True that any waterproof performs better when kept clean, but I believe a lot of the critism eVENT gets from its competitor(s) is exactly that pores still will become clogged over time. But unlike first generation gore-tex, where contamination was permanent, just cleaning the jacket should be enough.
I've heard the criticism from competitors. I haven't found that it's true in practice, or rather no more so than with the competitors products.
The problem with first generation Gore-Tex was that when the pores were clogged it leaked and this could happen very suddenly. It happened to me at Styhead one November when my jacket suddenly ceased to be waterproof. I was on my way up Great Gable but was so wet and cold I had to descend to Wasdale. This was solved in second generation Gore-Tex by putting a light PU coating over the PTFE to protect it from contamination. Unfortunately this reduced the breathability.
in the Breathability stakes, Event is highly breathable to start, but it's breathability dips dramatically with use, whereas Gore has a longer lasting Breathability
Like Chris, I haven't found this to be the case. I've been using the same Super-Fly jacket for the last two years and with normal care and occasional cleaning and reproofing, it's as breathable now as it was when new.
In a sense breathability is a bit of a red herring beyond a certain point anyway. Right now the limit on breathability in wet conditions anyway - which is when you want it to work - is the durability of DWR treatments. They wear off very quickly and once the outer shell is waterlogged, nothing will breathe well.
One of the benefits of nanotechnology may be a much more durable water repellant face fabric treatment that's permanently bonded to the fabric at a molecular level and there are developments that promise that, but right now, no matter how breathable the basic fabric, it tends to be undermined by the DWR performance with any sort of use beyond a few hours.
About the importance of DWR, another study (written in 1997 if I remember correctly)I've reread lately is a study of Ruckman about breathability in windy and rainy conditions. One of the tests concerned a continuous rain during a number of days. A number of materials were tested: microfibers, microporous PTFE, microporous PU, hydrophilic membranes. Conclusion: all materials stopped breathing after a number of days with the exception of the hydrophilic membrane which kept on breathing at almost the original level. Reason for lack of breathability in microporous fabrics was blocking of the pores by rain. A thing that has to be taken into account is the kinetic energy of the raindrops which hits the material at high velocity. If the energy is high enough, you will get a breakthrough. This can be achieved by a continuous attack of raindrops at the same spot.
Like Jon said, nanotechnology is something to watch out for: nanospun fibers, nanoformed fabrics and mebranes, nanocoatings,...
Both Gore-Tex and eVENT are microporous membranes. Sympatex is a hydrophilic membrane. It's hard to find Sympatex garments these days. When they were available I did find them very breathable, especially in designs where the waterproof layer was a separate inner one. However I still got condensation in Sympatex garments after hours of heavy rain. The only waterproof garments I've worn all day in heavy rain without condensation have been Paramo ones.
PROOF® 934 A semi-dull 2-layer low profile ripstop fabric. Extremely soft hand. DWR (Durable Water Resistance) treated. Material: 100% polyamide Laminate: Polyurethane hydrophilic membrane Performance: Hydrostatic head – 20,000 mm, M/P Inverted cup method – 25,000 g Weight: 85 g/m2
From Marmot Website:
PreCip™ Technology Marmot’s proprietary PU coating technology, specially engineered for unlined garments, combines hydrophobic and hydrophilic PU with a special DryTouch Technology in a very precisely controlled multiple layer coating system. DryTouch incorporates a collagen protein in the coating with a dimensional print that reduces contact points to the skin, reducing condensation and the sticky clammy feel of most coatings.
PreCip™ Waterproofness: 30+ PSI 15,000mm Breathability: Ret 65 typical 12,000gr/m per 24 hours Water Repellency: Spray test - 80/20 Windproofness: O CFM, 100% Windproof PreCip™ Plus Waterproofness: 45+ PSI 25,000mm Breathability: Ret 60 typical 15,000 gr/m per 24 hours Water Repellency: Spray test - 80/20 Windproofness: O CFM, 100% Windproof
That's the problem with proprietary names: it's a name given by the manufacturer to a product and there's no absolute link between name and material. Manufacturers can change the material but keep the name.
Haglofs Proof seems to be hydrophilic but who the manufacturer is, is not clear to me.
Marmot Precip is a microporous coating (although it can contain hydrophilic elements bu this doesn't change the fundamental nature of the product). I know Marmot Membrain = dermizax so precip could be entrant. Klattermusen uses a product called cutan which is believed to be dermizax. Bergans uses dermizax.
Patagonia, The North Face, Mammut, Jack Wolfskin all work with Toray so Hyvent, H2No 2,5, Texapore, Drytech 2,5, ... all seem to be a different name for Entrant in one of its different forms.
Patagonia states that H2No is more a classification name than a spicific technology. I still don't know if what they use in 3-layer jackets is a membrain or a coating. If it's a coating, there's a big chance it's Entrant. Otherwise it could be dermizax.
In the end, I think you would be surprised about in which jackets you can find Entrant or Dermizax.
BTW, names don't tell the whole story. Dermizax in generally is hydrophilic but Dermizax MP is microporous.
"The key to PreCip™ is its barrier technology: a microporous polyurethane that is impregnated with silicon dioxide particles."
As Tom says, there is no absolute link between name and material. And finding out which material is being used is very difficult. What is clear is that there are far fewer fabrics than proprietary names.
H2NO certainly used to be Entrant. I don't know what it is these days. Entrant has been used for waterproofs under different names since the 1980s. It was one of the first alternatives to Gore-Tex.
Going back to performance, I have tested most of these fabrics (Proof, Precip, H2NO, Membrain, Texapore, HyVent and more) and none are as breathable as standard Gore-Tex, let alone Sympatex, Paclite, XCR or eVENT. That's why many of the companies who use them also make more expensive garments using Gore-Tex etc.
"Entrant® DT is a breakthrough inner surface treatment for waterproof, breathable fabrics eliminating the need for lining fabric. This patented technology creates extremely lightweight outerwear fabrics with a smooth, dry and durable inner surface. The benefits have led to the adoption of Toray’s Entrant® DT in performance outerwear collections from leading companies including Cloudveil, Isis, Patagonia and The North Face."
"What is clear is that there are far fewer fabrics than proprietary names." Anyone an idea about who's behind MHW's Conduit? :-)
Tom, Entrant DT is used by Montane in the Atomic jacket and overtrousers, both of which I've reviewed in TGO. Entrant DT has a dot pattern on the inside and a slight “crisp packet” feel. It reminds me of the first version of Paclite. It's described as 2.5 layer and is very light. Breathability is reasonable. Like all Entrant fabrics the waterproof barrier is polyurethane.
I don't know who's behind Conduit. The mixture of hydrophobic and hydrophilic sound similar to some types of Precip.
Chris, what I really wanted to say about Entrant DT is that Entrant is still being used by Patagonia and also by others like TNF.
Guessing whose behind what technology can be quite interesting but it's hard to get a definitive conformation
E.g. Mont Bell. They have a fabric, called Breeze Dry-tec, which according to some who have used both eVENT and gore-tex, breaths much better than GTX and almost as well as eVENT (it's also air permeable BTW). Now, I don't know it it's a coincidence but I noticed that the picture Mont Bell uses on their website is the same one, but upside down, as used by Toray for Dermizax MP on it's Entrant site.
I suspect that most, probably, all of the own brand 2.5 layer fabrics are Entrant DT. H2NO probably is still Entrant then.
BackpackingLight.com has a review of a Breeze Dry-tec jacket in which the tester says it breathes better than Paclite. He also says Mont-Bell wouldn't reveal the source of the fabric.
I have seen proshell in shops this weekend, feels very light, except the price of the jackets that is ! Still using my 2-layer gortex, and a paclite which I've just reproofed after a soaking Friday.Still very temped by e vent mind you.
