Originally Posted by ranger5oh
I recently purchased a Orage Maverick triple-layer gore-tex coat too. The thing was darned expensive, but honestly.. its worth every last penny. Looks great, windproof and waterproof. I literally ran my arm underwater for a while and nothing gets through. Amazing.
Anyone else share my love?
I hate Gore-Tex. Its what happens when people believe marketing over truth.
You do realize that EVERY waterproof material is able to held under a tap and not have water get thru dont you? Every waterproof material is also 100% windproof. I can put on a garbage bag and hold it under the tap also, same result.
A real test is doing an aerobic activity, such as cycling at a fast pace, in temperatures where you still sweat, and see how wet your base layer is after an hour or six. The plastic bag works well at temps near freezing since you hardly sweat at that temp, but at 60-65 degrees, wearing either goretex or a plastic bag, and cycling hard, most everyone will be soaked in sweat.
Goretex also relies on a difference of humidity on opposing sides of the fabric in order for the vapor transport (breathability) of the fabric to work. Which is why it breathes great when you wear it on days its not raining, but as soon as its raining on the outside, and your sweating on the inside, its vapor transport ends.
Heres a chart. I'll pick quite a few materials above goretex
http://www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/...tex%20event%22
Heres another page with a good description of Goretex's history, its about 1/3 the way down the page
http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_Rainwear.htm
So i'm glad your happy with your purchase, but no i dont share your love of goretex. I choose a few other materials as much much better, they just dont have gore's billion dollars of marketing behind them
