I have had a Goretex jacket for years and always believed the marketing hype exceeded the actual performance by a considerable margin. When it wore out I bought an eVent, the short jacket because of its promised superiority over Goretex. Sadly it has proved little better. They are about 20 times the price of PVC but I only seem to get about an extra 20mins before am just as sweaty. It is light.
Yes. I bought the Vaude Alpinist eVent. As jackets go it is a stunning piece of work right up there (in price and performance) but y'all still get wet from perspiration. I have a lighter, single layer (packable) Marmot which is worn in all but the worst and when moving over easier terrain. The Alpinist comes out only when really needed and I wear it with a harness, though it is a smidge long for a harness. But over 2,000 metres in any junky wind there is nothing better. Been hypothermic up there once - never again.
Hi aardvark. I fully agree that it's only realistic for features to compromise one another.
I just happen to think that if manufacturers market their product as if it's the answer to all of someone's problems, and particularly then charge obscenely large amounts for it to back up their claims, they should be prepared to provide reasonable follow-up corrections and refunds if appropriate in cases where their products don't live up to the expectations they were obviously trying to impress on customers.
I don't think this expectation is in any way inconsistent with the Consumer Guarantees Act. But yes, that's marketing these days and the outdoor gear market has a lot of aggressively marketing competition.
I don't wish to be argumentative. However one has to consider all the angles and not just limit their view from the perspective of a customer. The retail price of a jacket is not pulled out of thin air. It is as with most everything based on the cost of materials and workmanship coupled with a reasonable profit margin.
Recent technology is always more expensive until enough of a product is sold to bring down the cost through mass production.
The issue of breathable waterproof rainwear is that it is primarily aimed at extreme environments eg altitude and radical temperature changes such as in polar regions and high altitude climbing. Gore-tex for example originated in the space program.
The availability of the technology to the general public has complicated matters because quite frankly most people won't draw alot of advantage through its use but they may well have the disposable income and like the technical appearance.
Just looking at this thread from earlier in the year. Seems there are a few comments here where people aren't all that impressed with eVent. Has there been any more experience since?
I took my Macpac eVent Resolution up to Kime this weekend in heavy gale-force winds and rain. We could hardly stand up or see. The jacket performed well. No rain got in and I did not sweat too much mainly due to the cold, but still got a little wet from condensation. I am happy with my investment.
Bought eVent pants and jacket and not really very impressed with either in terms of waterproofing. I used up a whole bottle of waterproofing stuff to try to fix the situation but it made no difference. In light rain after about 30 mins it's wet through, water doesn't bead on it at all. Water goes right through the pants too. Both jacket and pants are new.
Wondering if I expect too much? But I've seen others with light shell jackets that perform better, or $30 jobs from Rebel Sport that are more waterproof.
The fit is good but that's about it.
My conclusion is that when you are tramping you are working sufficiently hard that you are going to sweat regardless of what you wear. In other words you are going to be wet. Nothing will keep you dry.
The only question is then, what is going to be wet AND warm at the same time. The answer to this is to control the rate of evaporation... it's this that causes you to feel chilled.
My current experiments are along the lines of multiple layers of wind-resistant, (NOT water proof) garments. For instance I find a Marmot WindJacket an excellent layer for the tops, then I add a Cioch Glamaig (a Paramo type jacket) over the top when it gets too bitter or wet for the Marmot alone.
If it got worse than these two could handle I'd slip a Montbell Thermawrap under the Glamaig (I'd still have the Windjacket on to prevent chilling while making the change)... and I've tested this combo in a bitter southerly on Holdsworth one afternoon. I was wet and damp from the climb, but still able to sit quite comfortably for almost 30min before feeling the slightest chill. Yet there isn't a single 'waterproof' membrane layer in the whole setup.
I'm not saying this has to be the ultimate... just an alternate approach that seems promising to me a the moment.
I agree Philip eventually you will get wet.
Most decent quality jackets should do a pretty good job for a while. However, eventually they will get a bit wet from rain on the outside and sweat on the inside.
My mate and I have been using $70 fully seam sealed light weight jackets on multi day trips. They are noting more than glorified wind breakers! You get wet after a short while in the rain, but it's what you have on underneath from then on, that keeps you comfortable.
My mate adds to his jacket by chucking on a very cheap, plastic poncho. Looks ugly, but is an extra layer to keep out the wind and rain. I've even seen the odd shower cap worn in the hills!
My advice is DO NOT BUY AT NORMAL RETAIL PRICE! There are so many choices these days. Shop around and compare product, material and prices. Why pay normal price for one brand when an alternative brand is a couple hundred bucks cheaper?
The type of jacket you choose should reflect what you intend to use it for. Pick your gear, pick your trips and watch the weather!
I watch this thread with interest. I sweat a lot these days and am fairly disatisfied with my experiences with so called breathable rain wear. However I do think it is important to keep the wetness from outside out, even if you are wet inside. The water from the outside is cold, where as your own water is warm. I would think that it would eventually make a difference if you did away with waterproof completely.
I just wonder if hazel did the right thing in sloshing waterproofing all over eVent fabric. I think you have to be a little careful what you put on these hi-tech fabrics. Much better to go back to the supplier and talk to them if you feel it doesn't perform.
