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New Jacket? One That Will Last a While

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CCampbell-A1
Posts: 264 - Karma: 13
Looking for a new jacket, and possibly pants. Can anyone tell me:

Is DWR (spray-on) waterproofing good enough? I ski for 13-15 hours a day most days, in wet and gross Nova Scotia weather. I want a jacket that's gonna last for a while, is it worth going Gore-Tex or something similar?

Does 2L or 3L mean that the jacket has an internal membrane and not DWR waterproofing?

What's the quality of the new Moment stuff like?

Anyone have any suggestions on companies that make quality stuff? Most of the stuff I see in my style (neon colors with a little bagginess) seems to look good, but doesn't seem like it'd hold up to the weather here. Am I wrong?

What type of waterproofing should I look for? 10k? 15k? 20k? Gore-Tex?
Oct 12 2010 4:08PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
trew/hh

/thread
Oct 12 2010 4:09PM
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DJ_Pauly_D
Posts: 1043 - Karma: 42
If you ski that much in that weather defenitely get gore-tex... check out backcountry.com
Oct 12 2010 4:35PM
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Dr.Rick_Marshall
Posts: 407 - Karma: 44
Check out the armada tracer, great quality/build/materials/fit, and less expensive than trew.
Oct 12 2010 4:42PM
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Banane.
Posts: 3102 - Karma: 414
The new Jp retellack jacket from orage is bomber
Oct 12 2010 4:45PM
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DJ_Pauly_D
Posts: 1043 - Karma: 42
this
Oct 12 2010 4:48PM
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A.Eberhard
Posts: 4426 - Karma: 415
Don't cheap out on this make sure you buy expensive, gortex for sure. If your not to much into style Arc'teryx make some high quality outerwear, but the price is usually high also.
Oct 12 2010 4:49PM
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BlackcountryBill
Posts: 955 - Karma: 576
I've got a jacket made by SOS, a swedish company. I've worn it for two winters and inbetween, during the season I spent 7am-10pm in it solidly every day. it's still super sick and comes up as new after a wash and re-waterproofing.
Oct 12 2010 5:23PM
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Triple_Strum
Posts: 6382 - Karma: 946
Since people don't seem to be answering your question in its entirety, I will give it a shot.

- DWR is just a coating on top of a fabric. It is helpful in water-repellance, but you are in wet conditions continually then you still need a jacket whose fabric has smaller pores (that is what the number of waterproofing represents).

- Is it worth going Gore-Tex? Gore-Tex is actually a company that makes a specific type of fabric. They have obviously done well for themselves and make a great product. Just because a material is Gore-Tex doesn't necessarily make it super rugged. Gore-Tex has become very popular because it has a high waterproofing and breathability to weight ratio. eVent is also becoming increasingly popular for that reason. So, you can get Gore-Tex, but other types of fabrics still provide high waterproofing and durability as well

- 2L and 3L refer to the thickness of the jacket, meaning that it is made of 2 layers or 3 layers of the material. The more layers, the more waterproof. For example, two layer Gore-Tex is 28,000 mm and three layer is 45,000 mm. Another example would be North Face's most popular middle to high end fabric - Hyvent. Many jacket sport descriptions that say Hyvent 2L, which means it is 2-layers of the fabric welded together and reported is around 22-25k waterproofing. So, it has nothing to do with a poly-coating or spray.

- No idea about moment stuff, but if you are really looking forward to getting a nice, durable and waterproof jacket, buying the first year of any line isn't necessarily recommended.

I hope that helps you and find a great jacket. If you want my personal advice, then go for a company that isn't adult-world mainstream but uses a high quality fabric. For example, when you buy Arcteryx, North Face, Norrona, Mountain Hardwear, etc, you are paying for their name as well. I have found that you can get good used gear by keeping your eye out and buying a more core brand that employs a good fabric. For example, I had a DC Venta jacket that used 3L eVent fabric and it was $50 new. I sold it, but it would have lasted for many seasons and was 30,000 mm waterproofing. Hope that helps. PM me if you would like any specific suggestions
Oct 12 2010 5:49PM
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C0LE
Posts: 316 - Karma: 475
I always thought that 3L just meant that there was a more durable layer on the outside, with the water repellent layer in the middle, and then the wicking layer on the inside. It just made the fabric much stronger and resistant to ripping or tearing. feel free to correct me if im wrong though
Oct 12 2010 7:32PM
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CCampbell-A1
Posts: 264 - Karma: 13
Thanks for the input guys, +K to all of you.

I've been looking at Orage jackets for a while now, and the prices seem to be pretty good, I've heard they're good quality too. I've been looking at the Garth and Sidney, I think the Retallack is probably a bit out of my price range, meaning that Gore-Tex (as well as similar stuff) probably is too. I might swing it just because it's worth it for the time I'll be out, but it's a wee bit pricey. Trew is definitely out of my league.

I think I'll hit you up on that Triple_Strum, PM incoming.

Anyone else know of decent jackets that might work for me? Brand name matter to me, quality does.

Oct 12 2010 10:33PM
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