Gear

Hi Julie,

First...it may be worth trying to resurrect your existing gear.  Try rewashing it in tecwash/pure soap...but first of all, put some sheets or pillow cases in your washer and run it through on a hot wash with pure soap...then wash your gear with pure soap (at the correct temp. rating)...then wash again with a wash in proofer....or, try having a word with LSC here clicky. I havent used this service myself...but a mate has and he was mighty impressed.

 As for what would we recommend.......this is a real can of worms. Depends what your budget is...etc etc etc....

I use Paramo...but not in this weather (I carry an old Goretex for these conditions)...

Hi Simon,

Thanks for your speedy response. Sorry to be obtuse, but the first run with the pillow cases does include the gear, too, at that point, doesn't it? i.e. three gear washes in total -- two with pure soap and once with wash-in proofer.

As far as my budget is concerned, I probably wouldn't want to spend more than say 150 quid on a jacket. It depends really what there is out there and whether it works. It would be nice to have something reliable to put in my pack ... On the other hand, I don't get out and about on the hills that much. I am based in Berlin with no fells or peaks nearby -- though I do cycle a fair bit and the climate here is getting rainier.   

No...wash the pillow cases etc on their own - the purpose of this wash is to clear all detergent residues out of the machine (thats why you want heavy things and a hot wash...heavy to make the drum move around and dislodge any crap...hot to dissolve it).  If there are any detergent residues left then the gearwash and reproof will be compromised and may not work at all.

You live in berlin...mmm...I dont know the retailers there.

Anyone else out there can help?

JG - I spent a while researching lightweight 'breathable' waterproofs for fell-running.

Of course, nothing that's waterproof is really breathable - not for any exertion greater than walking. But I ended up with a Marmot Mica jacket (£85) and DT Atomic pants (£50).

I probably wouldn't wear them to run in unless it was really cold and foul - but they're great as lightweight walking gear.

With regards to the Tech Wash. Basically when stuff is washed in normal detergent (maybe leftovers), basically the waterproofing just runs off the garment and wont work.

So as was suggested use Nikwax Tech Wash and TX Direct Wash In and wash them straight after. It dont have to be dry when you rewash the garment in the TX Direct. Just make sure it drip drys and not tumbled.

Try Fleabay for stockists that will despatch to Berlin.

Regards

John

Unless the clothes are really dirty, handwashing is best as much of the machine programme is redundant and the detergent issue is resolved.

You can get more items done by handwashing in a bowl one after another, as well.. I only use a machine if there are stains that won't come out otherwise

washing.

to prepare jacket for proofing as it seems mucky from your description.

wash the jacket on a long synthetics wash using NON-bio, no conditioner washing detergent. do it twice for good measure to get rid of all gunk on the jacket. (there will be greasy bits you can't see and soap/tech wash will not remove these.

rinse jacket thoroughly.

washing machines benefit from the hottest wash going, usually 95C (or boil wash dependign how old you are!), from time to time - it will probably be in the machine manual. the hot water helps to dissolve/get rid of gunk build up in the washing machine at this point you have a couple of options. 

1 - wash some towels using SOAP - do NOT use detergent - or something like nikwax techwash.

2 - the easiest, take the opportunity to descale the machine. go to the chemist and buy a box of citric acid (or from elsewhere) and empty this into the machine or empty a bottle or two of WHITE vinegar into the machine through the soap drawer when the machine starts to fill up. the extra hot wash and the acid will descale the washer and help to shift any stubborn detergent residues - washing machine (expensive) descalers are only citric/acetic (vinegar) acids with a bit of detergent thrown in.

when this cycle has finished you have a nice sparkly machine.

now wash the jacket in a short synthetics wash in PURE SOAP or Tech Wash TWICE. this will ensure you get rid of any detergent residue in the jacket.

rinse thoroughly

now wash with the proofer

cool tumble dry.

seems a lot of faffing but isn't really. it will rejuvenate the jacket, give your washing machine a damn good maintenance cycle which it will like and provide the best possible surface for new proofer to stick to.

thereafter just wash jacket in pure soap until it meeds proofing again. once a year if you're unlucky.

it's a lot cheaper than a new jacket. if it doesn't work for your jacket you at least know how to wash future ones.

a bit more to add.

when jackets wet out it's either because of torrential rain that's finally won the battle or more likely, dirt/grease/gunk build up on the surface.

after a couple of re-proofing "failures" i'd worked out it wasn't the product or me, it was a dirty garment. the regime above has worked every time for me so far and usually makes the stuff come out "like new"

Good stuff Parky, now 'Bookmarked' 

Regarding the Marmot jackets, I just got a Marmot Essence from Webtogs, 183g in size Medium. Nice jacket, vented underarms, useful chest pocket for small stuff, stiffened peak on hood.

Apart from the hood/visor/drawcord style it seems like a good jacket. I wore it for a bit yesterday and although it has a special print on the inside to make it less tacky it will still feel slightly tacky against bare skin, not nearly as bad as a straight PU coating though.

As far as overtrousers go I normally wear a pair of Trespass Trestex full side zip ones, they weigh 299g. I wanted something lighter for summer use and ended up with Trespass Trestex packaway overtrousers, they have openings to allow access to trouser pockets but no means of closing (I'll probably tape them closed with duct tape) no zip at the ankle but they're wide and have studs to tighten them in. I find legs are less of a problem with regard to breathability and in any case in summer I wear Columbia trekking trousers which are light and very quick drying so I'd only wear the overtrousers in heavy persistant rain (hopefully not very often)

At £10 and 145g I'm prepared to give them a try. 

 I usually wear eVENT jackets but I do have a Paclite too. I learned very quickly with my first superfly that washing with Techwash and reproofing with TX10 "wash in" using a washing machine was disastrous and the jacket leaked like a sieve. Subsequently, following instructions from a member of Montane's design department I washed the jacket with a non bio detergent and rinsed 3 times (beware, many washing machines leave a residue of up to 30% of dissolved detergent after a single rinse cycle). I then air dried it followed by ironing with a cool iron to reactivate the DWR and, hey presto!, waterproof and breathable again. This process was also recommended by eVENT themselves but it seems that so  many punters didn't understand the concept of a cool iron and they had so many complaints about melted jackets that they no  longer recommend the last step. I haven't used TX10 or any other waterproofer on my Superflies or my Venture since (5 years) and they remain extremely reliable. I'm under no illusion that I will have to use it at some point but, I suspect, that in each case, the face fabric will be on its last legs by then anyway.

I have never yet immerse washed the paclite, an ME Firefly. I just  sponge it with a very dilute soap solution and  rinse it off with copious amounts of plain cold water. I frequently turn the jacket inside out and comprehensively wash the membrane down with plain, tepid water. I've had it a year and it is as good as new still. 

Cant say I have had any problem with using a machine wash....but then I use a regieme similar to Parky's as, like him, I have found the slightest detergent residue can cause problems........

Incidently...a friend who is a washing machine engineer tells me that a descale wash every few months should be carried out as routine machine maintanence as cool washes dont allow detergent or body fats to dissolve so they build up in the machine.....nice ()

it was a dirty coat that was the problem. gunk that soap/techwash didn't remove. i  don't think detergent residue is a problem especiallty if it's rinsed properly.

i think detergent may have inadvertently been made the scapegoat in all this because the theory made sense. personal experience and a bit of lateral/weird thinking has, in every case so far, led to the culprit being gunk on/in the fabric.

Hi Julie,

From what I understand, Texapore is a proprietary membrane from the German manfucturer, Jack Wolfskin. Now JW makes some pretty good stuff all round; but looking here it seems that there are many varieties of this stuff and none of them are very impressive on the breathability scales compared to what other manufacturers claim for MVT rate (9 000 g/m²/24h for Texapore isn't stunning... more infor here  ). eVent has a reputation for being the most effective membrane from a breathability (MVTR) point of view (around 22 000 g/m²/24h ).

Now previous suggestions of rejuvenating you existing jacket are very wise and I'd try this first. But all the activities you list are quite high intensity. My personal approach to this is to concentrate on staying the right temperature - usually being warm enough but sometimes keeping cool - and worry less about getting wet. That means using windproofs & layers of fabric that dry fast & hold little water.  No membrane is as breathable as a decent windproof; and some windproofs (e.g. Paramo Fuera) are almost waterproof but on the heavier side.

You can then keep a very light waterproof and some spare dry clothes in a dry bag for when you stop & need to keep warm. The relative breathability is less crucial then and the quality of the  DWR is probably the most important factor. One alternative would be a silnylon poncho or cape as these are pretty good for warmer weather provided that it's not too windy. These are popular amongst german hikers so you shouldn't have trouble finding one locally.

John