Choosing a storm jacket

You really won't be afraid of any bad weather if you dress like this. The first layer is thermal underwear, which will regulate the removal of moisture from the body, leaving the skin dry. The second layer is insulation, which will retain precious heat. Well, the requirements for the third layer are no less serious - it should protect you from external troubles - wind and precipitation, and also help retain heat and remove condensation. In order to cope with such tasks, outerwear - jacket and trousers - must be functional and must be made of technical fabric. And although functionality comes first, the appearance of these clothes is also important, because they are greeted by their clothes...

MEMBRANE FABRICS

Most outdoor clothing manufacturers use membrane fabrics to produce storm clothing. Below we will describe the principle of operation, the characteristics of various membranes and the differences in their structures, and first we note that membrane fabrics come in two types: microporous and woven. They have one purpose - to carry out evaporation from the body (more precisely, from the thermal layer) and not to carry out precipitation from the outside, but the structure and principle of operation are different. Let's figure out what is what.

MICROPOROUS MEMBRANES

The most striking example of microporous membranes is the famous Gore-Tex membranes manufactured by W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. This membrane was first introduced to the market more than 25 years ago and has remained one of the best ever since.
The membrane itself is a microporous film, with about 9 billion pores per square inch (2.5x2.5 cm), each of which is 20,000 times smaller than a drop of water and 700 times larger than a steam molecule. Consequently, steam (evaporation from the body) can pass through the membrane unhindered, which ensures. But for external moisture that drops onto clothes, the membrane is a barrier: the cell size is smaller than the size of a water molecule, and the drop does not pass through.

IN THE LANGUAGE OF NUMBERS

The mechanism described above is valid for all microporous membranes. However, they all cope with these basic tasks in different ways: in different ways, and they also keep water out from the outside in different ways. Moreover, the concept is conditional, they do not let through for the time being, but under strong pressure (a continuously falling stream of water) a drop still passes, and more than one.
To compare the quality of membranes, tests are carried out, as a result of which two important characteristics are obtained. The first is water resistance (or moisture resistance), the second is water vapor permeability.

WATERPROOF

Water resistance, as the name suggests, is the ability of the membrane to resist the penetration of moisture from the outside - rain, snow, etc. It is measured in millimeters (mm) of water.
The Trans Active membrane (not a microporous membrane, but a woven one) has maximum water resistance. It can withstand up to 78 m of water stop-6a. This is necessary only in extreme cases - during prolonged work in pouring rain. Clothing with such a membrane is produced in limited quantities, because in most cases a smaller indicator is quite enough.
Gore-Tex membranes have excellent water resistance - up to 45 m of water column.
In most cases, membranes with a water column of 10-12 m are sufficient. For comparison, let's say that urban rain creates a pressure of 5-8 m of water column.
Simple membranes with a water resistance of 2 - 3 m of water column will allow you to enjoy life in fog or light drizzle, but not for long - no more than 3-4 hours.
We also note that water resistance is associated with wear resistance: the higher the water resistance, the higher the wear resistance of the membrane material.

Water Vapor Permeability - characterizes the ability and is translated as, or, (remember that the microporous membrane removes vaporous sweat, not wet).
There are two fundamentally different methods of determination.

More the better

The first method - MVTR - consists of directly determining the amount of water vapor passing through a unit volume per unit of time (g/sq. m/24 hours). The higher the indicator, the better the membrane removes evaporation.
The maximum result is shown by Gore-Tex membranes; as a rule, they range from 12,000 to 15,000 g/sq. m in 24 hours.
The large figures from other manufacturers should be treated with caution. The fact is that the experimental parameters may differ, for example, experiments at different temperatures give different results. Moreover, an experiment is a more or less accurate approximation of reality. For example, many methods for testing a membrane assume that it is adjacent to the evaporating surface, but in reality this is not at all the case.

Less is more

The second method - RET (Resistant Evaporate Textile) - measures the ability of the fabric to prevent the removal of condensation that forms on the body (brought to the surface of the inner layers) during sports. The units of measurement are the same as the name of the method. Thus, the more the fabric resists condensation drainage, the worse it is. So for Gore-Tex it is measured in the range of 2.5-5 ret, and for an unnamed membrane from an unknown manufacturer it can be 70 ret. The difference is obvious.

Optimal

Good membrane
- it's always nice. But improving this characteristic inevitably leads to higher prices. Jackets with excellent Gore-Tex are a worthwhile thing, but not everyone can afford them. Moreover, not everyone needs it.
If less than 2000 g/sq.m. m in 24 hours, then such a membrane is no good. Even for walking and active pastime, at least about 4000 g/sq.m. is required. m in 24 hours. For sports, for example, intense running or games - 5000-8000 g/sq.m. m. With increasing load intensity, the indicator should increase. Well, for climbers making difficult climbs in extreme conditions, the figure exceeds 10,000 g/sq. m in 24 hours.

AND WATERPROOF -
THIS IS ALWAYS A COMPROMISE

It should be noted that two important characteristics of the membrane - and water resistance - are interconnected. The better, the less moisture resistance, and vice versa, that is, these characteristics are reciprocal. Roughly speaking, in order for more steam to come out, the pores should be made larger, but then it will be easier for water to get inside.
Therefore, when choosing outerwear, you should set priorities - clearly understand why you need this clothing.

MEMBRANE FRITTILITY

The microporous membrane is a very fragile structure, so it is practically not used by itself. As a rule, it is rolled onto other tissues by thermal means.
If there is additional fabric only on the outside, then such a membrane material is called two-layer. In this case, when sewing clothes, the two-layer membrane fabric is protected on the other side (the inside of the jacket) by a freely hanging mesh, which avoids mechanical damage.
Three-layer membrane material - three layers together: outer fabric, membrane, inner fabric.
Externally, both two-layer and three-layer membranes look like one layer of fabric.

NON-MICROPOROUS MEMBRANES

Non-microporous (or woven) membranes are a small group. The most famous are SympaTex, Dermizax, TransActive. They differ from microporous membranes in structure and principle of operation, although the tasks they face are the same.'
The structure of woven membranes can be simplified as follows: the inner layer is made up of hydrophilic elements that capture water vapor molecules and tiny drops of water, the outer layer is made up of hydrophobic elements (), which, without absorbing, remove gaseous vapor to the outside.
It should be noted that the Trans Active membrane is capable of removing not only steam, but also liquid moisture. Its performance is on par with other woven membranes.
Woven membranes are more durable. Firstly, they do not reduce tensile properties, and this property is relevant for areas of increased stress - elbows, shoulders, knees. And, secondly, they do not require special care: they can be washed as usual without special products. And although the absence of pores increases the service life of such products (in microporous membrane jackets, the pores become greasy, clogged with detergents and can even tear), this also affects the performance - woven membrane materials are worse.

G0RE-TEX.

Conventionally, membranes are divided as follows: Gore-Tex and all others. The division is, of course, rough, but fair. Gore-Tex membranes are recognized as the best; other manufacturers create analogues in an attempt to bring the quality closer to the generally accepted standard.
Gore-Tex membrane materials are used not only in the production of clothing, but also in the production of shoes and gloves.
There are many modifications, the main difference of which is the size of the micropores. The most common are the following: Gore-Tex Classic - the oldest membrane available, Gore-Tex XCR - a new generation of membrane materials whose properties are increased by 25%, Gore-Tex Light - the membrane is rolled onto the lining and is not connected to the outer fabric. Gore-Tex 2-liner - the membrane is not associated with either the outer fabric or the lining. The latter option is used in fashionable casual and sportswear. For serious extreme clothing, triple or double Gore-Tex is used.
Gore-Tex membranes are the most expensive. The cost of clothing with Gore Tech usually starts from 0 per jacket (if you don’t take into account sales of collections from past seasons, where you can buy cheaper). But even if a certain outdoor clothing manufacturer is able to pay a lot of money and use this membrane in their clothing, this is not enough. You still need to earn the trust of the Gore company, because it does not give everyone permission to sew clothes from its membrane materials, placing high demands on production technologies, the level and brand. A list of licensed manufacturers can be found on the company's website.

...AND EVERYONE REST

What can those who produce mid-price clothing do? Or those who can't get (or don't want) permission to make Gore-Tex clothing?
It remains to develop our own membranes, trying to achieve the quality and the same characteristics that Gore-Tex shows. Some manufacturers produce very competitive analogues, while others produce options with worse characteristics.
Almost all names of branded designs include the ending, although this may not hide membrane materials, but ordinary fabrics with water-repellent impregnation.
Let's list the most famous branded designs of outdoor clothing manufacturers:

Bask (Russia) - Sofitex (water resistance -2 m water column, - 3500 g/sq. m for 24 hours;

Campus (Poland) - Vaportex (water resistance - 3 - 11 m, - up to 17000 g/sq. m in 24 hours);

Eider (France) - Defender (water resistance - 20 m water column);

Jack Wolfskin (Germany) - Techaroge (water resistance - 10 m, - 6000 g/sq. m for 24 hours);

Lowe Alpine (England) - Triple Point Ceramic (water resistance - 17 m, ~ 10,000 g/sq. m in 24 hours);

Marmot (USA) - MemBrain (water resistance - 20 m water column);

Red Fox (Russia) - Super Bretex (water resistance - 8 m water column, - 3500 g/sq. m for 24 hours) and Aquatex (10 m and 3500 g/sq. m for 24 hours, respectively).

This is not a complete list; we have listed only those manufacturers whose models are presented in our summer catalog of outerwear.

EASIER THAN A MEMBRANE

Impregnated fabrics are easier to produce and, accordingly, cheaper; sprayed fabrics are somewhat more complex and more expensive.
Fabrics impregnated for the time being. At first, they really protect from wind, as well as from precipitation - water falling on the surface collects in drops and rolls off clothes, but over time their properties deteriorate. The impregnation is washed and worn out. You can, of course, re-treat the fabric with water-repellent compounds, but there is no guarantee that you will get the original effect.
As for abilities, they are low. Impregnation creates a film on the surface of the fabric, which, protecting from wind and external moisture, prevents the removal of internal vapors from the body.
Sprayed fabrics show better water-repellent properties compared to impregnated fabrics. Moreover, they are much better, because the sprayed substance has micropores through which sweat vapor can pass. It is worth noting that sprayed fabrics have characteristics close to microporous membranes, which increases their cost compared to impregnated fabrics. Spraying practically does not lose effectiveness over time.
Some manufacturers of sprayed and impregnated fabrics also include the ending <-tex>, but the fact remains that they are inferior in quality to both microporous and woven membranes.

NEW IN THE WORLD OF INSULATIONS

As we have already said, the second layer in a multi-layer clothing system is insulation: fleece, in winter
jackets - down or its synthetic analogues. Here we would like to focus on two relatively new developments.
Outlast insulation is a so-called phase-transition insulation. The microcapsules included in its composition are able to change their phase state depending on the temperature of your body: so, when you are active, they heat up, turning into liquid, and accumulate heat, and when physical activity decreases, they turn into a solid state and give off this heat to you. However, we note that the task of Outlast insulation is to redistribute heat, and not only during activities with an uneven load (when periods of increased activity alternate with waiting), but also to redistribute heat between physiologically well and poorly heated areas. This property allows Outlast to be used as insulation in socks and gloves (as well as thermal underwear), where it transfers heat from well and easily heated areas, palms or feet, to the fingers. The use of Outlast allows you to reduce the thickness of clothing, providing greater freedom of movement. The limitation on the use of this insulation is the high price of products with Outlast.
Another new product is an air lining from Gore, called Gore Advantage Lining. This lining, designed like an inflatable vest, consists of many interconnected ones. If necessary, these can be filled with air through a special nipple in the collar of the jacket. Air pumped into the cavities on the chest and back creates an air layer that provides thermal insulation. The advantage of this method of insulation is obvious - you can adjust the degree of thermal insulation yourself without increasing the weight of the clothes on you and in your backpack.

EXTREME JACKET

Storm outerwear is a very important thing. It should be light, comfortable and functional.

Extreme clothing must be made of membrane material. All seams and logos must be taped on the inside with a special tape, otherwise the clothes may fail you at the most inopportune moment, and then the high characteristics of the membrane will be negated.

At a minimum, all zippers must be protected by valves, the central zipper of the jacket - two. It is better if the zippers are waterproof. Fabric keychains with zippers are an additional convenience that allows you to unfasten/fasten them without taking off your gloves.

The number of pockets is of great importance (they should be enough to accommodate the necessary things) and their location - they should be easily accessible. It is also important to have internal pockets where you can put away important things, for example, documents or a phone, protecting them from getting wet. The best option for valuables is an internal pocket with external access.

Ventilation valves are provided in the axillary area, which provide a comfortable state when the intensity of the load changes - during active actions, the zippers can be unzipped and.

Contact areas - shoulders, elbows - should be reinforced with stronger materials, which increases the wear resistance of clothing.

There should be drawstrings at the bottom of the jacket and at the waist, as well as the ability to adjust the collar, which will allow you to adjust the jacket to your figure. Sleeves with elastic bands and Velcro fasteners or even elastic inner gloves help prevent snow, rain drops and wind from getting into the sleeves.

The hood should be adjustable in volume using ties so as to ensure a snug fit, allowing it to be placed over the top of the helmet. The presence of a visor (bends back) is welcome, because it provides some protection; it can fit into the collar and can be unfastened. In some models, there is a lycra balaclava. We hope that our information will help you in choosing clothes that will allow you to feel comfortable on any hike and in any weather conditions.

(article from the magazine "Everything for Sports and Recreation", No. 12 2003)