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Waterproof recommendations

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  • August 20, 2016 at 4:18 pm #26157
    brooksby

    I use a Gore Path Neon jacket. It got pretty foul so I washed it, religiously as per the instructions, and then used Nikwax proofer on it, but it’s never been as good as it was ‘off the shelf’.

    Ditto a Madison jacket I had before it.

    Ditto a cheap Mountain Warehouse one I had before that (admittedly, that one was a bit leaky even off the shelf…).

    Anyhoo: I am aware that some dampness is my own sweat, but is there truly any waterproof jacket which stays genuinely waterproof without acting as a sweat box? Or is that like the holy grail or Nessie? Can anyone recommend a brand or product which does??

     

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Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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  • August 26, 2016 at 9:35 am #876921
    0
    brooksby
    DrG82 wrote:
    … If you use a wash in proofer like the nikwax tx direct you are coating both sides of thee membrane in a thin layer of silicone which will make the fabric much less breathable.

    Really? I hadn’t thought of it like that. Bugger.

    The best plan to really sort a gortex jacket in my opinion is to wash it in a liquid non-bio detergent to properly clean the jacket (I know thy say to avoid detergents) then after thorough rinsing wash it in pure soap or tech wash to remove any traces of the detergent. After more rinsing dry the jacket with a clean towel until it’s damp and then sponge on or spray on TX-direct (the spray on version is available but is little more than diluted normal tx-direct). After leaving the proofer spray to soak in for a while wipe off the excess with a clean cloth/rag/old towel.

    Thank you for taking the time – I’ll give this a go.

    August 25, 2016 at 6:29 pm #876919
    0
    alotronic

    DrG82 wrote:

    DrG82 wrote:
    before trying to maintain and re-proof a jacket you need to understand how the material works. The only watertight bit is the expanded PTFE membrane which is sandwiched between a face fabric and a liner fabric (2 and 2.5 layer fabrics have no liner). The membrane can only work correctly if it has some air space around it for the vapour to move from the inside to the outside. To get this the face fabric is treated with a durable water repellent (DWR) so that the water beads off and doesn’t soak in, and the liner fabric or coating is there to keep dirt and grease away from the membrane. When a face fabric wets out it feels like the fabric is leaking when it’s probably not, it just feels cold and is not breathable so all that sweat condenses and you get wet. When you re-proof a garment you’re only repairing the DWR you are not repairing the membrane. None of the available proofing treatments are anywhere near as good as the factory DWR and If you use a wash in proofer like the nikwax tx direct you are coating both sides of thee membrane in a thin layer of silicone which will make the fabric much less breathable. The second problem id dirt and grease on the inside of the membrane, more of a problem with the cheaper 2/2.5 layer fabrics and E-vent which is a slightly different construction. grease and dirt damages the membrane and can draw moisture through the membrane, The problem is that products like nikwax tech wash (which is pretty much just pure soap like lux flakes) isn’t a strong enough detergent to properly remove grease and dirt from the membrane. The best plan to really sort a gortex jacket in my opinion is to wash it in a liquid non-bio detergent to properly clean the jacket (I know thy say to avoid detergents) then after thorough rinsing wash it in pure soap or tech wash to remove any traces of the detergent. After more rinsing dry the jacket with a clean towel until it’s damp and then sponge on or spray on TX-direct (the spray on version is available but is little more than diluted normal tx-direct). After leaving the proofer spray to soak in for a while wipe off the excess with a clean cloth/rag/old towel. Sorry about the super long post but I hope it helps people. When I sold this stuff I got this question all the time.

    Super long answer appreciated – now I understand WTF is going on when you wash a jacket and reproof it and then it’s sh*t as per O/P. Thanks for the info!

    August 25, 2016 at 3:05 pm #876917
    0
    kenyond

    Ive got a northface jacket

    Ive got a northface jacket ive had it since 2009 and only today ive reproofing it, ive not had an issue with excess sweat inside it i find proper layering helps avoid it. Tbf the jacket did set me back £110 when I bought it but its paid for its self a few times over by now 

     

    August 22, 2016 at 6:11 pm #876915
    0
    barbarus

    You could try paramo clothing
    You could try paramo clothing. It doesn’t use a membrane. It’s pricey but those who like it swear by it.

    August 21, 2016 at 4:25 pm #876913
    0
    DrG82

    before trying to maintain and
    before trying to maintain and re-proof a jacket you need to understand how the material works.

    The only watertight bit is the expanded PTFE membrane which is sandwiched between a face fabric and a liner fabric (2 and 2.5 layer fabrics have no liner). The membrane can only work correctly if it has some air space around it for the vapour to move from the inside to the outside. To get this the face fabric is treated with a durable water repellent (DWR) so that the water beads off and doesn’t soak in, and the liner fabric or coating is there to keep dirt and grease away from the membrane.
    When a face fabric wets out it feels like the fabric is leaking when it’s probably not, it just feels cold and is not breathable so all that sweat condenses and you get wet. When you re-proof a garment you’re only repairing the DWR you are not repairing the membrane. None of the available proofing treatments are anywhere near as good as the factory DWR and If you use a wash in proofer like the nikwax tx direct you are coating both sides of thee membrane in a thin layer of silicone which will make the fabric much less breathable.
    The second problem id dirt and grease on the inside of the membrane, more of a problem with the cheaper 2/2.5 layer fabrics and E-vent which is a slightly different construction. grease and dirt damages the membrane and can draw moisture through the membrane, The problem is that products like nikwax tech wash (which is pretty much just pure soap like lux flakes) isn’t a strong enough detergent to properly remove grease and dirt from the membrane.
    The best plan to really sort a gortex jacket in my opinion is to wash it in a liquid non-bio detergent to properly clean the jacket (I know thy say to avoid detergents) then after thorough rinsing wash it in pure soap or tech wash to remove any traces of the detergent. After more rinsing dry the jacket with a clean towel until it’s damp and then sponge on or spray on TX-direct (the spray on version is available but is little more than diluted normal tx-direct). After leaving the proofer spray to soak in for a while wipe off the excess with a clean cloth/rag/old towel.

    Sorry about the super long post but I hope it helps people. When I sold this stuff I got this question all the time.

    August 21, 2016 at 2:33 pm #876911
    0
    Grahamd

    I had a similar experience,

    I had a similar experience, purchased a can of Muc Off fabric protector (not cheap – about £10) but my jacket is now restored, unsure how long will last though.

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