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Waterproof clothing?


Tim Kelly
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Is there any such thing? I've had all sorts of coats and leggings over the years, but after the first few weeks they're never waterproof if you're out in proper rain all day. A £400 coat is no better than a £100 coat, they both leak. We were out today in the pouring rain and everyone was soaked to the skin by the end of the day. You'd think there would be a solution by now. I've got PVC oilskins for fishing, can't tell if they leak or it's body juice in them, but you don't feel dry, whether the water's got in or not. PVC is really cold too as it chills by evaporation, like your skin.

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There were plenty of people with Musto coats today who were as soaked as everyone else.

Only saying as I find there where 12 of us out coaching today predominantly in musto fenwicks with shoffle fleece underneath (it's a sort of uniform) no complained about being wet. We spend most days out all day in the field or shooting school this time of year so stay dry is important.

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Me too. No dog in this fight other than to find an answer, if it exists. I would say that today there were musto, shoeffel, deerhunter, laksen, nomad, barbour, le chameau and beretta coats in the field. Some guns and some beaters. Nobody was remotely dry. I don't believe that breathable products are waterproof.

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Paramo gear works really well, I've used it in the dales and mountains for 20 years or so and always stayed dry and comfortable. Problem is that it's not designed for beating so the outer fabrics are not thorn-proof. I was out all day on Wednesday beating, starting in snow and finishing in drizzle, base layer, Paramo fleece and Laksen Mouflon jacket plus waxed cotton leggings, stayed dry in that lot. I've never been a big fan of G'tex membrane type gear but the Laksen CTX seems to be OK.

 

Paramo waterproof garments are not membrane based.

Edited by malmick
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If you could still get 'shark country' gear you would know what waterproof gear is / was. The companies main job was to make the survival suits for ditching helicopters in the sea, in cold water.

 

 

The owner was a keen shooter and still is, I believe.

 

The company got sold quiet a few years ago. I have one of their jackets, 20 years old. Never leaked to this day and it's out in all winter weather.

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If you could still get 'shark country' gear you would know what waterproof gear is / was. The companies main job was to make the survival suits for ditching helicopters in the sea, in cold water.

 

 

The owner was a keen shooter and still is, I believe.

 

The company got sold quiet a few years ago. I have one of their jackets, 20 years old. Never leaked to this day and it's out in all winter weather.

 

Still remember having to wear them suits for getting on the helicopters travelling out to the rigs, never had to rely on them thankfully but one thing I do remember is you used swat your ******** off when you had them on, they were good for what they were designed for but you couldn't walk around or work in them

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Still remember having to wear them suits for getting on the helicopters travelling out to the rigs, never had to rely on them thankfully but one thing I do remember is you used swat your ******** off when you had them on, they were good for what they were designed for but you couldn't walk around or work in them

Thank god ive never been anywhere near that. Full praise to those that choose that as a career.

 

I don't think breathable fabrics were as big then. But it defno keeps you dry.

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You've got to maintain these 'waterproof' jackets etc. 1 big downpour can take away the waterproofing, then the jacket will leak like a seive. I use the spray on waterproofer to maintain, and every so often do a full wash in.

 

I have a prologic jacket, bib and braces (£80 for the set) and it's as waterproof as the day it was bought.

 

Edit- OP is correct, no difference between a £400 coat and a £100 coat. They all use the same method of keeping you dry.

Edited by Highlandladdie
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I have most makes of jacket and all will stand up to most of the bad weather very well, however, the only jacket which didn't let me down during the really bad rain storms of 2015/16, was a Laksen, but even that started to seep in at the cuffs eventually.

For on site work we wear HH all in one suits; not cheap but very very good.

It's one thing being on a shoot in the pouring rain, when you have the option to go home, but quite another when you're on a roof and don't have that option.

I've stopped buying expensive wellies and just buy expensive boots, and no longer buy expensive goretex trousers, and have instead gone back to tough and 100% waterproof waxed ones. Nothing brushes aside briars and cover like a heavyweight waxed cotton.

Edited by Scully
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The main difference between a £400 and £100 coat is the matarial a waterproof coat has to hold a certain head of water a goretex coat has to hold over 5 times that level can't remember the exact figures. All have to be maintain and reproofed if you don't look after the coat remove mud and reproof it they will all leak. Also thing like cartridge bag straps apply pressure to the shoulder and increase the hydrographic head of water in that area so also can aid in forcing the coat to leak.

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We found that pushing through heavy cover will also soon perforate that expensive membrane. It's fine for standing on a peg, but unless it's covered in canvas type material it soon perishes.

The only suit I know of which claims to stand up to heavy cover is those deer stalking suits made by a company whose name escapes me st the moment!

Edited by Scully
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We found that pushing through heavy cover will also soon perforate that expensive membrane. It's fine for standing on a peg, but unless it's covered in canvas type material it soon perishes.

The only suit I know of which claims to stand up to heavy cover is those deer stalking suits made by a company whose name escapes me st the moment!

I have a shooter king coat and that has a demo of it pulled through a hedge by a truck. It's worked so far against gorse and the heaviest rain but I have only had it a year.
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We found that pushing through heavy cover will also soon perforate that expensive membrane. It's fine for standing on a peg, but unless it's covered in canvas type material it soon perishes.

The only suit I know of which claims to stand up to heavy cover is those deer stalking suits made by a company whose name escapes me st the moment!

 

Ive had jackets covering most price ranges and apart from a Ridgeline smock,the best jacket i ever bought was a Mad Dog Growler.Ive still got it after probably 12 years and apart from the velcro cuff thread coming off its still my go to jacket for really bad weather,and the price was pretty decent.

Ive just looked for them online but they are totally re-modelled now so unsure if they are still the same.

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I always buy waterproofs and winter clothing from proper hiking and outdoor stores such as Craghoppers/Regatta etc. They all supply GoreTex based products which is probably the best material, but they have other choices in the 10-15,000 mm waterproof rating. Don't go for anything less than 10,000mm. This is the kind of clothing hill walkers wear in places like the Lake District where you can be out in really serious rain for 10-12 hours.

 

Alternatively you can go to a 'country store' or gun shop and pay 3 times the price for a posh brand coat that won't have such good protection.

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