[Old Bazumpus]

I have this jacket from REI that is supposedly waterproof/breathable. When I wear it on a sunny day, it works great. When I wear it in driving rain, how come I end up all wet inside? I am going to try to return this thing, it is by no definition waterproof. Maybe I will go Goretex or something...

[wildernessed]

I have a Arcteryx Theta SL, lightweight combination gortex - paclite with very long pit zips, it is by far the best outer shelll I have used to date, but all outer shells have their limits, with moisture outside on the surface of the jacket and moisture inside, the amount dependent upon your exertion you have to rely on reducing layering and getting adequate ventilation via pitzip control and/or pocket control. At a point no jacket will adequately exchange moisture effectively. Rei elements is probably about as effective as my NF hyvent which is good for those times when you need coverage possibly - probably for minimal precip, you will after a time though especially in all day rains get soaked in and out and that is when extra clothing comes in handy to change into or id it's cooler just button down the coat to keep warm producing more heat than you are losing. wildernessed

[Jeepasaurusrex]

Best waterproof jacket I own is a Military issue Gortex parka. Was cheap too!

[jackchinook]

I remember my old boss refering to his Gore-tex parka as "leak-tex". It sort of irritated my because it was this old, hip-length thing with more pockets than there are woks in China. Plus he was hiking July thunderstorms in Yellowstone (i.e. it was warm). I believe there is no magic solution....waterproofness in breathable clothing is a relative thing. You wear Helly Hansen PVC type raingear, which is 100% waterproof, and you be wet with sweat; you wear the latest and greatest breathable garment and your sweat will escape but the rain will get you. Gore-tex XCR has been the best thing I've tried as of yet. You pay and arm and a leg (Arc'Teryx, etc.) but it's better than REI's copy, or Patagonia's H2No, etc.

[marzsit]

i gave up on waterproof/breathable long ago.. for some people (like myself..) it just doesn't work. i suppose it could work for people who don't perspire much, but i suspect they all probably work about the same, maybe gore-tex is a little bit better.. i am tempted to try a soft shell however.. methinks that even if it did get soaked in a downpour, i might stay drier underneath than if i was wearing a hard shell since it really is a breathable garment. i'm still waiting for some real-world reviews before i shell out the $$...

[Slide Alder Slayer]

The problem with your REI jacket could be the coating on the outside of the jacket is insufficient, sucks, or has worn off, and is not beading the water on the surface of the coat when raining and thus not allowing your perspiration to evaporate through the coat. The coat is still waterproof when wet but it's like hiking in a vapor barrier. I had the same problem with a REI Elements jacket 10 years ago when the coating wore off after a couple of months, very thin/cheap coating. You solution could be as simple as washing your jacket, and I recommend spraying the outside with either Granger or Nikwax TX Direct, and then recoating the surface. I also recommend a couple of good rinse cycles if using powered detergent in a commercial washer or new home front loaders unless you wash it in the bathtub. I recommend against soaking the coat in Granger or TX Direct to apply the recoat, as it will also coat any internal nylon linings. A good spin cycle prior to application and remember to wipe any excess off after 3-5 minutes after application and to wipe away any drips or runs. After the jacket is virtually dry toss in the dryer on low heat until it feels good and warm to melt recoat into the jacket.

[wildernessed]

I have been wearing a soft shell system the last couple years, but take a hard shell as backup from heavy snow or continuous rain. The soft shell I am currently using is a Mountain Hardwear Venture Pant which has side zips, again with the breatheability the side zips can be openened up to add ventilation, and even at times with elevation gainers I will open my fly and when it's real cold an Arcteryx Gamma jacket, but of late I have been using a Black Diamond Alpine pullover shirt made of Scholler fabric it is a basic softshell material very thin with no polartec / fleece lining. The softshell works well but with heavier snows or continuos light rain you will get wet. But currently I am just wearing a midweight capilene with a soft shell which serves me fine for 10's and above, just add a lightweight (100) fleece underneath for single digits and it works fine. wildernessed

[Riverside Laker]

Try an umbrella. More breathable.

[Backpacker Joe]

So you're trying to tell us that your ass is waterproof AND breathable? Mine definitely water proof, but it ain't very breathable. TB

[Damian]

Expectations for waterproof/breathable fabrics are too high, partly due to advertising. Even so, its the best way to go. Some are better than others, but in tough conditions it doesn't matter much which type you use, even brand new Gore XCR. (yup, it's not that much of an improvement over the old stuff, especially considering the extra dough you'll need to cough up) If you are working hard, and perspiring heavily, moisture will condense on the inside surface, even if the thing is brand new. Even if the vents are open. The good thing is, the moisture will not stay around long, and dissipates fairly rapidly once the huffin' and puffin' has slowed, and assuming you are wearing synthetics underneath. Even standing in the rain, the moisture inside will reach an equilibrium that is very tolerable, almost dry feeling. "Waterproof/Breathable" with synthetics underneath are as good as it gets these days. It isn't bad at all if you adjust your expectations.

[Allison]

I'm confused here. Are we trying to compare 2.5 layer jackets to 3 layer jackets? It's not a fair comparison, the 2.5s (like Paclite) will not hold a candle to the 3s (like XCR) in terms of breathability. Apples and oranges IMO.

[salish]

[wildernessed]

Some hardshells are a combination Gortex XCR and Paclite to increase breatheability and reduce weight, such as The Theta SL. wildernessed http://www.arcteryx.com/product.aspx?group=Hardshells&prod=3135

[Mount Logan]

I'm looking forward to trying out a "softshell hybrid," like REI's Taku jacket.