The North Face HyVent H2O proofing vs. other stuff

I saw someone post this, and i though it was pretty good.


Its really too bad that there is such a large misconception about millimeters of water-proofing and breathability. That rating system is a total scam, and people really end up playing into a huge marketing scheme of companies all trying to outdo each other with tech talk.Do you even know how they get those numbers? Well, they take a swatch of fabric, turn it upside down (outside face down) and clamp it to a bowl. The bottom of the bowl has a tube, which runs up to a bucket that is filled with water. That bucket is then raised into the air, and the height (in millimeters) that the bucket gets to when water is forced through the fabric is the mm of waterproofing.So, even from the beginning of the test, the fabric is not only completely saturated with water, but then the increasing pressure of the raising bucket adds many times the force of gravity to the already completely saturated fabric. Any fabric that can even withstand the beginning of this test (zero to a few hundred mm) is a great fabric.In the real world, there is no force that puts this much water pressure on a fabric, this only happens in the lab. Because of this, any fabric over a few hundred mm of waterproofing is going WAY above what is necessary for forces of water found in the real world. Plus, the higher the mm of waterproofing, the less breathable the fabric usually can be.Generally, the fabrics that are above a few thousand mm waterproof tend to be woven more tightly, and therefor are generally thinner, more technical fabrics. You end up losing a lot of thickness and durability because of this. When your 20k mm jacket gets a hole in it, it's not very water proof anymore!Other things that play a big role are fabric material, construction, various coatings, seam seals and tape, lining, etc.Because of all of these factors, First Drop has specifically chosen the fabric with waterproofing, breathability, and durability in mind. We feel it is the best fabric for our purposes, and we have personally tested the suits in full winter blizzards and rainstorms this year. They preformed flawlessly.

My Northface Monte Cargo cryptic pants are way more waterproof than my so called 15k OTT's.

Its the Hyvent 2L fabric and its really really nice. On backcountry.com it says its about 18k but like the guy above me said...most the time waterproofing is a marketing scam...you gotta read reviews and try stuff out yourself to really see.

Awesome. Good to know. I guess Gore tex is the only stuff that is as good as it is advertised haha

word. Northface Hyvent 2L fabric on the cryptic line is amazing quality, probably the same as most 20k stuff....I've never gotten wet, its never torn, ripped or frayed and it feels solid comfy and warm.

you should buy the surf and turf pants on tramdock right now.

Gore tex pro > hYvent and eVent > 20k/20k

As for that example posted, believe it if you want, I don't buy it.  It was posted to help market a product.

i swear by northface hy vent. way more breathable then goretex

The membrane can get clogged with oils easier, so although it starts with higher breathability it is easy to lose some of it, enough to bring it below gore-tex.  But in all but the most tech situations (which most people are never im) either will be fine.  I think gore is lighter though, and I'm not sure if the eVent or hYvent are windproof.

i'm just going on first hand expierience. in goretex i didn't get wet, i would undue my shell and there would be a layer of perspiration on the inside though. hyvent, never been wet, never had layers of moisture on the inside of my jacket. i put my gear threw the works.i know its all mostly kleenex / tissue argument but theres slight differences, most people as a few people have mentioned would never notice the difference.

Are you seriously comparing eVent with HyVent?

I don't know where you're getting your information but eVent is easily on par with Gore-Tex in terms of waterproofing and beats it in terms of breathability. Depending on what tests you look at, eVent has actually been shown to be rated to 30k waterproofness and 28k breathability, which beats out Gore-Tex.

Don't get me wrong: Gore-Tex is great,but so is eVent. I've got eVent lined trail runners and a Westcomb Vapor FX lined with eVent and both have been totally waterproof and have amazing breathability. I've got Gore-Tex boots, gloves and a shell too and they're of similar quality to eVent. The only real advantage Gore-Tex has over eVent is their guarantee that they will replace any Gore-Tex product should it fail.

Also, HyVent is not better than 20k/20k rated stuff and compared to eVent, it's not even remotely close.

That said, you do need to pay attention to what the reviews say: The ratings of membranes like Gore-Tex and eVent are only for the membranes themselves. If they are incorporated into a product that is less breathable, then the breathability can drop significantly. Additionally, if the product wets out (has bad DWR or no water repellency at all) it will drop breathability. If the product is not seam sealed or is poorly made, it doesn't matter what membrane it uses: It can leak.

This is all relative though, most people are not going to need a top-notch membrane like eVent or Gore-Tex, sometimes 5k or 10k rated stuff is more than what they might need so you can spend much less money to get products like that. HyVent might be perfectly fine for what you need.

Do your research (and I'm not just talking about reading) before you start making statements on gear that people might be relying on to stay alive in harsh conditions. It's dangerous and irresponsible.

something to keep in mind, is that if NF says that a garment is water proof, they mean it is WATER PROOF!!!
hyvent or goretex and fully seam taped, also LIFETIME WARRANTY!

iv got the oakley alps jacket from last year, its made from eVent 3L. Its the best jacket iv had, i never get wet. Had it for a year its still very very waterproof and does not wet out. The water still beads and runs off, never washed it or applied nikwax.

I live in new zealand, it gets pretty wet over a lot of the islands... I"ve been saturated inside eVent jackets.. doesnt matter what hte technology, once it's wetted out on the surface your $500 jacket has little advantage over a plastic bag for breathability....
co.ubias onmi dry, mountain designs dry q and polartec's neoshell are the new kids on the block with the best breathability..

last season I instructed in the pooring rain for 8 hours straight multiple times with my gonzo and $y upper body was completly dry

Meh.
I won't buy something if it does not say: eVent, H2nO, or Gortex.

For Light weight, high breathability, GE's eVent is the best. Patagucci's H2nO is solid stuff as well, breaths well and is nice and durable.
Gortex Pro-Shell is probably the creme de la crop for Alpine Hardshells that will be used in harsh conditions.

My entire ski closet is TNF HyVent from jackets to pants, and I have never been wet.  The stuff breathes well, is very tear resistant and is for sure water tight.  Been super peased with all of it.  Fits really well too!

I'm with cobra on this one.

There is no such thing as water proof, only varying levels of water resistance.