Getting wet in your waterproofs? Read this…

26 June 2008 15:34

There are a number of reasons why you could be getting wet in your so-called waterproofs – number one being that no waterproof is breathable enough to completely rid you of condensation – but follow these rules and you’ll stay high and dry as long as possible.

1 Fold or hang, don’t scrunch
Scrunching stresses the membrane and speeds its breakdown

2 Act tough? Buy tough
Buy a jacket with tougher materials if you do lots of climbing and scrambling. Lightweight jackets ain’t just pricey – they’re stripped down and delicate

3 Clean ’em quick
Get muck and hill debris off when you get home, then let dry naturally before it has a chance to choke your waterproofs’ wicking, beading and breathing abilities

4 Dodge chemicals
Keep waterproofs away from all oils, detergents and paints, which can seriously degrade them

5 Reproof them
Waterproof membranes need care of their inner and outer fabric to enable them to work at their best. Resurrect your jacket’s ability to bead water and breathe better by washing and then reproofing it using one of the many dedicated technical wash products.

6 Buy the right base layers
In order for a breathable waterproof to work well, the clothes you wear underneath need to move sweat in the right direction. Buy a good wool or synthetic base layer that wicks sweat effectively. Never wear cotton, and experiment with going from a three-layer system to two-layer.

7 Vent, vent, vent
Improve the jacket’s ability to keep you dry by increasing airflow inside it by using the main zip, pit zips and pocket zips whenever possible.

8 Go for flaps
So-called waterproof zips work fine until you bend them – then rain gets through their gritted teeth. Always choose a jacket with zip-covering flaps.