Hi All!
First post here.
I started my days of rain jackets coated top to toe in yellow rubber, moved to “cool’ and useless puffy jackets in the early 80’s, and on to army surplus ponchos in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I then moved into surplus Gore-Tex, and have tried eVent in Integral Designs and Gore 2 and 2.5 layer jackets.
The big problem I have found is that basically, none of the “breathable membranes” have kept me dry.
Ok, perhaps I exaggerate. If I’m walking on a trail in the rain, it seems to work. The water on the outside beads and runs off, and the membrane works.
However, once I leave the track, moving through swampland reeds or thick, dripping wet forest
understory, soaking head-high sword-grass scraping all over me, it seems that the outer is wet-out in minutes.
I’m talking walking where you deliberately “fall” forward to squash foliage and really struggle to push through, blackberries and sword-grass ripping at you etc. The jacket ends up dirty with mud and carbon off previously burned sticks.
What I then find is that the membrane seems not to work. I get wet and clammy straight away, and soon I’m wet through.
So. Should I be moving to PU type jackets with 100% seals? Vents etc. of course.
Any suggestions? I see a brand called Seal Flex. There’s also the old Rainbird brand. After khaki/forest green/camouflage.
I would rather avoid really heavy jackets like oilskins or wool. But I do want something tough enough to resist tough, dirty, dripping wet plants rubbing all over it, sharp leaves and the odd blackberry.
Thoughts and ideas?
Dave