Really interesting video about Gore-tex - what it was and is now. Well worth a watch before buying outdoor gear.
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Interesting point: waterproof OR breathable, but not both at the same time. I remember decades ago getting Gore-Tex jackets for the first time. They were waterproof (up to a point) before I wore them too many times but I never found them any more breathable than non-Gore-Tex jackets.
I think that’s because - unlike large parts of America which have a continental climate - the UK has a relatively high humidity most of the year especially in the north west. It was only later that I understood the physics – no humidity gradient across the material, no breathing (i.e. expelling of moisture).
For really wet weather I now have a North Face Apex jacket. It claims to be Gore-Tex. It’s heavy - like wearing a diver’s wetsuit - and it keeps me dry but it’s not breathable. Fortunately, it has a long zip under each arm for when I get too warm.
I’ve never found it that good at breathability. Useful for water proof stuff but every year when its not very cold its wetter than an otters pocket inside when I go skiing
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