Yeah I am inclined to agree. Throwing waterproofing product at it doesn't always work and can make it worse.And the issue of what product to use is a whole new thread. I have had a Macpac Reflex jacket for years and it has been great for climbing,which may have more to do with the relative pace of movement compared to a hard out tramp in the rain.When its really pouring I use a hooded poncho made from a technical fabric(I forget which type) and I stay quite dry which no doubt has alot to do with airflow from below.BUTK Effect.
Just attempted without success to yet again waterproof my Marmot Precip. I handwashed it in "Sportswash", rinsed it twice by hand then sprayed on the stuff while it was still damp but not dripping wet and yes, it's not beading in rain at all. WOFTAM.
I just tramped continuously for ~3.5 months with a Macpac Hollyford, their longer length eVent offering.
No complaints at all.
It didn't do anything special, but it didn't fail either. A pleasant enough companion through some damp country (the wettest was probably Nelson Lakes, believe it or not, I was relatively lucky in Westland/Fiordland).
I washed it maybe four times with plain hostel packets of detergent and refreshed the DWR in the dryer; it still beads fine. Transpiration also works fine.
Durability -- well, I was mindful of it in thick subalpine scrub, but otherwise didn't really pay much attention to the sticks, blackberries and rocks. No damage that I can see, or that causes it to wet out or leak.
I've not owned the latest generations of Goretex and wouldn't hazard a comparison, and don't really imagine that Macpac are doing anything magical with the eVent material so will limit the plug for them, but I certainly challenge the notion that cheap PVC is just as good.
Breathable technical wear does go some way towards meeting the marketing hype, and from my experience I'd say that it's probably giving keen trampers good value for their dollar now.
That said, the dodgiest backpacker in a Vaude garbage bag out on a track is better than the best Kiwi in Arcteryx sitting at home.
No, pmcke, in retrospect the waterproofing was indeed not the right thing to do. However it hasn't made it any worse. I think perhaps I expect too much from the gear.
The worst experience I've had is with Kathmandu gear and I've sworn off it for good. I had a pair of their boots and wore them on a total of 14 nights (collective) tramping and they rusted up and the stitching came apart. Sent them back to Kathmandu and they told me it was my fault for getting them wet and not drying them properly. They gave me a credit voucher for them, which I'm attempting to use up on ridiculous items such as waterproofing spray.
Then I had one of their jackets, which got soaked right through (really bad, no point even wearing it) and they took it to their "testing centre" (I use sarcastic quote marks) and told me there was nothing wrong with it. I told them the jacket was the anti-christ and a danger to society and if they didn't refund my money (not a credit voucher) I'd take them to disputes or equivalent.
Then I got a pair of socks that had holes in them from new.
I could go on... but I won't. Kathmandu WOFTAMs.
How long ago was this with Kathmandu? They have definitely gone "big corporate" but in the last year and a half they have been better for service. Before that, if you had a complaint, you had to deal with a Manager who did not have the authority to fix problems and was not allowed to give the name of somebody who was. It was hopeless.
As for their products.. you have to accept that they are over priced. The half price sale price is the correct one. Never pay full price at Kathmandu.
This is all over the past 18 months. I've only struck the managers who have to send stuff off to the "testing centre" and get approval from head office to give refunds. Wish I had known I was entitled to a cash refund for the boots so I could've said no to this useless credit voucher.
The prices are insane - I see they're selling snow gear now and the full prices are just ridiculous.
Their clothes (polyprops etc) are ok but I wouldn't rely on their gear for anything remotely technical.
I had a similar instance with a faulty walking pole. It had to go back to the centre and when it came back the offer was that they would replace the middle section for $30. As I considered it was faulty from day 1 I didn't think this was reasonable. This is when the cone of silence came down. Noone was authorised to give me the name of anyone who had any authority. I was told my only option was to write a letter by snail mail and wait for their judgement. This wasn't good enough for me so I managed to break the cone of silence by phoning someone in the marketing department at head office who's name I had managed to get from a previous correspondence. That afternoon, 3 people in head office including the CEO were working on my complaint. Eventually they authorised a replacement pole, which is all I asked for on day 1. The funny thing was that I got an email from the CEO explaining things and apologising, and in the tag line of that email was her DDI, cell phone no and email address. I took great pleasure in passing those details along to others with similar complaints at the time.
However there has been a change of management and they are much better. I returned some faulty boots last year and their performance on that was flawless. Instant recognition of the problem and full cash refund. I rang the Area Manager after that and congratulated them on their performance and obviously he passed on what I said to the staff. I get glowing service now.
You just have to accept that their products are very much "mid range". After all Kathmandu is a travel shop, not an outdoor shop. One of my friends has one of their little tents and she seems quite happy with it.
Ok since this has changed from macpac to katmandu I will say Ive had no problem with the quality of stuff bought from there. I do have issues with there pricing though. Even half price sale gear can be beaten at retail at other companies. The same can nowdays be said of macpac though. You have to wonder when you walk into the shop and there is one salesman but come sale time theres 20
Everything we have bought there was at clearance price.
Full leather boots for the wife. Actualy mens boots but size 5.5 Salesman said they were on clearance when he joined 4 years earlier. Still 120 for full leather boots.
NGX coat down from 500 to 120 3 years and still going strong
Wifes pack The only 70 liter pack with a size one harness They even changed the waist strap to fit. Down from 600 to 240
Every one of these could of been bought at less than they would of been in a 50% sale but at clearance they were an offer not to refuse.
The traverse is more of a multi-sport jacket than mountaineering and the Prophet is NOT a day trekking jacket. I have had both Gore-tex and eVent products and the main difference for me is the breathability, where eVent is far superior. As for the waterproofness, both products are micropourous so need to be washed to keep the membraine clear which may or may not have happened. The Hydrostatic head is also higher with eVent for those who need it.
Take it into where you bought it from and get it assessed. If it was Macpac, my experience would lean towards the fact that they would replace faulty products. A lifetime manufacturing warranty from Macpac is much better than a 12 month one from Crapmandu.
Sorry but I think these breathable garments are overrated. I have had both Macpac and Fairydown goretex rain jackets previously and have always wound up wet underneath. So either I perspire a lot or the jacket lets water in. Either way I would sooner pay $150 for a complete waterproof shell and to hell with $500+ " breathability"
