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Discussion Forum - Gear ! - Waterproofs


Author: Raymond Wilkes
Posted: Sat 17th Apr 2021, 12:09
Joined: 2013
Local Group: West Yorkshire
Hello Patrice
I have done this walk in various seasons. You can be lucky or otherwise with the weather. I use Paramo on all my walks and I am rarely let down. I use a Paramo Quito jacket for summer as it is fairly light and has good ventislation. I have a Paramo Bora water repellent fleece for under it in heavy rain or cold.
Paramo tend to be very warm garments but I fidn them better than goretex type garments
In summer I use a 2 oz waterproof skirt for over my shorts, combined with Paramo gaiters which you need to keep the water out of your boots, whether it is rain or bog
Skirt: https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/mens-clothing-c1/mens-waterproof-shell-c51/waterproof-overtrousers-c337/ultralight-adventure-equipment-rain-kilt-p1269 expenive for what it is but extremely good. You may want to take overtrousers as well for a back up in very bad wind and rain
If you have poles, good boots and gaitors you should have dry feet.
Author: Patrice Bertail
Posted: Wed 14th Apr 2021, 11:35
Joined: 2021
Hi,
I'll walk the Southern Upland Way in May 2022 and I am looking for a rain jacket to make face the harsh Scottish climate
The Scottish climate can be summed up as: Four seasons in one day, right?.
The SUW is 16 days of walking (or more) and excellent rain gear is essential.
What do you use for this kind of hike?
What do you think of the New Zealand SWAZI rain jackets (Tahr XP).
Have any of you tested the Buffalo System (Mountain shirt)
Other suggestions
thank you so much
Patrice
Author: Raymond Wilkes
Posted: Wed 9th Mar 2016, 19:39
Joined: 2013
Local Group: West Yorkshire
This link is interesting. However, I am old enough to remember the impermeable waterproofs and I would not want to go back to that, nor do I want to go back to when I couldn't afford them and got soaked to the skin.
I use umbrellas sometimes but they don't work in wind and when you need poles.
I find Paramo far superior to breathable shells but even with these you can get wet through with sweat and very occasionally they leak.
The introduction of Paramo water proofed fleeces is a big improvement for use with both Paramo outer garments and other shells like Goretex, providing you can avoid getting too hot.
On a really wet day I try to remove and shake my waterproof every hour or so, taking advantage where I can of a protective tree or building. I do this because a condensation layer inside the garment stops the breathing. I get funny looks from my friends but it works for me.
Going in a cafe and drying your stuff out while you have a cuppa is also a way of being happier in the wet.
I do not have a car so I can often choose to do the whole walk with the rain behind me and this is easy to tolerate, in your face rain is no fun.
Author: John Pennifold
Posted: Wed 9th Mar 2016, 10:11
Joined: 1996
Local Group: London
Just found a very interesting & possibly provocative article on waterproofs by Andy Kirkpatrick.
http://andy-kirkpatrick.com/articles/view/the_truth_about_breathable_waterproofs
Author: John Pennifold
Posted: Tue 8th Mar 2016, 16:50
Joined: 1996
Local Group: London
Michael, if you get the Nikwax, go for the dual combination of Tech Wash & TX Direct. The first is used to remove dirt, the second applies the waterproofing. You can do up to two jackets at a time using their recommended quantities, so you could do both your jackets.
The human body produces more perspiration/sweat than you'd think, even at rest. For a quick demonstration, while sitting quietly, put your warm hand into a plastic bag and seal around the wrist. See the condensation in the bag after 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Repeat the test while walking.The bag's not making you sweat, it's just preventing evaporation, so this shows how much sweat you produce all day, every day.
In a google search, I found a claim that most mammals don't sweat much, with the exception of humans & horses.
Author: Michael Jones
Posted: Fri 4th Mar 2016, 22:45
Joined: 2011
Local Group: Heart of England
Thanks for the advice, John. I've never tried Nikwax - will give it a go. I've never machine washed my current jacket either, since I presumed doing so would weaken the waterproofing - just wiped it down with a damp cloth if I got mud on it. Just checked the label - it doesn't advice any particular frequency of washing, just to re-waterproof it after doing so.

Unless it gets really hot (which it certainly didn't on the Crawshaw) I don't tend to sweat very much, so I think it's unlikely that it was that rather than the rain having the effect.
Author: John Pennifold
Posted: Mon 29th Feb 2016, 10:08
Joined: 1996
Local Group: London
Have you re-waterproofed either of these jackets with Nikwax?
I "washed frequently" my current jacket, as per its instructions, but after a number of years it leaked badly. Somebody then pointed out that I should be using Nikwax, which I have done ever since. It's a lot more waterproof now. Indeed, I may have even overdone it, as the arms now seem to waterproof and no longer breathable and I get bad condensation on their insides even in the dry.
The other thing is that, when the weather is exceptionally wet, it's tempting to put on too many layers under the waterproof leading to sweating & condensation, which can be difficult to differentiate from water ingress. I now wear minimum under layers for this very reason.
Author: Michael Jones
Posted: Sat 27th Feb 2016, 16:51
Joined: 2011
Local Group: Heart of England
I was on the Lord Crawshaw Memorial Walk a few weeks ago, where the level of rain during the event could reasonably be described as exceptionally heavy.My current jacket (Mountain Life), which I'd bought after the previous one had failed on another rainy event, had withstood everything else that had been thrown at it for four years, but was defeated this time, and I got soaked through. Could anyone recommend a waterproof jacket which has survived particularly wet events please?

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