WATERPROOF & BREATHABILITY GUIDE
CHOOSE THE BEST GEAR FOR YOUR ADVENTURE
Protection from the elements while you are outside is essential. The key to comfort in harsh climates is staying dry and warm, which means having waterproof + breathable outerwear. Striking this balance will vary depending on where you’re going and how you’re getting there. Here we’ll help you understand everything you need to know to pick out the gear for the job.
Keep in mind that all gear has its trade off’s — A rubber jacket is extremely waterproof, but not breathable whatsoever. Our goal is to help you find the right jacket or pants that suits most situations you’ll be in.
WATER COLUMN PRESSURE
WATER COLUMN PRESSURE
The Water Column pressure describes the water pressure in millimeters that the a material can handle before the water penetrates the material. Imagine placing a glass tube on a garment and refilling it with water. When you have filled the tube up to 15,000 mm, the water passes through the material. Then the garment has a water column of 15,000 mm.
The Water Column pressure describes the water pressure in millimeters that the a material can handle before the water penetrates the material. Imagine placing a glass tube on a garment and refilling it with water. When you have filled the tube up to 15,000 mm, the water passes through the material. Then the garment has a water column of 15,000 mm.
Sometimes pictures are better than words. So we’ve created a few simple symbols to indicate the garments waterproofness and breathability.
WATERPROOF VS. WATER REPELLENT
The main difference between a waterproof garment and one that is water repellent is that the waterproof garment has both a membrane and a DWR (Durable Water Resistant), as well as sealed seams. Seams are usually sealed with a waterproof tape on the inside of the garment. A water repellent garment has only a DWR coating and lacks a membrane. By creating symbols of different characters, we hope to help you navigate easier when choosing the right product. In addition, they will explain whether a product is made from a specific quality or has any other suitable values you might need.
WATERPROOF GARMENTS
+ ADVANTAGES
A completely waterproof garment is perfect for rainy days or for winter days with wet snow. A waterproof garment keeps you completely dry during persistent and heavy rain.
– DISADVANTAGES
Due to the fact that all waterproof garments have a membrane, they don’t breathe as well as say a wool sweater. Different membranes release different amounts of air and you can open ventilation zippers to release body moisture, but a garment with a waterproof membrane never ventilates as well as a garment without a membrane.
As a general rule, the more waterproof, the less breathable.
WATER REPELLENT GARMENTS
+ ADVANTAGES
A water repellent garment (DWR) ventilates extremely well and is suitable for intensive activities. Many times, a water repellent garment is enough for those who are not going to stay in the rain for several hours straight.
– DISADVANTAGES
Water repellent garments can only withstand moderate rain and not heavy persistent moisture.
BREATHABILITY
Breathability, like waterproofness, is a catch all phrase that takes a bit more nuance to breakdown. Breathable fabrics are measured in a lab and thus don’t fully capture the facts of being in nature—is it humid or dry out? is your body hot or cold? and so on.
HOW DO WE MEASURE BREATHABILITY?
HOW DO WE MEASURE BREATHABILITY?
RET rating (Resistance to Evaporative Heat Transfer) is simply a fabrics resistance to moisture. A low rating, the more breathable. Our C_change fabric from Schoeller, Switzerland measures in at a rating of 2—making it highly breathable. Even if our fabrics are professionally tested in labs, it doesn’t fully capture the facts of being in nature. Outdoor temperature, humidity, activity, rain, sun, everything matters to how good a garment’s breathability is. We tests the breathability of all waterproof garments during our field testings, out in nature in varying weather conditions and seasons to ensure functionality.
RET rating (Resistance to Evaporative Heat Transfer) is simply a fabrics resistance to moisture. A low rating, the more breathable. Our C_change fabric from Schoeller, Switzerland measures in at a rating of 2—making it highly breathable. Even if our fabrics are professionally tested in labs, it doesn’t fully capture the facts of being in nature. Outdoor temperature, humidity, activity, rain, sun, everything matters to how good a garment’s breathability is. We tests the breathability of all waterproof garments in real life, out in nature in varying weather conditions and seasons to ensure functionality.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
VENTILATION ON SIDES
A good jacket needs good ventilation. Even jackets or pants that breathes well are often equipped with ventilation openings in the armpits to make them even more functional. Our ski pants have ventilation openings on the sides.
TAPED SEAMS FOR WATER RESISTANCE
The seams are the weak point of rainwear because small holes are created in the fabric of the needle when the garment is sewn together where water can find its way in. The zippers on our waterproof garments are carefully selected to withstand high water pressure.