Best Wind Jacket
 

Has any one seen a jacket like this? I made this out of a rain coat several years ago. It has a "so-called" breathable membrane, yet does not breathe enough.

I need it to fasten with wide Velcro, not zippers; it’s too hard to open zippers with gloves on. So it needs to fold over a good bit. And it should have removable arms (wide Velcro not zippers). Also draw strings on the arm pits is needed.

It works as a vapor barrier and wind breaker. It could also have side vents. I really wish some company would make them. I seldom need anything more than this, and a merino wool vest under my quick dry polyester micro fiber shirt in the coldest part of winter.

I do not want insulation in the jacket! multi-layering is the only way to go. And PLEASE no stripes or other bicycle fashon googaws.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=281827

How can anyone have seen a jacket like that if you made it. Maybe something similar? ......what's your definition of "the coldest part of winter"? No offense. But that and a wool vest with your micro fiber shirt doesn't look like much protection from sub-freezing temps.

With how specific your demands are I am guessing you will have to break out the sewing machine and make another, or modify this one to fit.

Jackets with only velcro and no zippers isn't common.

You can maybe get a jacket that has both a zipper and a velcro flap. Add extra velcro on the flap so that it holds shut on its own when you don't zip up the jacket.

Sounds like some interesting ideas - I like the idea of a velcro-only jacket for the reason you mentioned. However, if I have difficulty operating a zipper with gloves I just affix a key ring or pull string - something bigger that gloves can grab. So I can't say that I'd pay more money for a coat with velcro-only.

I need Velcro only because I use snowmobile mittens when it gets down below 40 degrees.

And it keeps the wind out much better than any zipper ever did. Also zippers brake! I will never pay a wad of money for a zipper jacket agian, they simply do not last. However the jacket I would design may need zippers on the sides.


I can only hope that someone has the smarts to start manufacturing these soon.

I do start out with another jacket (because of the sleeves) over this one when it is below 32f, but often remove it once get warmed up. Vapor barriers work by holding in the steam, so it is important to have more vents.

I live near seattle, the weather is not too cold here most of the time.

fishnet under wear works the same but it holds pockets of steam, and keeps the cold pant legs from touching your skin.

http://wiggys.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=35

The rain jacket that i have has velcro in front and underarm vents and is totally windproof but is quite low quality
http://www.louisgarneau.com/ca-en/pr...N_IMPER_JACKET

Does the front fold over enough to use wide velcro?

I think I can take out a bit of cloth on the sides to make mine fit.

Nope.
I understand your frustration regarding zips. I'm currently sewing velcro on a bike pannier in place of a broken zip

Foxwear
 

I suggest you give Lou at Foxwear a call. He makes custom tailored clothing for hiking/biking and I'll bet he can fix you up. I have his products (pants, shirts, shocks) and just find them to be outstanding in every possible way from fit, construction and workmanship all at a price that does not break the bank. I would be surprised if he couldn't make exactly what you are wanting.

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated for Lou or his Foxwear clothing. I'm just a very happy and satisfied customer who likes to support the little guy when I can. If you search here you will find many of the very same comments of Lou and his Foxwear clothes.

fasthair

I find velcro fails the instant it gets a bit of snow or ice on it, which just ends up happening. My shell has velcro flaps over the zipper, but the zipper is the part that's actually doing the work. I've had good luck with Mountain Hardwear stuff, though I have friends that swear by Arc'Teryx. Both are pricey, but if you don't care about colour you can usually get some good sales (my soft shell and hard shell are pink and purple, respectively).

I tend to take my mittens off to do pretty much anything, and it's not really a big deal to expose your hands for a few seconds to do/undo a zip. That said, if you've been happy with velcro in the past then it makes sense for you to stick with it! I would think it'd be easier to buy a regular (zip) jacket and then add the velcro. I don't think velcro-only is all that common, and then you'd have the back-up zipper for when the velcro gets gummed up by ice.

Velcro and wool don't play nicely together.

Velcro only isn't common at all. I've only ever seen it on garments made for people who have difficulty dressing themselves. It's hard to get the sides matched up evenly, for one thing, which looks weird. It's also hard to adjust so it's half open the way you can with a zipper, as it wants to close itself. Velcro also has a much lower expected cycle count life than zippers do, and lower strength. And it's harder to replace. It'd take me 20 minutes to replace the zip on my parka, but a lot longer to do the velcro (Step 1 is do all the steps required to remove the zipper!) Using wide velcro -- were I making something like this, I'd use two inch wide or wider -- helps most of those problems, and the icing up problem. It also helps the "gets clogged with cat hair problem".

On the other hand, I'd just put a 2" split ring in the sliders pull, and call it a day. you can work that with mittens, because it's big enough to stike your thumb through.

no it doesn't, but smart design can help. Basic first step: make sure the hook side (that's the stiff one that's prone to grabbing wool and the like) is facing away from the body. That helps comfort, because it wont' poke you on hte underlap side, but also means it's less likely to touch the under garments.

Then you'd better wash velcro stuff separately from wool, or make sure it's closed up everywhere before you put them together.

I love velcro, just not with wool.

doubt you'd need a vapor barrier layer in seattle.

just an FYI, a raincoat as an outer layer isn't a "vapor barrier" system.

a vapor barrier insulation system works by preventing moisture into the insulation layer, preventing loss of insulative power, AND limit the body's natural perspiration system by developing a super-saturated microclimate against the skin from which moisture does not escape. you only wear very thin layers under VBL clothes, and that's usually just to keep from feeling like you're wearing a rubber sweat suit, what a VBL essentially is.

What he said ^^^ vapor barrier still desired,
look at Stevenson's Warmlight, a 4 season back country gear
small cottage manufacturer in NH..
it is the liner base layer .. they have a custom fabric they sew into under-things


My winter Parka Came From Carhartt, its a zip and snap closure .
and big enough to layer under it.

ANSI reflective striped and Neon Lime , because It gets Dark Early, now.

Ill go back to my Shower's Pass Portland Jacket when the clocks spring forward.

Yes. It's called woolcro.
Once it sticks it doesn't split up :)

I do not have the wool where it can touch the velcro, and the jacket does get too warm hard pedaling. So I really need more vents. But it sure does work fine in the cold wind we have here. North of seattle.

At 32degrees 40mph winds and rain can be a real bugger.