inside out - apparently should seen water soak thro'.  Nothing. Then I screwed up the hood into a ball to apply pressure.  My right leg and foot got soaked, but it wasn't from leaking goretex.

My right leg and foot got soaked, but it wasn’t from leaking goretex.

You wet yourself with the excitement of TJ's experiment? 😁

Can't be arsed to watch the video, but the title is spot on.  Most 'waterproof and breathable' jackets aren't.  In other news the Pope is Catholic and bears do something in woods!  How is this news to anyone?  Work hard enough and you'll sweat so much that nothing will save you.  If it's chucking it down your options are open the front and cool down, but get wet.  Or stay warm and wet.  Seriously, is anyone surprised by this?

You can still buy eVent, and guess what…still has a lifespan of weeks

I've had two eVent jackets, still use one as my everyday jacket. It did need reproofing a lot but I realised that the washing machine itself was a part ofhe problem. I started washing in a clean bucket and reproofing with spray, it did much better. The outer wets out a bit, but the rest of the jacket is so much more breathable it still works. The membrane did break up at the hood drawcord which needed repairi with seam tape. So yeah not too durable but it is my everyday waterproof and it gets used a lot, not just on the hills. I've had it er.. 5-6 years maybe and it was only £100

@tjagain ‘s experiment is one I tried on a nice breathable/waterproof coat a few weeks ago. <br /><br />

I’d been out for a walk in moderate rain. My head, neck and top of back and shoulders got fairly wet. Got home. When the coat was dry I poured water into the outside of the hood. It pooled nicely and immediately started dripping through. Darn!

I tried the same experiment on the body of the coat. No soaking through. The inside stayed dry. <br /><br />

the DWR still worked well - the coat’s outside was almost dry after a shake. <br /><br />

conclusion: not as well made or QC’d as I’d expected. <br /><br />

that prompted my thread on ‘what new coat’ and buying a Showers Pass Refuge. <br /><br />

the Showers Pass coat got tested in the same way: no leaks or soak through. <br /><br />