Which coat?

[email hidden] said...

Quoted message said:

Have decided to invest in a decent waterproof jacket for regular hiking.
Realise existing old cheap coat is heavy, sweat inducing and not very
waterproof.

Have been told that the Gortex range is excellent although not cheap.

You have been told correctly. That said, jackets made from waterproof,
breathable fabric (of which Goretex is an example) are well worth the
money and should last for years if cared for properly.
--
To reply see 'from' in headers; lose the domain, and insert dots and @
where common sense dictates.

[email hidden] said...

Quoted message said:

Have decided to invest in a decent waterproof jacket for regular hiking.
Realise existing old cheap coat is heavy, sweat inducing and not very
waterproof.

Have been told that the Gortex range is excellent although not cheap.

You have been told correctly. That said, jackets made from waterproof,
breathable fabric (of which Goretex is an example) are well worth the
money and should last for years if cared for properly.
--
To reply see 'from' in headers; lose the domain, and insert dots and @
where common sense dictates.

Gore-tex (www.gore-tex.co.uk) is a fabric rather than a range of
jackets, and has become the de facto standard for waterproof clothing.
The fabric itself comes in different varieties - Paclite, XCR, 2- or
3-layer, etc. - so there are different jackets for different
situations. A jacket made from Paclite, for example, will be
lightweight and will probably do fine if you usually avoid rotten
weather.

Personally I use a Paramo jacket (www.paramo.co.uk) and it works well
for me. They have a reputation for being overly warm, but the current
jackets are lighter than the older once, so I think this shouldn't be
such a big deal now. Some people swear by them while others merely
swear at them.

In the end the best jacket for you is the one that fits nicely and has
the features you need. I think the forces of marketing have ensured
that most jackets are up to a reasonable spec now, but I'd suggest
making a checklist of your required features. Things like adequately
large map pockets, wired hoods with a gutter to keep rain off your
face, cords and fasteners that you can manipulate with gloves on, etc.
will be important to some people but not to others, and there's no
point spending money on things that you don't need and will never use.

Colin

Pete Brown said:

I'm sure it must be a FAQ - Glad to be pointed to info.

Search for Goretex and Paramo in the following -

<URL:http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forumthreads/mps/dt/4/URN/5/V/7/SP/590148384674536955536>
<URL:http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.rec.walking?hl=en>

hth

Daytona

Pete Brown said:

I'm sure it must be a FAQ - Glad to be pointed to info.

Search for Goretex and Paramo in the following -

<URL:http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forumthreads/mps/dt/4/URN/5/V/7/SP/590148384674536955536>
<URL:http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.rec.walking?hl=en>

hth

Daytona

For lightness, I like the Berghaus extreme paclite jackets but I have to
admit for waterproofing my very cheap but rustling goretex unbranded jacket
is hard to beat.

Rob
"Pete Brown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm sure it must be a FAQ - Glad to be pointed to info.

Have decided to invest in a decent waterproof jacket for regular hiking.
Realise existing old cheap coat is heavy, sweat inducing and not very
waterproof.

Have been told that the Gortex range is excellent although not cheap.

Any advice/Pointers welcome.

Fran said:

You have been told correctly. That said, jackets made from waterproof,
breathable fabric (of which Goretex is an example) are well worth the
money

Up to a point. It has to be the right coat with cut, fit and
features relevant to one's particular use. If it isn't then it
probably /isn't/ worth the money.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Pete Brown said:

I'm sure it must be a FAQ - Glad to be pointed to info.

Have decided to invest in a decent waterproof jacket for regular hiking.
Realise existing old cheap coat is heavy, sweat inducing and not very
waterproof.

Have been told that the Gortex range is excellent although not cheap.

Any advice/Pointers welcome.

As everyone else has said gortex is a fabric & not a manufacturer andf
isnt cheap. Having said that if you shop around you'll easily get a
nice gortex jacket in the sub 100quid range(the one I cycle in was
40quid in tk max) or a very nice one for under 150quid (check the big
outdoor shops sales, mine was from nevissport)

--
Mike
Some walking pictures & bad html here http://www.prog99.com

"Mike" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Pete Brown said:

I'm sure it must be a FAQ - Glad to be pointed to info.

Have decided to invest in a decent waterproof jacket for regular hiking.
Realise existing old cheap coat is heavy, sweat inducing and not very
waterproof.

Have been told that the Gortex range is excellent although not cheap.

Any advice/Pointers welcome.

As everyone else has said gortex is a fabric & not a manufacturer andf
isnt cheap. Having said that if you shop around you'll easily get a nice
gortex jacket in the sub 100quid range(the one I cycle in was 40quid in tk
max) or a very nice one for under 150quid (check the big outdoor shops
sales, mine was from nevissport)

--
Mike
Some walking pictures & bad html here http://www.prog99.com

Right, I'm off to the shops Thanks for the group help.
Pete

Pete Brown said:

I'm sure it must be a FAQ - Glad to be pointed to info.

Have decided to invest in a decent waterproof jacket for regular hiking.
Realise existing old cheap coat is heavy, sweat inducing and not very
waterproof.

Have been told that the Gortex range is excellent although not cheap.

Any advice/Pointers welcome.

I've got a Regatta that I was forced to buy after my more expensive
Berghaus was nicked from a pub on the second day of a weeks trip to
the lakes.

Rather than buy an expensive replacement straight away, I like to make
sure I buy the right thing and not waste money on mistakes, I opted
for the cheap Regatta, it was supposed to be both waterproof and
breathable.

I paid £40 or £50 for it, it was reduced, from £70 or £80. It has
Gor-Tex type water proofing called Isotex, it covers the upper thigh
has a hood and the usual walking jacket pockets for maps etc. It has
internal zips so you can attach a fleece in winter. Also the
adjustable elasticated waist and to stop the wind getting in.

It was supposed to last me the week and then I was going to use it as
a spare after I got a better one.

The week in the Lakes was in February and we had all sorts of weather,
the Regatta was comfortable and very warm when worn over my good
quality fleece, it has a well fitting hood with a wire peak that keeps
the rain/snow out.

It never leaked once and performed way, way beyond my expectations, my
expensive Berghaus wouldn't have been any better!

I never did replace it and I'm still using it today, I've had it over
ten years, it's still waterproof but is looking a little scruffy.

I have no idea what the quality of the current Regatta jackets is like
but I'll certainly be looking at them when I buy a replacement,
something I plan to do this autumn.

--
Regards

Nick