The SCAM Outdoor Brands Don't Want You To Know 

Jackets Shown in this Video: ArcTeryx Beta LT Shell: geni.us/7MHDw Columbia OutDry: geni.us/Of76iq

To be honest, I worked at an hiking/trekking shop and I knew this for years. Since then I became a huge fan of ponchos. Especially expeds‘ pack poncho. Ponchos allow more airflow underneath and do not even try to lie about „breathability“ and protect you AND your gear from becoming wet. Also it is easy to put it on/off during light rain or when the rain pauses for a few minutes: The poncho can be attached to the Backpack so you just throw it over your head and it hangs there behind you and when rain sets in again you just reach back, grab the thing and pull it over your head again. And in case of very heavy rain or wind you can combine a poncho with a pair of rainchaps to protect your legs, but they leave your crotch open which helps ventilation by a higher amount! That said: Great Video! Thank you for that much time and effort! It’s always a pleasure to watch your videos!

After spending $1000 on a “gore-Tex pro” jacket, I thought it was the best jacket going for years. But after multiple rainy days on trail I noticed I was soaked on the inside. It was a hard pill to swallow realizing that the jacket was just as useful as a $30 frog toggs. Confirmation bias is totally real and it hits close to home

100%. I've worked professionally in the ski industry as a Lift Operator for years, and we have to spend hours standing in blizzard conditions, rainy conditions, and everything in-between while working hard shoveling snow and doing other physically demanding work. And I can tell you as someone who professionally is paid to be outdoors and do sweaty work: the best waterproof jackets you can get, are just the fully rubberized heavy duty rain gear. And if you want to stay warm, just have a puffer underneath. These crazy goretex systems are just completely unnecessary and most of them get you wet anyway. Just wear an oversized rubberized rain jacket so it allows air to move underneath it and you'll stay much dryer.

I've tried having this conversation with so many people but they are do deeply invested in the marketing bull crap to listen

You continue to take this hobby segment to a higher level. Props

Thank you. You have convinced me that I shouldn't hike in wet weather or buy expensive fabrics. I'm good with that.

“When humidity is high, these jackets don’t seem to breathe at all.” This was my experience with Gore-Tex hiking the West Highland Way in Scotland. I stayed dryer wearing shorts, sandals, and a large cheap poncho than my fellows hikers in full length head to toe waterproof gear. (Note: Poncho goes OVER the backpack)

I'm a former REI sales specialist in camping and outdoor clothing. I was geared up with all the best equipment and started out on a long Appalachian Trail thru hike and quickly realized that GoreTex and other similar fabrics were indeed useless in the rain soaked conditions on the trail in the humid south. The best thing was to just suck it up and expect to get wet and hope to dry out later on. Open up the vents and pit zips and flush as much air through the jacket as you can. The GoreTex shoes were also useless so again just expect to get wet, live with it and know that you can dry out later on. If you encounter a quick and short shower then you may be protected if the shower doesn't last too long. Often just wearing GoreTex outer wear gets one hot and sweaty and it basically begins raining on the inside.

I grew up scouting in the pacific northwest and our leaders use to say things like "No such thing as waterproof and breathable" or "Prepare to be wet and warm, because you can't always be dry". It was great watching this video that explains the science behind that old northwest wisdom.

The amount of time, energy and research you put into your videos is astounding. Keep up the great work! I love seeing the testing contraptions you come up with.

You didn't show the results of the test...

The problem is people thinking they need a gore Tex jacket for hiking. Its purpose is for high altitude mountaineering where air is way dryer and the jacket works best in those conditions. It will never be wet and breathable at the same time, but it does allow some breathability over cheap rain jackets.

these jackets are far better suited for higher altitude environments where the air is dry and you are more likely to deal with snow than rain than for a backpacking rain coat. I carry a simple north face rain jacket with pit zips and it works just fine

Thanks Dr Science! You have scientifically proven what my own experience has been telling me for years. Every time I have been caught in substantial rain it became clear, relatively quickly, that my jacket was no longer adequately breathing and I was getting wet from my own perspiration. Now I know why, and that I no longer have to chase the illusion of a “better” rain jacket. Very helpful - thanks!

I worked in the extreme sportswear industry and we knew that the best that "breathable" fabrics could do under the ideal circumstances was about a 7% improvement. If the outside or inside got wet from precipitation or sweat, it was like a thick plastic sheet. But if you did not have "breathable", few people would buy. They were well trained consumers. Since we had an extreme customer base who knew when things were working and not, we were very early with the zip vents in pits, pockets, pant legs, .... And we had the flap vents also.

I really appreciate you trying to objectively science the heck out of consumer goods for a more educated customer. Tests we may never have thought of, found, or too lazy to do that you're taking to their natural conclusions. Thanks for doing the hard work bud and all of the content you work on!

one thing to also note when people say "my gore-tex never let me down". The current gore-tex membrane arent as resilient anymore as the old ones, because environmental regulation doesnt let them use the longest polymers anymore

As a scout in the PNW, I learned that rain gear fails pretty quickly in a downpour. But if you’re relatively warm, it’s not so bad and you’ll get over it.

Love this video and actually it explains how I’ve felt with my goretex jacket through my years of use. 1. Performance in heavy rain - meh, keeps water out. But yes with sweating or anything condensation sits in the jacket 2. Performance for high winds, alpine conditions surrounded by snow where you want to have breathable but shell like barrier to make sure any melting ice or snow is not getting you wet. I’ve been glad to have it The experience above makes sense now with the video

This is IMHO the best video you have made yet. In fact, I think anyone who is new to the outdoors, and even many veterans, would benefit from watching this. I'm suspecting that you are proving what they are already experiencing, but you are adding rigor to their anecdotes.

Thank you!!! You managed to adequately cover and explain something technical, without getting too technical and with so many numerical details that I lose interest. And you did it in 8 minutes. Keep up the good work!

It's one hell of a trick to pull to convince people that you can be (completely) dry outdoors when it's raining. I mean, you can for a while, but not long term. Like in the video - water is falling from the sky. You can cover against it with an umbrella, with GTX, with a rubber suit, whatever but eventually you will get damp, either from the moisture in the air or from your own body.

It seems to me in my experience, that not only does goretex not breathe and keep water out at the same time, it also does both of these things poorly, so its almost just a bad jacket except in dry conditions where you wouldnt have needed a rain jacket. I now only buy simpler gear, and am happy with that.

In my opinion it’s somewhat not a scam. If it’s dry outside you have a nice breathable jacket. If it than starts to rain, you don’t need to switch to a raincoat. It’s like 2 separate jackets in one. Just don’t expect it to be both at the same time

Kudos on, yet another, rock star video! Seriously, this is far more effort, with real-world application, than any of my engineering professors every put forth in their teaching experiments.

Dude, you are killing it 💪 Love your videos because of your calm tone of voice, the perfect length and no-bullshit information. Really well done, as always. Greetings from Austria!

If you look through the different membranes they make you'll find that they already have this fabric dialled, it's called gore shakedry and has been implemented in mainly road biking and trail running attire. Due to it essentially being a reversed 2L membrane it shed water off immediately and had a waxy finish, it worked exceptionally well in rainy conditions but due to the fragility of the outer fabric it meant that the membrane would break down under heavy loads. It was designed for little to no need for packs (road cycling, running and trail running) and I can say that with a heavy pack my jacket lasted under a year before there were major leaks in the shoulder and hip areas of the jacket, this too applies to any waterproof and breathable jackets with super light membrane qualities as they're mainly designed to be used sparingly and infrequently in hot climates or in extremely high output pursuits where large packs are not involved

Your video points out exactly what I learned from guides in Hawaii. I would ask them about the clothing they wear and the most experienced would tell me to forget about the claims of how breathable a fabric is, get pants and jackets with big zipper vents because air circulation is the cat's meow. The more you are moving, the more you sweat, but also the more you are forcing fresh air through the vents. Another huge difference was switching to a mesh ventilated backpack.

When a daily downpour broke in a Central American jungle, we broke out our Gortex the guide broke out an umbrella. Two hours later we were soaked from the inside out while the guide was wet only from the knees down. Rainwear is just another tool to be used at the right time. Best mitigation though, pit zips! Don’t buy a “waterproof” jacket without them. Great video backed up with facts.

I'm old enough to remember the pre GoreTex days - at least pre GoreTex where I lived. What I had before where cotton and polyester-cotton blends (like the G1000 used by Fjellraven) treated for waterproofness. These kind of worked - actually really well in misty conditions or with snow well below freezing - but just didn't work well in heavy prolonged rain. I remember biking to school a couple of times in a cotton "waterproof" outdoorsy and almost new jacket and it worked for the 15-20 minutes ride, but after an hour in steady rain it just wet thru. So going hiking with these types of clothes I'd bring a lightweight really waterproof jacket in addition. The other option was to leave the cotton jacket at home and bring only a more heavy-duty rain jacket that certainly would keep the rain out but was unnecessary uncomfortable if the rain let up. Then GoreTex came along, and I bought one of the first jackets available where I lived. And it worked! Not like some miracle fabric that solved every problem, but it was lighter than my cotton jacket and much lighter than an outdoorsy jacket plus a rain jacket. It also kept me at least as dry in rain but was less comfortable than poly-cotton and cotton in warm weather when it didn't rain (no test equipment, but lots of experience and curiosity). I even did a (fairly unscientific but what I could manage) test cross country skiing in around -15C. Same loop of 5 miles three times with polyester-cotton blend, cotton and GoreTex and to my surprise there where clearly less condensation on the inside of the GoreTex jacket. I don't disagree with your findings at all - it's fairly basic knowledge that with close to 100% humidity outside a fabric wont "breathe" much (good illustration with the parking lot BTW, hadn't seen that before). The question is however, what did GoreTex replace and what are the options now? Other waterproof-breathable materials struggle with exactly the same limitations when it comes to high humidity outside the jacket. I've tried Entrant, Triple Point, many versions of GoreTex, eVent, Dermizax and a couple of other with unspecified waterproof breathable technologies and in heavy rain they always struggle and I'll get condensation. But they also replace two other jackets that weigh more and I have to switch between when it's not steady all da rain. I live in an area with fairly unstable weather but even here it's much more common with a mix of showers, light rain/mist, sunny, windy etc. than all day heavy rain and waterproof-breathable tech keep me fairly comfortable in all the conditions. I haven't found anything that works better, maybe except for an umbrella but umbrellas have some serious problems with wind and overgrown trails.

Just going to share an experience that may be helpful to others. Hiking some years ago in N.H. in November. Some snow on the ground, snow in trees-melting and dripping, exceptionally wet. Temps 33-34F. After maybe 3 hours, we arrive at the shelter soaked to the bone and while fine hiking, begin to chill quickly once stopped (as expected). Instead of changing into some dryer clothing, realizing that the wet clothes won't dry well at all, I decided to just walk (w/o pack) at a speed that generated heat but not enough to sweat while opening my jacket zipper and vents accordingly. After about 20 minutes from the shelter I felt the idea was working and turned around to head back. Back at the shelter after about a forty minute leisurely walk, I was bone dry! We were higher now in elevation so trees were much shorter (less dripping) than 'in the forest.' Even the outer wear was dry (breezier up high). Probably (as I remember it), only my leather hiking boots were still somewhat wet. It was great learning experience in managing wet conditions.

Really appreciate this kind of content! Really good companion to the FortNine video that did something similar for motorcycle jackets. As a runner I realized what you concluded in this video and opted for a much cheaper $180 jacket that doesnt use Gore-Tex but has goodish breathability and okay water protection. I just couldn't justify spending multiple hundreds of dollars on a jacket that with exposed membrane (like the Gore R7 Shakedry) that I would almost certainly need to replace in a few years of heavy use because it literally would just not last that long. The exposed membrane literally wears down with things like a running pack on for example.

Amazing. The time, effort, research into the issue is always appreciated! AND I appreciate you calling out the companies who have poisoned us and the environment throughout our lifetimes.

Your research is appreciated. Experience is an excellent teacher which is why I carry an umbrella. I have never had been truly dry with only rain gear.

Videos like this are so important and make RU-vid not only a place to consume but rather to learn! Thanks 🙏🏻

I appreciate the amount of thought and time you take to test - keep up the great work

I found out in the 90’s when I was a long distance runner that Gortex didn't breathe very well. Since then I've used Gortex drysuits when I've been whitewater kayaking and even when I've come out of my boat & fully in the water they've kept me dry but if the weather is warm then sweat can definitely build up.

Your channel is amazing mate. You have really put in the research and hard yards and not just pushing out 'fast food easy to make videos'. I really appreciate your efforts, knowledge and insights. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺

Your explanation and definition of hydrostatic thermal balance is phenomenal

Good reminder to have an umbrella in the Summer.

Kudos. The time and energy you put into research and production of this short video is incredible. Best rain jacket explanation ever.

All that testing and analyzing was unbelievable. And very true. Amazing video. After having so many rain jackets for my 25 years of hiking i found out that the only one I can really trust and love is my umbrella. Keeps me dry when it rains and cool when the sun is out and hot 😊

I think it even worse that stated: If you have Gortex boots even on a low humidity warm day, the rate you create moisture overwhelms the silly slow rate the gortex can breath. You might as well be wearing plastic bags on your feet if you want to ford a stream. It is completely worthless.

Edit; firstly I’m a fan of the channel. Secondly, GoreTex can be both breathable and waterproof simultaneously, assuming ‘correct’ conditions for the fabric to work efficiently . Gortex works, but it has its limitations. Your test created a humidity equilibrium either side of the fabric; of course this leads to no further evaporation. As you say, in cold/low relative/absolute humidity environments goretex will perform just fine. Raining isn’t a guarantee of high humidity as liquid water and water vapour are two different things, and the DWR is there to mitigate surface liquid from wetting out the fabric. If rain persists, humidity will rise due to the liquid rain beginning to evaporate; raising absolute and relative humidity. However rain is not an indication of inherent high humidity to the point that makes GoreTex immediately ineffective. In cold mountain environments with high winds, driving snow and low absolute humidity (absolute and relative humidity are two different metrics. Ref psychrometric chart for further info) with the user exerting a moderate effort (likely the largest use case scenario for GoreTex) it’ll work just fine.

Great video. Big effort and well explained.

Absolutely right. Been saying this for year, which is why I went to a poncho years ago. The only time I'll use a breathable jacket is like you mentioned in the video, winter / cold weather............... The poncho otherwise is a great option because air is constantly moving in and under and all around. You will notice if it's raining, you WILL get wet. There's really no way to avoid it......................

Glad to see this level of research and clarity, thanks!

Great video! After my lightweight OR Helium jacket wetted out while on the PCT I ditched all of my GT rain jackets for a true waterproof non breathable jacket from LightHeart Gear with full length side zippers. I’ve never worn waterproof pants while backpacking so I decided to give a ULA Rain Kilt a try along with a Gossamer Gear Lighttrek Umbrella to keep the rain & sun off me & my pack. Good videos. Keep up the good work!

I've been an all-weather hiker and motorcyclist for 40 years, and only bought a Gore-Tex labeled product once. It worked no more efficiently than my standard rain gear, cost me a fortune, and was an overall disappointment. Thanks for doing such an in-depth study on the non-effects of Gore's waterproof/breathable claims. You're doing a great public service by showing that one does not need to spend huge amounts of money on gear to achieve good results. Of course, that leaves more money for other new gear! :) Great channel!!

So glad you put out this video. One of my biggest disappointments in the outdoor industry is “D”WR, which is never durable and is only water resistant for a short rainstorm. Water vapor cannot transport through a layer of water!! Once the face fabric wets out, due to poor DWR, as you said the fabric is not “breathable” (no water vapor transmission). I did buy a Columbia OutDry jacket once, but hated it. With the “face” fabric on the inside, that is what absorbed all my sweat moisture and felt like I had a wet canvas jacket on. It was the most uncomfortable rain jacket I’ve used in decades. The only solution currently is good ventilation. Fabrics with a high MVTR are helpful for after it stops raining, once the face fabric dries they let your sweat-soaked clothes dry better. But that’s only applicable if it’s cold enough you need to keep wearing the rain jacket when it stops raining!

Another point that i, for some reason, rarely hear in the WPB fabric debate is that sweat isn’t just water. It has a fairly high concentration of minerals, which also make it harder for the water to evaporate. And when after extensive use these minerals pile up on the inside of the goretex membrane, they can actually pull the water in through the goretex. Which is especially a problem with goretex shoes.

Thank you for explaining this so well! I have grown tired of explaining this to others and was too inexperienced to make my own video. This was in part why I converted to using a rain cape for bicycling (better airflow) and when I go camping in our typical PNW winter I ensure wicking-synthetic or wool layers because I know it’s not if I get wet, but if I can stay warm when I do get wet.

You explained that very well. I bought a non-breathable rain jacket from Lightheart Gear last year when my breathable jacket started wetting out. There’s no DWR to repair, and it cost about 1/3 what breathable jackets cost. It should be waterproof for the life of the jacket. The only downside is it feels more clammy because there’s no soft liner fabric to absorb small amounts of sweat, like you get with a multi-layer jacket. Not a big difference if you’re exerting yourself, but I notice sweat much quicker if I’m doing light exercise, like walking the dog. For that reason, I will still keep a breathable jacket for daily use and winter activities.

thanks for videos like this, practical & sense will return eventually -- happening in many many industries

This is a great video. As a Mountain Rescue volunteer staying sane because you are dry on a callout is a huge part of the psychological aspects of working in challenging conditions and facing everything from lost people to major trauma injuries. There is a lot of money tied up in the supply of outer clothing for rescue teams (in the UK we are primarily volunteers so rely on charity donations to buy new kit). And yes I’ve been wearing Gortex for years and it’s always been better advertised than capability.

Gave up on goretex boots years ago. Oh and pit zips are the bomb!

Here in Ireland it is constantly high humidity for most of the year, with temps usually ranging from -3 to -4 C to 20 to 25 C. I am yet to find a definitive "waterproof" that will keep rain out and allow moisture to escape. However, I am finding some success using a Poncho during summer (sil nylon and plenty of "breathing" holes!) and am trying a Paramo jacket during cooler months. The Paramo is interesting as it doesn't use a membrane and relies on a "pump liner" to force water/vapour from the inside to the outside using your body heat. It also adds a Nikwax (water based) DWR to the outer fabric. Only used for a few weeks so far, but it appears promising for the way I hike and how "hot" I run when hiking.

I love your "gear sceptic" style detailed testing videos, well done!

You’re absolutely correct! At the end of the first day I wore my new gortex jacket, I discovered my clothes underneath were wet on the shoulders. I thought the jacket was faulty, but testing proved it was waterproof. Very frustrating!

In the army, people made gortex and gortex covers to be the be all end all best piece of gear. My first time downrange on fort Carson and it stormed like crazy.... Commander was like "make sure you've got your gortex cover on your sleeping bag". Sure thing buddy... As an hour later the whole unit woke up soaked in their bags

Good video and analysis, BUT… 1) the big pit zips in my Montbell and Patagonia are great, and i regularly air out by fully unzipping and lifting up the jacket. It creates a fast cooling effect which is also reduces sweat. 2) when it gets hot, or i know it will be even just warm and rainy, i use a very thin alpaca or merino layer underneath and then the rain jacket. The jacket provides warmth, and can get muggy, so i do the regular airing out. 3) a big source of heat, sweat and lack of ventilation (air) is on the back, so i use a Vaucluse air ventilator with my frameless, hip-beltless pack. This extra air on the back helps with outside and inside moisture - less sopping wet back sticking to the pack, and less heat from the pack up against the back, which also means less sweat b/c less heat. You always seem loaded out with a huge pack, huge hip belt, and complete contact all over your body. I even stopped using a fanny pack and love the sense of freedom and air all around me. Improved visibility too when i look around on the ground. All this extra body exposure to air and fewer materials contacting me allow for extra ventilation, easy to open/close zip my jacket, i can undo the chest straps for a few minutes of super-ventilation as well. One thing to consider is the pros/cons of a goretex hiking PONCHO. Of course, it would have to have straps for wind, but the whole idea of the ancient poncho technology is that it allows for flexibility in ventilation. As for the click-baity title of the video - perhaps phrase the title as a question. “Is Gore-Tex a scam?” And provide your facts, and let viewer decide. It’s a serious accusation to accuse anybody of perpetrating a scam. I know you just want clicks, but you can get the clicks without the formal accusation. If a specific manufacturer makes a specific claim that you think is, at best, dubious, then let’s see that specific statement and why you think it’s dubious or false. But no point in risking yourself from defamation to even go there, and you don’t have to. You provided a solid analysis that speaks for itself.

Not usually a fan of this channel but this video is great and goes beyond the standards of the recent consumerist "hiking" youtube trend, well researched, well presented, this is very professional.

Thank you for the confirmation of what I've believed for a long time. so many times soaked inside my coats and rain pants, got tired of it. stopped caring about wetness as much as keeping wind and cold out.

One thing with the PTFE toxicity: Short perfluorinated chains are troublesome, but the truly long ones (i.e. PTFE coatings on cooking or chemical gear) are so stable (including thermostability), that as long as they don't come into contact with reactive or sharp metal, they are very safe. And while the membranes are generally made with the "safe enough" molecules, the overcoating is decidedly not.

the military issued me multiple gortex jackets throughout my career. the way they get around the breathing problem is zip down vents on the sides

Thanks so much! I've always had the feeling that my ...tex jackets didn't work as advertised, now I finally know why :)

I agree with you! I had a gortex rain jacket and discovered that scam right off the bat when I first wore it.

What you miss in this video is that, as long as the temperature inside the jacket is higher/warmer than outside the jacket, there is still a vapor pressure differential that should drive vapor from inside the jacket to outside the jacket, even when the outside is wetted out. The problem is that this differential is generally not sufficient to transfer the amount of sweat generated while hiking.

You are a rockstar of information about outdoor gear. This years award for outdoor gear content creator again goes to MyLifeOutdoors!

Best explanation I've ever seen... Car park... I tend to use a Paramo thin fleece (when cold) treated with Nikwax under a Paramo windproof thin jacket again treated with Nikwax. Far from 100% waterproof but by far the most comfortable set up I've used. Luckily in the UK when it rains believe it or not it often rains for a short time or maybe a few hours before it stops and gives my system time to start to dry out then it may rain again. I may use an umbrella if it's not too windy as well which is still not a common thing on the hills here. I learnt this from Marco Zamberlan (Italian boots manufacturer) when out in the mini Dolomites with him once many years ago.

Superb! Excellent recap and extension of your previous explanations. Next level contributions to the hiking and outdoors community.

I still just use a poncho.

This is why I go hiking with an umbrella rather than waterproof equipment

I’ve been saying this for years!! Glad someone finally made a video about it.

I use a cotton parka and a cotton midlayer to keep me warm. Nothing I wear is synthetic. I've climbed mountains with this setup, and through hours of rain; It’s never failed me so I'm never giving up on it. Usually takes too long to saturate the cotton outer layer so by the time the rain stops I'm still dry inside. Old cheap surplus for life.

Thank you. Some real science. There is also a temperature gradient from skin through any insulation to the inner jacket surface. As moist air moves through the insulation to the surface, it cools and loses capacity to hold water vapour. So the water condenses out into droplets which cannot pass through the GoreTex and soaks the interior. I’m always wet wearing the stuff.

I think in dry conditions, in the mountains, where wind is very common, Gore-Tex works. Otherwise no athlete would use it. It is not a bias, it just works. Also it does for daily use. I have an Arc'teryx shell, and it keeps me dry when it rains in the city. Yes, you may need to reapply the DWR once in a while, but it is not a big deal. It is a spray. I don't use the shell often, because for light rain DWR is enough, you do not need Gore-Tex at all, so in 5 years I never had to reapply the DWR yet to my shell. I used the shell under heavy rain and snow, and it kept me warm and dry. That was in winter with multiple layers below, up to -10ºC. In a rain forrest, there is nothing you can do. The humidity is so high that it is pointless using a rain jacket. It is ok to be soaked when there are 30ºC. But if you get soaked at -20ºC you die. So, it may not be the best product on the market anymore, but Gore-Tex is not a scam, not for winter shell jackets, at least.

Yep! As a bicycle commuter in an asscrack-humid city on the Third Coast, I found that I was just as sweat-wet inside the goretex as I was rain-wet outside it. And nowhere near as fresh!! In my climate, I really only need to worry about the rain during a few colder months of the year when it challenges my core temperature (as measured by how much dexterity I maintain in my fingers); in those cases, I pull on neoprene and work with the water!

Great video. Really nice to see one of the larger outdoor channels talking about this, explaining it objectively and in an easy to understand manner. Props to you for the test set-up and going out of your way to try and recreate realistic conditions for the jackets. I've started using ponchos in all but very windy conditions or if I'm out on the mountains, and the difference in breathability is mind-boggling and I'm much more comfortable (and dry) when hiking. I also recently got an OR Foray which has full length pit zips and these have been pretty effective as well at providing improved breathability in a conventional jacket. I'd love to see you try a Paramo jacket one day. They have a bit of a love/hate relationship here in the UK but approach things very unconventionally, prioritising breathability over waterproofing. Would be great to see how they perform under one of your real-world tests!

Thanks, good vid, good info 👍 The funniest encounter I had with a jacket was with Superdry, they sold me a padded jacket that was supposed to be shower proof until the first time I wore it in a shower and got soaked, then I noticed the zip on the removable hood was upside down so the jacket side had a small flap facing up so it formed a gutter trapping the water into the zip, which it flowed through with ease, when I contacted them about it they said, "Yeah, but the rest of the jacket is waterproof." Which is like saying flies get through the opening at the top of the jam jar, yes but at least they can't get through the sides 🤣

Man are you top notch or what cause this was 100% useful and important information….. thank you for the education…… this is why i watch you you definitely go above and beyond with your explanations!!

Fantastic presentation!! Thank you so much for fighting the BS about these products, call it marketing or gaslighting its still BS. The parking lot analogy was excellent and your demonstrations were great evidence debunking the companies claims. Thanks again!

as someone who absolutely geeks out over gear and waterproof membranes and technology, I appreciate this video

Old videos were gear reviews but now you're turning into nile red, love it

Ahh, thanks for that, it explains why my gortex lined textile motorcycle jacket works so well on my bike (lots of air movement) but is totally useless when I take a bushwalk at the end of the ride! And I take exception to that Gortex ad you showed which implies it's always dry down here in Oz!

You’re a genius! Thanks for taking the time to do a deep dive into this subject.

Thank you, great work and informative. Like your test setup!

Super informative, thanks. I'm simply using an umbrella. Not always the perfect solution, especially not really useful when it is over breezy, but most of the times it protects me quite well against rain. And even more, it helps me against the sun as well (I own one with a 50+ UV rating).

Great video and thank you. Drives me crazy feeling and being wet inside my Gortex jacket while hiking during humid / rainy days of summer.

I was in the USAF and we got these back when. I never felt they were all that in the weather of West Germany. Loose fitting/airy clothing when raining, change socks often. In Tennessee, I wear a lightweight rain jacket with a long sleeve loose fitting shirt underneath and maybe a base layer or puffer jacket if is that chilly. Works great.

Amazing video. I have grown to see my Arcteryx jacket as more of a windbreaker and light rain jacket. Because I found, just like you, that as soon as the company applied dwr has run out (which is way better than what i can apply as a "civilian"), the jacket becomes wet from either my sweat or the water in the fabric becoming water vapour from being in contact with my warm skin and then seep through. I had the chance to try a C_Change membrane.. apparently it simulate a pine cone. Its quite thick fabric.. and I find that it breaths a lot worse than my Arcteryx jacket.. but its water proof, even without dwr. Thank you for a really indepth test of what we, the user experiences.

interesting thanks - when i’m sweating under these rain jackets in the rain i always took it as it was just like wearing a light version of an old fashioned rubber slicker, but wondered why that didnt happen when it wasnt raining and it was light, cool and fine inside 🎉

I am a Forester and the waterproof stuff we use is pretty much just a Waterproof elastic West, but is layered, a little bit like Scales of a Snake. so any moisture that builds up just drops out at the bottom, and the fabric between the scales is just a loose Mesh, so they are actually relatively 'breathable', even in the heaviest of rains

I love discovering across content creators like this chap! He would have made an incredible science teacher! Very thourough and research and the experimental set up is simply genius!

Thank you for a well-done video that took a lot of time and effort to make!

Great content, I really love the scientific approach. Next you should test if wet wool keeps you warm or not.So the experiment is as follows: Take two identical bottles with warm water (does not have to be boiling water). Put one of the bottles inside wet wool sock, hat or what ever. Leave the other bottle just as it is. Measure the temperature inside of both bottles after certain amount of time (like 15 mins, 20 mins, 30 mins, 1 hour, etc..) You will find that the bottle with the wet wool will get colder more quickly than the bottle without any wool.

Yes I've thought so for almost ten years now, when I switched from gortex lined to leather lined shoes. Everything got better from that point onwards and I've never bothered with it again. I still have a rainjacket with something similar and soon regretted buying that, I will just get something cheap next time that's not breathable, wearing wool under it. Never fails.

I love this so much. I’ve felt that way for years without any proof and always knew that we have to manage getting wet on some level. I use non breathable rain jackets to keep in my body warmth which to me is the most important thing. They are also more light weight. I am not an „embrace the suck person“ but in this specific case I am.

I have said that for the past 20 years. Nobody ever believed me. Good, penetrating marketing works far better than logic, unfortunately. So glad you speak out the reality.