I have 3 good quality supposedly waterproof and breathable jackets and they all leak-usually at th top of the sholders. Do I just have bad luck or do youall have the same problem.I am about to go back to coated nylon.What do you wear that works? thanks,Turtle
due to excessive wear via straps
the shoulders are one of the first palces to start soaking through…along with the forearms (not so certain about that tho)
r
If you want truly
waterproof and breathable go with goretex. Today you can get many affordable goretex rain jackets and pants from several sources. I have an ll bean jacket and cabelas pants, both are great, and made from paclite material that makes the easy to pack and light. Cabelas has a whole line of goretex rainwear from the lightweight affordable paclite stuff to really heavy duty expedition weight.
Check the seams
You might have seams opening up or worn down. You can repair those. Were they leaky when new?
I agree with the other post about getting Gore-tex. Nothing else I’ve tried has come close to being both breathable and waterproof.
North Face and Marmot
Both have light weight, breathable jackets that are completely waterproof (from rain and snow).
I like my North Face because it has zippered vents that can be adjusted for hot days.
I have been caught in complete gully washers and stayed dry.
This is the time of year that I’ll be using it in combination with poly pro undergarments.
Cheers,
JackL
Yes new
They all leaked when new.I sent 2 back.Two were DRW coated and one was goretex.I see a Marmot Precip in campmore on sale.Any experience with that one?
Thamks,wet Turtle
Marmot Precip
Was out in the rain w/mine yesterday (2 yrs old), kept every bit of the water out, I love it!
Marmot Precip
I bought a Marmot Precip jacket and pants from Campmor last year for a great price. I have been very happy with both in terms of keeping me dry and breathability.
Marmot Precip
I use this jacket in the fall - great for spray but I would stop short of calling it “waterproof”
perhaps
– Last Updated: Oct-25-07 3:57 PM EST –
I have several garments that are waterproof breathable ...to a point.
Many companies can lay claim to being both but the crux is how breathable is breatheable?.
Often they breathe when your standing around, but can't keep up when exercising.
Also
Something can "breathe" only in relation to the relative humidity of the air. so,to my understanding, if there's 90% humidity it only leaves 10% breathability for example.
Stated from another perspective the fact a garment has pit zips is proof unto itself that it cannot adequately "breathe".
So while you can refreshen your garment that wets out at the shoulders and renew it's waterproofness....there is always an exchange on how breatheable something is in relation to how waterproof it is.
Plus the given weather of the day, a windy day things breathe easier... a humid day less so.
If it were drysuits we were talking about you could own the best in the market but if your submerged...it isn't breathing.
hope that helps put things in perspective....
like Marmot Precip
for land adventures but I use drytops by Bomber Gear for kayaking. Even tho my Precip is a Women’s XS there is just two much material flapping around at waist and arms are too long for my personal preference.
Marmot Precip is an awesome jacket in that it packs down small and has a discreet hood, pockets inside and out and the famous ventilated armpits LOL. It would be nice for light duty kayaking where you expected not to get really wet either from windy rainshowers or unexpected rolls 
If you are going to paddle in it,
then I will recommend my NRS Endurance
paddling jacket, and the Endurance pants.
Definitely waterproof, as long as you are
not submerged. Good luck!
Event
Look for something made from Event. I hear it is the future of WPB garments.
The "pit zippers"
are fantastic if you are hot.
they are not put there to help the breathability of the jacket.
Go for a hard work out in the pouring rain, and you will understand what they are for.
cheers,
JackL
Gortex
Being a hiker and camper, I wear my gortex jacket. It’s a spring jacket that is big enough to put anything under. It is breathable and waterproof.
W/Waterproof clothes, they should be washed w/a non-detergent like Woolite to keep up the rainproofing.
I wonder if you can do a patch job w/seam sealer which they use for tent seams???
-Capri
pit zips
– Last Updated: Oct-29-07 8:38 PM EST –
The fellow is exactly right about pit zips. Go for a hard workout exercise in the rain and it becomes clear that something is not breathing and being waterproof at the same time.
The zips are there because they are Venting not Breathing.
Same with Event stuff. I have waterproof breatheable shoes with Event fabric.
Wear them in the rain, or better yet in the slush and they are not breathing...they maybe water proof and dry quickly but...
Also very true about using the non detergent,though when we asked about Woolite we wore told that it would clog the pores. Mostly that's from the sales reps...I'll need to double check as to why... I forget, something about lanolin perhaps
Ivory Flakes
In other words, plain soap. That’s what the directions were on my circa 1978 Early Winters Gore-tex jacket. NO DETERGENTS.
For my Gore-tex drysuit, I just take it in the shower with me, open up the zipper, and put it on the floor. It sits in whatever shampoo and soap runoff I use. I rinse it well in plain water by directing warm water through the arms, legs, and torso. I don’t know if this is the recommended way to wash it, but my suit is still both waterproof and breathable. Only other thing I need to do (occasionally) is restore the DWR finish.
eVENT
I a happy owner of an Intrgral Designs ThruHiker jacket in eVENT. Extremely lightweight and breathable at 1/2 the price of Goretex… Don’t know about long term durabilty, but at the price I can afford to replace it more often than Goretex
Depends on our priorities…
mike
Gore-Tex…or not
At low exertion Gore-Tex is fine; when I start to really sweat (and I can really pump out the heat) I overwhelm the product. I try every new version of this product, because I know that at lower stress levels it DOES work. But I have not yet found it to function the way it is supposed to at higher levels. I’m not trying to turn anyone away from Gore-Tex, but it is not the perfect product some would represent it to be.