@@ronnybjrklund4459 TNF future light is also PFC free and more breathable than goretex , and is another great option

This isn’t true, I do not have a clue where you are getting your facts from. I wear Rukka clothing while riding my bike, the clothing I wear is breathable when wet. After spending hours on a bike while touring Europe/England I can testify to this, yes the jacket and trousers were £2800 but this is bike protection on many levels with a 6 year warranty for any issue. My clothing never gets sodden, it’s laminated so the water never makes it’s way through the top material, my boots are the same. There is no other option for people like me, perhaps you should research modern Goretex products before through fake facts around because laminated Goretex breathes when it is wet and does not get soaked through.

@@ragetobe Well you might say I get my facts from experience. 60 years in the outdoors - a lot of that professional instructing and guiding in that time. And it does rain here. Up to 8 or 9 metres a year in some places

@@pedtrog6443 You point me towards a Motorbike Jacket that doesn't use Goretex but is waterproof with all the appropriate protection and I'll give it a go but until then I'll use my 40 years of experience riding, hiking, travelling around the world to make my decisions. I'm not taking children around the countryside, I'm touring multiple countries with no escape from the weather. Just looking at your reply I can see that you actually have very little experience in the real world. I doubt Rukka are the most well-known waterproof protection gear for motorcycling for no reason. Perhaps we should all use some waxed cotton instead because a scout leader said so.

@@pedtrog6443 By the way I'm calling your 60 years of experience bullshit, I'm not young myself but I don't class anything before I was 20 as experience, life just happened at that point. Get over yourself, do something other than take girls and boys up a hill because I can tell you, that doesn't even come close to extreme. Your issue is, you think you are the big bad boy of the internet and nobody has done what you have done. You should change your assumptions to everyone has done what you have done and more, humble yourself because most people I know have done more than you including me.

Thats hilarious if true

EXACTLY!!!!!

I don’t know this situation but i bet you’ve oversimplified it to the credit of the oil company. A lot of dumbos say things like if you drive a car you can’t be against any and all oil extraction/processing etc. all or nothing thinking is stupid- and I Don’t drive and never have so I’m “pure”.

@@M_SC You can't oversimplify the hypocrisy of companies pretending they care whilst actually contributing to the problem. When you criticise the oil industry and yet the vast majority of the clothes you produce are made with materials derived from oil, you're in no position to pretend you're morally superior by refusing business from an oil company. I fully endorse going green, it's the hypocrisy of companies like North Face who blatantly lie to the world by pretending they're looking after the planet.

"I really hope companies move away from synthetic materials" Just out of curiosity, what would be a viable option for outerwear that is made out of natural fibers? There's lots of natural fibers that are all amazing for regular clothes, but I've heard it's difficult to make waterproof etc. outerwear without synthetic material

Woah, glad to hear the durability is as much of a key-component as they advertise it to be. Thanks for taking the time to share with us and be a part of the team, Matt 💪

Had an early NF goretex Expedition jacket and salopettes for skiing and Scottish winters...lasted about 12 years of hard use....newer goretex jackets just seem flimsy and not as durable now.

@@rule3036 They seem flimsy because they probably want to make them as light as possible and because "every feature comes at a cost" the cost in that case is sadly durability.

You're impressed about 8 years? I've got an oilskin my uncle bought 40 years ago and it's holding up. Thing is older than me! 😂

My favourite travel backpack is my father's fjällräven he used when backpacking by rail in 1970s. Still holds together and is still waterproof.

Well FJ are playing on the notion that their coats are handmade in Sweden 🇸🇪 when the reality is that ALL their product range is made in China and ALL the global profits generated go back to Sweden 🇸🇪 😂😂😂

Exactly. I can get a really great gore-tex jacket on sale for like $150-200. Fjallraven's cheapest jacket with that waterproofing is like $500 and they NEVER go on sale.

The last a lifetime so they are not so expensive after all.

My problem with them is mostly that all their gear looks so pretend old timey / eco / hipster. Mostly drab or at least muted colors too.

@@jasonhiggins6431 Everything I own by Fjallraven is made in Vietnam, not China, big difference, but in general...made in Asia ≠ bad quality!

Just graduated from a large university and those backpacks are everywhere. They are definitely the trendy backpack all girls seem to want to have.

I have family in eastern europe and when we visited tgem in the 1990-ies they always gave us clothes with the Little Mole and Vic the fox, and other czech and hungarian cartoon characters. We didnt like them because in canada the mickey mouse and all that disney garbage was in fashion :) Im happy to see my younger family members walking around with the mole on their t-shirts :)

Vuk the fox

That explains why there was so much of Fjallraven in the thrift shops in my part of Europe in the nineties...

💪💪💪

Arcteryx fell of the wagon a while ago now. They haven't been a true outdoor brand for a while now

@@svsanchago been street wear for a while now

@@stang9806 Nope,they're still doing the same thing. Just because people use it as syreetwear fashion doesn't mean they fell in quality

@@allahbless2278 agreed. this reminds me of peak hipster in the early aughts, where bands weren't good anymore if they got famous. childish. fashion industry has co-opted arcteryx to an extent, the same as salomon, but both companies are trucking along making the exact same quality of stuff. ive used a lot of arcteryx stuff over the years but as ive gotten older (& responsibilities such as having a partner, two dogs, & work more) i haven't been doing heavy duty long backpacking or explorative adventures, so i don't need the durability that a 3 layer pro shell provides; i do a lot more trail running & fast packing, so ive gone with more lightweight materials these days, but if i were mountaineering or ice climbing or even doing proper backpacking, i'd still bring my beta AR in a heartbeat.

Exaaactly, not trying to say Gore-Tex is useless by any means with this video, just that it's not necessary for every situation and Fjällräven might work for many people's lifestyles. Thanks for the insight!!

if waterproofness to the degree of Gore-tex wasn't necessary nor wanted, then why does Fjallraven offer similar degree of waterproofness? Gore-tex tests around 30k mm, and Fjallraven offers shells rated at anywhere from 10k mm- 30k mm.

gore-tex didn't go mainstream, the brands that used gore-tex did. it's ridiculous to say that someone going to the coffee shop shouldn't buy a gore-tex jacket because you have an ego issue about who should or shouldn't be wearing a technical garment. Consumers drive the demand.

Yeah you said it, Gore tex did go too mainstream. I wasn’t talking about the brand specifically but the material itself, I can rephrase it and say that PTFE membranes got to mainstream but that’s besides the point. Also there a big difference between 10k to 30k, 10k is not hard to archive in a sustainable way and is more than enough for everyday stuff. You can buy a gore tex jacket to go and buy coffee if you want, but you’ll pay more and you won’t be doing the environment any favors.

Yeah true that. But I have one Haglöfs Jacket for "heavy weather conditions" if I'm going to school by bike or going in the city. I rather spent a bit more money and have this jacket for the next 10+ years than maybe buying a cheaper / not as good alternative that doesn't work so well and hasn't the longevity my Hagföfs jacket has. I'm glad with my decision although it was quite expensive and not perfect for the environment. But I'll try to "make it up" with keeping it a long time, treating it fine and trying to save the environment in other ways to compensate this jacket. have a nice day :D

Some wool, like melton, actually still contains a bit of grease/wax from the sheep and is water repellant. Look up sheep wax for example. Cooked wool has this oil/wax removed and will soak up water.

@@thomasschellekens5084 I'm not so sure about that because to my knowledge, melton is boiled and fulled which degreases it to an extent. I heard dehreasing was needed for felting. Do you have any sources? Id like to learn more.

I have a drizabone coat that is absolutely impervious to rain, otherwise known as an oilskin coat. Mine is over 20 years old and I only recently retreated it as the oil/wax had dried up on a few spots. Also breathable, but not as light as goretex or the equivalent. 100+ year old technology that in my book is far superior when it comes to waterproofing, plus it is very tough. Not great for mountaineering and that sort of thing. But for working in the rain? Nothing beats an oilskin jacket.

yeah but the downside is sometimes you look like a school shooter

​@@Ty-er5ok My uncle bought an oilskin from Drizabone like 40 years ago and it's still going strong. The duster is older than me!

Wow, that's amazing that you've got so much Fjällräven gear still kicking around! Glad to see some of those items last as long as they advertise and also be passed down through generations. Thanks so much for sharing with us, Christian!

Do you own a pair of the Abisko Trekking Tights? I have two pairs and am curious as to what applying "waterproofing wax" on top of it is like.

@@handlemonium No, I do not own the Abisko's so I do not know what the wax will do to them. Sorry!

@@handlemonium Do NOT wax your tights. They are not made of g-1000. They are entirely synthetic and will not react to the wax the way you hope.

I'm in the UK and I'm becoming to be a Fjallraven convert. It's a bit more expensive, but you pay for good quality.

Had the same experience - the waxing does not nearly work as advertised and I have the impression that it is worn off almost instantly. As for the G1000 material itself: so fragile that I stopped using it - I'd rather use any army pant, even if it is 100% cotton (use some rain pants over it, in case it rains). Fjallraven has been living of the "we are so close to nature" image for decades and obviously they hit a nerve.

@@boscho1986 Yes the G-1000 seems not to be nearly as tough as many claim. And the G 1000 lite is the worst. Once bought a jacket (Skogsö) Which is made to 80% of the lite G-1000. The sleeves had wear marks after only 1 year and even small holes appear. Just the parts rubbing against the fabric of the torso. Unbelievable. Not even the cheapest discounter jacket would show up like this after only 1 year. But at least FR took it back. But they still sell this Jacket and still made of G-1000 lite.

Exactly the same experience a customer of us had. He bought an Ovik down jacket, and according to the shop he bought it from, he could make it waterproof with that wax... he applied it liberally, and the first halfway serious rainshower soaked him to the bone. I could have told you that before, I said to him. "So... you know more?!" he said. And yes, I know more. A garment that's not waterproof by itself, will NEVER get waterproof by applying whatever layer you can imagine. So, finally he bought a Patagonia "Wanaka" H2no down jacket and later I heard from him this jacket never, ever leaked the tiniest bit. He comfortably survived many rainshowers in it. THAT is worth a lot as a sound recordist...

@@325iaddict Now I understand why you are argumentation is so obstinate. You are selling this overpriced shit.

Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for taking the time to join us here, Amy 👏😜

the problem is we're all trying to save weight....which brings things like frogs togs which are pure plastic... there's like no solution

Goretex is falling out of favour because people like cheap options and they are choosing proprietary brands of waterproof membranes that are as good or just different versions of goretex, hence why goretex has brought out many different lines recently. In the end the lost durable one will always be better for the environment and generally goretex tests their gear so ruggedly that it's the trusted brand. But yes, you don't need it for going down to the shops or a basic rainy camp.

Um no its not at all. Only the best use GORETEX 3L Goretex pro

@@alphaomega9255 yes but the best is a very small section of outdoors people.

Have sold many Jackets and pants in the Ecoshell line. Not more claims on them compared to Gore-tex. You had bad luck..

@@shutterfish Thanks for your comment. You are probably right. At that time I was hoping that Fjāllrāven would say the same thing and simply replace the items. But instead fjāllrāven stated the soaked jacket and pants where matching their expectations. Nevertheless I got a full refund.

Use PU coated fabrics instead

@@shutterfish he didn’t had bad luck. Had the same experience. Used my new at the Fjallraven classic Sweden. Baddest jacket that i ever used. After that i bought a mountain equipment gore tex pro jacket. En that one kept me dry. Couple of years ago. I walked the fjallraven classic in Denmark. I met 2 guys over there. And you’re guessing right. They also had 2 keb eco shell jackets. and guess what. After a rain of 2 hours they where wet. While i was using that Goretex pro jacket i was completely dry.

This is really the answer right here. Buy quality clothing and keep it for 10+ years. I still have a 686 ski jacket I bought in 2006 and despite a few stitching repairs it is still in good shape. Same with my Hestra gloves I bought in 2007. Throwing out gear and especially the "Fast Fashion" trend is doing far more harm to the environment.

@@ColoradoStreamingMy Barbour Solway Zipper is about 42 years old, still keeps me dry, l reproof it when required and still in perfect condition, yes it is heavier than a synthetic version but that wouldn't last 40 plus years!!

100%. I've never been a fan of Gore Tex or other so called breathable. I've always preferred active layering management

That completely depends.... I'm of the virtually non-sweating type. No problems with any of the waterproof materials (Gore Tex, Dermizax, H2no or Hydratic). The only way for me to get wet inside such a jacket is to let the zipper open partially, so the rain comes in ;-)

My experience is that you will get wet if you stay outside doing hard work, either from the outside or from the inside. Clue is to stay warm. Solution is wool because it is still warm if it’s wet.

@@325iaddict You are lucky if you hardly sweat, l am the complete opposite, l spend a lot of time outdoors year round and find a merino wool base layer is the best solution dealing with sweat for me.

That's awesome to hear that it's lasted you so long and has held up so well. Glad it's served you!

I bought one second hand but unfortunately it s not warm anymore, I don't know if it s too old but the inside doesn't provide any warmth.

What supplier is that? I will keep it in mind next time I need a raincoat!

While this would definitely have been true 2-3 years ago, it's no longer the case. That's because my Taiwan-based startup is commercializing a remarkable new membrane that performs neck-and-neck with Pro Shell on breathability, superior in terms of post-wash waterproofness, and up to 33 TIMES less toxic. It's 100% PFC-free, it's air-permeable, and it's available right now in Helly Hansen's high-end 'Infinity' line of jackets. A very eco-conscious 'P' brand and a very technical 'A' brand both have long-term field tests ongoing, and may join this movement to high-performance, super-sustainable technology soon.

@@trenchanttextiles647 what kind of ad-placement is this... great for your company though. literally could've just said patagonia and arcteryx though

@@trenchanttextiles647 explain how heating plastic which is what is done for the HH Lifa Infinity face fabric does not emit plastic fumes. Also, explain how eco friendly is the recycling process of plastic and how durable recycled synth fibers are compared to virgin synth fibers. I agree though: HH 20k g/m2/day is neck and neck with GTX Pro 25k g/m2/day or 28k g/m2/day, although not as good as GTX infinium taped 43k g/m2/day while maintaining 30k mm. GTX's newest double layer bonded ePE performs much similar to GTX infinium.

@@immeremma Fibertec Textile Guard Eco is the product I was referring to. Keep in mind however that the Textile Guard Pro version is PFC based.

That's awesome to hear, glad it works well for you and your lifestyle. Thanks for sharing, Matt!

yep exactly. drying it will reactive the dwr for a while, though you'll have to eventually re-apply it. the reason dwr is important though, is that once water soaks into the outer nylon layer, the garment becomes heavier, & also reduces breathability, which leads to more sweating inside. but yeah - the goretex later will always stay absolutely waterproof.

Came here to say this. That's an essential thing to understand. Good video but that oversight hurts his argument.

I just wanted to comment exactly this, he should have explained this more thoroughly in the video!

goretex wont leak unless its torn. it will however get clammy as hell once the dwr soaks and if you sweat a lot, which can be just as bad

Norröna has the mix reversed 65% cotton 35% polyester. But there is also Sasta. And all have something common, they are very expensive.

it is a cool design, I have one too, wish it would last longer as shoulders and back are peeling off, even the outdry logo now... probably wont buy again

Me too. I've used my Outdry over many ski seasons now. Doesn't need re-treating ever and just does its job over and over. The goretex shell is in the closet unused.

Yep gortex was first to market but they're falling behind in my opinion. Especially at the typical price point for a gortex product.

@@LeakyWaders GTX Shakedry is a good product for what it is. Not that durable but performs well. GTX Pro is reliable but the innovations have been adding some stretch and durability in variants rather than a fundamental improvement in waterproofness or breathability. It's still basically the same tech which is far from environmentally friendly. Durability is always talked about but we all know these products wear out faster than you would hope.

Thanks for the shout-out @sdemosi. Trenchant Textiles produces the fabric for Helly Hansen's Lifa Infinity line and are the exclusive provider of the air-permeable, PFC-free, PP membrane that is at the heart of those fabrics. I would note though that The North Face's 'Futurelight' is not PE-based, but yet another re-branding of the same electrospun PU membrane technology that has been around for a decade, and which brands like Rab are reportedly already moving away from. We could write a whole chapter slagging off the post-wash durability of electrospun polyurethane membranes, and how they need PFC chemistry in order to turn inherently hydrophilic PU hydrophobic (as it needs to be to resist water pressure). But that will have to wait for another time.

@@trenchanttextiles647 ah, I had thought from an article that Futurelight was polyester based but that was erroneous and they're talking about the fabric the membrane is applied to, not the membrane itself which is PU based, with as you say PFC chemistry to adjust the polarity. So having hiked wifh Infinity Pro, Neoshell and GTX Pro I can offer some views on all 3. The ePTFE product is eclipsed by your product & Neoshell in breathability. I've never felt that the air permeability of GTX was high enough for comfort reasons & after decades of it not improving as much as I'd hoped since I got my first jacket in the early 90s, I've come to assume there are some fundamental mechanical problems in the stretching process that trade off the % of air permeable gaps across the fabric area, against the waterproofing. My background is engineering but not chemical so this was just a guess. The Lifa Infinity product was a burlier & higher denier design than the Neoshell product. I have worn both in downpours and found even the lower hydrostatic head of Neoshell to be satisfactory because air permeability and body heat seem to dry the product as I'm wearing it. I guess my body heat is evaporating the water and it's passing through the membrane. My conclusion on this is that chasing 28-30k h/h isn't that important for overall performance because the jacket and pants have a warm bodied, sweat producing human inside. Consistently high breathability is more important & I think most hikers feel the same way after a few years of experiencing condensation inside the jacket. I did the waterfall test (in Iceland) with the Lifa Infinity Pro jacket and pants and they held up fine. No moisture ingress and it was a great fun. I've done the same thing in GTX Pro with similar results. I also had good results in a 5 hour hike in the rain in Neoshell. The nicest fabric feel was the Neoshell (lighter denier however) with the Infinity Pro second, similar to a monolithic membrane and the noisier, crinklier GTX Pro was last. Better than it used to be but still not great. I'm used to caring for GTX Pro and it's still waterproof after a few years and reproofiing. The Lifa Infinity Pro is too new to comment as I bought it for a trip last Feb. However it is still as waterproof as they say I bought it and it's seen about 20 days of use in heavy rain. The Neoshell jacket and pants haven't been subject to the same rough use as it was bought for a different purpose and I "babied them". No 45-60 L packs were worn on that jacket and it has only been washed once. I didn't know the Infinity Pro was your product but I'm happy to say you did a great job. I've also recommended the Lifa Infinity Pro to friends and relatives who saw me wearing it and a good friend who came on a hiking trip with us. She says it's the best waterproof shell she's owned but it really should be good at that price 😉 so thanks for your work and for the unexpected interaction. 👍

@@sdemosi This is brilliant feedback, and music to TT's ears. While we've worn the Lifa Infinity Pro jacket ourselves, feedback from unbiased users (let alone those with such broad experience using such a wide variety of high-end jackets) has been in short supply. I wonder if we could ask you thoughts on a couple other qualities of the jacket though. First, while Helly Hansen's marketing has admittedly been a bit confusing, the Lifa Infinity Pro series is quite unique in that it has no DWR whatsoever. Instead, we've used a bespoke polypropylene face fabric in order to leverage the inherent hydrophobicity of PP to obviate the need for DWR. This not only reduces the environmental impact of the jacket's production, but also eliminates the possibility that the water repellency will diminish over time. The repellency you experience on day one is the repellency that you'll experience for the life of the garment. So your feedback on the jacket's water repellency would be super interesting. The tradeoff from using a PP face fabric is that the abrasion resistance of the face is less than that of a standard nylon or polyester face. While I doubt that you would have noticed any difference this early in the jacket's lifespan, we would welcome any and all feedback on abrasion resistance going forward. Your point on the cost of the jacket is well-taken. We agree that it's worth the price, given its combination of industry-leading breathability and sustainability, not to mention Helly Hansen's design, trim and construction. However, I would note that our Intrepid membrane will find its way into lower price points in the years ahead. So watch this space. Next, while we're ecstatic about how breathable you found the Lifa Infinity Pro, I assure you that there is substantially more breathability forthcoming in our latest nylon-faced fabrics. The PP-faced 3-layer fabric used in that jacket has B1 breathability of 20K. While this is quite high compared to most jackets, TT's latest 3-layer nylon-face fabrics have breathability as high as 36K. This should put us ahead of Gore-Tex Pro Shell, while being roughly 97% less toxic at the membrane level (based on Higg Index numbers). That is not a typo - 33 TIMES less toxic! With performance like that, the toxicity of if PTFE is going to be nigh on impossible to justify going forward. Again, watch this space. Our fabrics will be available from other brands in the near future, as well as via a Kickstarter this fall. The final point I would make is that we believe we have a substantial durability advantage over NeoShell and the other electrospun PU membranes. This is particularly true when it comes to post-wash waterproofness - a well-known vulnerability of electrospun PU membranes. This is another point Trenchant would love your feedback on. TT is going to need experienced testers in the coming years, and it sounds like you know quite a lot about materials and jackets. If that would be of interest to you, please contact us via the Trenchant Textiles web site. Thanks again for you input!

The Canadian stuff is apparently way better than the Chinese versions . No surprise there .

Interesting that boots/trailrunners seeped into the conversation. I bought a pair of New Balance hiking shoes called Summit K.O.M. (king of mountain) 5 years ago, and I've worn them to the bone. They have GTX water proofing. Even though the soles are completely shattered, I still wear them in the rain for working because they are still waterproof and I have never gotten wet socks. I bought a second pair as back-ups about 3 years ago. Other good things about these shoes are they have a "Rock Stop" layer in the soles - can't feel any pebbles or sharp edges; and the laces don't slip.

Happy to hear your G-1000 jacket has served you so well! It's definitely to be analyzed on a case-to-case basis which is why we tried not to be so black and white about it in this video - we're just glad to spark discussion about this material on our platform. Thanks for taking the time to share + join us here!!

every couple of years??? i am an alpinist and have never had to replace any item except through rips, what are you doing that needs to replace every couple of years?

Thank you for sharing this - noted!

Ya I use Nikwax on my goretex products and they’re also PFC free. I’ve heard that using a PFC DWR coating can also be bad because it sheds the chemicals into the environment when it’s raining; thankfully it seems that most manufacturers have moved away from using them. The PFC’s are still present in the material itself, but at least that’s living with the garment.

This would have been so easy for Levi to find and came across as him marketing a brand he didn't need to.

I feel like this guy is only just getting into outdoor gear and he's finding stuff out that has been known and tackled in the industry for years.

@@TrippedCoasty that's the fundamental problem. The ePTFE lining that Gore patented is one of these "forever chemicals". It is fully reacted and non toxic to the wearer of course. We should use PFC free DWR but the product itself is made from PFCs and a byproduct of its production is the environmentally damaging PFOA. Gore argue their membrane doesn't degrade into PFCECs, even in a landfill, and they're phasing out these PFCECs (PFCs of environmental concern) from their products. I don't want to seem like I'm bashing the company because they've done a lot of good, particularly in their medical research department. Lots of people are alive today because of the ePTFE membrane in their heart stent. However the production of ePTFE isn't an environental free lunch & is arguably more polluting than some alternatives. Wax jackets with a cotton or mostly cotton base are likely an environmentally better alternative.

I used to work for Fjallraven so I have a lot of their stuff, I was always impressed with g1000 in snow. Wish they had a reasonably priced waterproof line. They have a lot of cool shit but dropped the ball with a lot of stuff too.

While in the army, I used the Greenland Wax on my cotton-polyester uniform. We had a cheap Gore-Tex uniform too, but it was horrible for most high intensity use cases. I only used it while on watch in the most heavy rain days. Protips - use baking / oven paper and an iron to "melt" the wax into the garment. Apply wax twice and iron the wax between each layer until you can no longer see the white residue. This will greatly increase the longevity of the water repellant effect, as long as you do not machine wash your clothes above 30°C (86°F).

@@jefwesb Would a hairdryer work? This is what l use when reproofing my Barbour thornproofs.

I'm still using my 1990's wax jacket, mostly for walking the dog, I reckon it will outlast me. Gore-tex was a revelation when compared to earlier waterproof garments and I have been through a few different brands for scaling mountains, but these days I'm gravitating towards natural fibres. Wool has largely been abandoned by modern society and huge amounts of it have been incinerated in recent years.

Agree.i have the higher end goretex and I was soaking on the rain and sweat.

Firstly,the Royal family can’t “cavort in the highlands” in England,they would have to go to Scotland (which they are also the royal family of along with wales and Northern Ireland) secondly,Barbour jackets are hardly exclusive,go pretty much anywhere in the UK outside of a town(and a lot of times in town) in winter and you’ll see people wearing Barbour 🤷‍♂️

@@ruzziasht349 maybe, but fashion Barbour.

@@ruzziasht349 I know, but those will be the fashion ranges of Barbour waxed jacket. They still make some of the old fashioned stand-in-the-rain type for sportsmen who like to shoot wildfowl etc. I don’t think they make the Solway Zipper any more though.

Thank you, glad you like them!! ✌

Exactly! And might I add; fashion is never gonna be environmentally friendly.

I also have an Abisko 4 tent. The best tent I have ever had. Just bought an Abisko Lite2 for overnight motorcycle trips. The 4 man stood up to some brutal weather thrown at it on the Isle of Skye, hence the best tent I have ever owned

Thanks for taking the time to be here with us, Felix! ✌️

There's also "always air permeable" Goretex Pro alternatives like eVent, NeoShell, and Futurelight as well as DWR-free "inside out membranes" like Outdry and Shakedry Trail. Despite the toptier performance ratings of Goretex Pro I believe it is only most breathable in rainy conditions whereas eVent-Neoshell-Futurelight lets more air vent through all the time. The only downside is that you might need to wear an extra layer when it's cold out to compensate for the extra permeability. The idea behind membrane-out alternatives like Outdry (twice as thick as Shakedry) and Shakedry Trail (more durable than standard Shakedry) is an outfacing waterproof material that never wets-out and never needs a application of DWR. I own both eVent and Outdry jackets and in my experience the Outdry jacket is by far the best when it's cold, pouring, I need something that can take a beating since the material is functionally "breathable leather". Honestly the best when it's sleeting here in Cascadia. It's also super easy to clean too since you can just wipe mud, splatters, and residue off with water or a Clorox wipe as opposed to running it through the washing machine. The eVent jacket on the other hand I always keep on hand during the Spring and Summer since the extra breathability helps me not sweat as quickly when it's warm out, but is still really great to have during a light rain or brief downpour.

I'm sure it's okay if you like to spend a lot of money for clothing and get wet :D

so the more you sweat the less it breathes?

way overpriced and you're only buying ugly

@Thank Me Later lol

Well overpriced

The Gore-tex jackets hold up to almost anything. I was issued a jacket in the military and used to work on aircraft 10 months of the year, it's held up to oil, grease, grime, and the elements for 8 years before It was done for. I'd like to see these hold up to that.

​@@Rommer2258It's not a heavy duty jacket. It breaths. Nock-offs are cheap and equaly good/bad. I have a heavy-duty treated cotton work jacket - it absorbs,not repels water and I had to use PVC/vynil raincoats - they're garbage,in15 minutes I'm wet from the inside.

Invented in Manchester !

..brought to you by the magic of....fluorocarbons. " Organic Ventile® is a version of Ventile® fabric which uses paraffin wax in place of C6 fluorocarbon as DWR and the raw cotton is organically grown. Compared with non-organic Ventile®, it has a slightly lower hydrostatic head, increased water absorption and no oil repellency. Organic Ventile® may not be the right choice for some applications such as professional use however many of our customers have a concern for the environment and will be prepared to accept less performance and more careful care. We are developing and testing garments with Organic Ventile®"

Arc'teryx replaced my Canadian built jacket with a new China made one, glue used fails in equatorial climes. The former fit like tailored, new one I'll fitting. Gore Tex is and Teflon produces forever toxic wastes. Glad there is a better future product. For our kids planet.

Yes, the thong.

Its too heavy. OK for streetwear for sucks as technical gear

I have a Pendleton shirt I have been wearing since 1975. It just refuses to wear out. The old Trench coats were a gabardine blend of a blend of cotton, linen and wool with lanolin added. Damp but warm. works for me. Better than sweaty and clammy.

Great gear!

@@gdoldays9964 I’ve never used their gear, or even seen it in person. I forget how I got introduced to the company. It’s the type of thing where I don’t need to replace the rain jacket I have now, but when I do Norrøna is an option I’m considering.

@@timraimy9567 Really well made gear. Expensive, but you really get what you pay for. Paramo make some great gear also 👍🏼

@@gdoldays9964 I haven’t heard of Paramo; I’ll check them out!

Their eco-shell is nothing more than a Gore-Tex clone, to avoid using Gore's PTFE monopoly. To think they did this for environmental reasons is just hilarious.

Many brands use a rebranded version of Toray's Polyurethane based Dermizax as their waterproof breathable membrane. They haven't designed their own membrane but use a product they rebrand as their own & for less cost than Gore. Electrospun membranes such as Polartec Neoshell, North Face Futurelight and Outdoor Research's Ascentshell are genuinely different to GTX and Dermizax. Electrospinning can vary the breathability to give optimum venting where you need it. It's still not perfect but no shell is and there's always a tradeoff of durability, waterproofing and breathability. This is why clothing should ideally use different grades of fabric & memtwbe in different places. I don't need as much durability under my armpits as on my shoulders for instance.

And why does nobody use it anymore? Because it smells, it's 5x heavier than a synthetic jacket, it takes days to dry when fully wet.

@@pieter-basbeijer5781yep a lot of people prefer goretex for those reasons. But oilskins are still popular here for different reasons. The heavier material is more durable and less likely to tear when it gets snagged on a branch when walking through thick bush or caught on a nail when working on a job site. And for those that would choose a piece of outdoor clothing for the smell should probably stay inside where they won't get wet and muddy lol.

Just want to point out that unfortunately paraffin wax is petroleum based.

@@shanek7053 what is your point? Petroleum based products are everywhere. Is there a 19th Century outdoor brand that only uses linen, cotton, flax and leather?

@@shanek7053 So is the plastic in the device you posted that on. Your point?

because he is not an outerwear expert

Examples of said outdoor brands?

@@rogierius Dermizax competes with goreTex and stomps on waxed cotton. Technical outerwear brands such as Orage utilize their technology.

@@rogierius Patagonia, The North Face, Paramo, Buffalo, etc

So true, there's such a culture around buying the biggest and the best when companies like Fjällräven offer alternatives that work just as well for what most people need. Thanks for taking the time to share with us!!

I don’t disagree, but it does bother me that their prices are the same, if not more, than the “cutting edge” technology out there.

Glad we could make ya think about the materials in your closet and what they're realistically used for. Thanks for joining us here and sharing, Alex! 😁

have you waxed it?

Put a few coats of wax on it and it is.

@@FlyinRyanProductions406 I have put so much wax on my trousers (vidda pro) that they can stand on their own, but they are not waterproof, not even close.

I mean, they never claimed to be waterproof, and the water resistance is definitely good when waxed

Yeah despite the toptier performance ratings of Goretex Pro I believe it is only most breathable in rainy conditions whereas eVent-Neoshell-Futurelight lets more air vent through all the time. The only downside is that you might need to wear an extra layer when it's cold out to compensate for the extra permeability. The idea behind membrane-out alternatives like Outdry (twice as thick as Shakedry) and Shakedry Trail (more durable than standard Shakedry) is an outfacing waterproof material that never wets-out and never needs a application of DWR. I own both eVent and Outdry jackets and in my experience the Outdry jacket is by far the best when it's cold, pouring, I need something that can take a beating since the material is functionally "breathable leather". Honestly the best when it's sleeting here in Cascadia. It's also super easy to clean too since you can just wipe mud, splatters, and residue off with water or a Clorox wipe as opposed to running it through the washing machine. The eVent jacket on the other hand I always keep on hand during the Spring and Summer since the extra breathability helps me not sweat as quickly when it's warm out, but is still really great to have during a light rain or brief downpour.

Gore wasn't forcing eVent out of business. General Electric (GE), eVent's parent messed that up. GE has a market cap of $68B and Gore $583M, so I hardly say that Gore was the goliath. In fact, it was GE who purposefully stopped marketing eVent in 2009. Since Performax Pro bought eVent in 2020, perhaps you may see more eVent products come on line with their bio membrane products end of 2022 which is when you'll also see gore-tex bio ePE stuff.

I am also cynical, so I get your point. But I have also gone through a lot of (I hope) growing these past few years. And I hope companies can too. So maybe they were using it, and then learned about some aspects of the company, material, production, whatever… (I’m still ignorant about gore-Tex issues that are referenced here) and then made the change. Here is too hoping.

Hey, Benjamin - thanks so much!!!