Breathable foulweather gear

penultimate

penultimate

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My Compass Breathable foulies are a disaster. They breathe more water than air. Is there any future in attempting re-proofing, or do I just scrap them?
Assuming that I can't afford top flight Musto gear, what are Forumites experience of Musto breathables?
 
I too have 'budget' breathables that are totally non-waterproof (XM). No hope for them I'm afraid.

I'm not convinced that the breathable thing is important for a cruiser. OK if you're working up a sweat cranking winches all day but you don't sweat too much sitting in the cockpit.
 
Steve

I'll go along with that, when we bought them, several years ago now, the material used was the same as that used by Musto. I know that, cos we went around the SIBS, and that is what the labels said, not a sales bloke.

In fact at that time XM Ocean had more features than the Musto and at half the price!

My XM Oceans like yours, have been used every season for the last 4 or 5 years without any problems. That includes two 5 day off shore passages where they were worn all day and night whilst on watch.

That reminds me they are a bit smelly, must get them in the bath again! (best place to wash them)

PS I dont mean wear them in the bath!
 
Or there's an alternative...
Some academic was on Radio 4 yesterday reporting on studies into 1920s mountaineering gear, as warn by Malory on Everest. It was wool and silk, and wind-machine tests of the same fabric show it to be more windproof, and a lot more flexible than 'technical' gear(easily articulated was the term, = you can move in it).

Whether mountaineers get lumps of green sea water thrown at them I doubt, but a lot of the time we are coping with spray, rain and chill from wind. They have the latter two and snow to boot.

And you could wear wool/silk garments to the pub or shopping without looking like one of those team-building corporate twits you see climbing off RIBs and running round Yarmouth.

Chris

Chris
 
Cant you send them to the mnakers and ask what is wrong with them, or are they so old they are worn completely out? They should stay waterproof sure ly??
 
George

We had the pleasure of your company once on our old Westerly 33 'Heartbeat', in Port Blanc I believe many years back, you had if memory serves just returned from Spain.

However, re 'breathables'! We had top of the range, 2nd mortgage Southern Ocean style stuff and have dumped it in favour of simple but very effective PVC gear. Why? - Because it was too heavy, once wet it took days to dry out all the furry collar and pocket bits and we still sweated in it anyway in UK season as opposed to Arctic in winter weather.

We now have Guy Cotten PVC gear which is 100% waterproof PVC on nylon with welded seams. When it gets saltwater wet, we hose it down afterwards, shake off the freshwater and it dries in minutes as opposed to hours. Guy Cotten (and they too make breathable stuff) offer several different PVC ranges, there is the yellow very stiff stuff used by commercial fishermen and the softer more flexible PVC stuff for yotties that we have, ours is white but yellow is available. We have found no discernable difference in sweating in use with the PVC stuff over the so called breathables and at least too the prices don't bring on a cold sweat!

We did buy too some bargain Guy Cotten jackets in breathable but non furry and not heavy red and white poser style to use as shore jackets (£25 each from the sale rack)

See http://www.guycotten.com/

If you are ever around Concarneau, Guy Cotten have a factory shop by the fish market and very good deals, otherwise any of the French Cooperative Maritime shops have them. They are sold in the UK but I don't know by whom, I saw them at Earls Court.

Robin
 
Guy Cotton have an outlet on Plymouth Barbican and there main headquarters are, Guy Cotton (UK) Ltd. Unit 1 Heathlands Road Ind Estate Station Road Liskeard Cornwall
Tel No 01579 347115.
 
Re: Moleskin reefer jacket....

Definately to be worn when sailing, with naval style cap, starched collar and black knitted silk tie with club burgee tie pin. Trouble is, one needs a vessel with acres of varnish, huge lumps of halyard & warp and ballywrinle the size of sheep. Looks a bit silly in anything post wooden or a Mirror dinghy . . . /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
foul weather gear

I get shivers reading this. Seawater here is like bath water. Makes me want to turn my air-con up full blast just to prove what I am made of.
 
Robin, thanks for helpful advice re Guy Cotton. Yes, I well remember our meeting in Port Blanc 23 Aug.1997. I saw you anchored at Cawsand when I was anchored at Kingsand this year but by the time I'd weighed you had sailed off round Penlee Point.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Guy Cotton have an outlet on Plymouth Barbican and there main headquarters are, Guy Cotton (UK) Ltd. Unit 1 Heathlands Road Ind Estate Station Road Liskeard Cornwall
Tel No 01579 347115.

[/ QUOTE ]
Tried that number but it's only admin, no outlet. Pity because I live a mile down the road.
 
[ QUOTE ]
My Compass Breathable foulies are a disaster. They breathe more water than air. What are Forumites experience of Musto breathables?

[/ QUOTE ]

Been the same road as you. First had Compass kit - didn't even last the season.
Bought the Musto Breathable MPX kit (all 3 layers). They are the most expensive clothes I own, but I haven't regretted it once.
 
Your post has come Just in time. i was getting a set in lieu of socks handkerchiefs and aftershave this coming Xmas.

How long have you had them and how much use?

My 15 yr old and battered henri LLoyds still keep the water out despite pockets hanging off stitching all frayed etc etc.Maybe Ill hang on to them and get aftershave again.
 
I'm at an age where I have bridged the change from natural fabrics to the synthetics of today.I would suggest that the academics are typically not backing up lab studies with on the ground verification of result.
There is no way that the old stuff is anywhere near as good as the new,if it was all the serious players would be wearing it.
 
Probably in use for 5 years and used quite extensively, but always treated as per maker's instructions. They still look good but this year, cruising the Hebrides (where it does rain a bit), I was soaked through on three occasions. I've since bought (eBay) a very nice HPX jacket but been unable to purchase salopettes at a sensible price.
My wife had MPX salopettes, since passed on to a daughter. Both were delighted with them; but I haven't seen them advertised anywhere at a sensible price. Hope that helps.
 
I'll agree with the comments re Compass. My first set merely slowed the water very slightly on its way in; the second set - replaced FOC by Compass - slows it just a little bit more. Eugh! Shiver!!

Guess where I'll <u>not</u> be shopping next time.
 
For a while when I was in between trekking and sailing I wore my North Face water proof trousers on deck in racing round the Solent, they where really good as they where so light weight and comfy but they started to get knackered really quickly due to all the sliding around on the deck and bow area.

I have often thought I would like to design a high strength/wearing set of light weight oilys under the £150 mark for offshore use. The mountaineering boys certainly know how to make the best kit. I currently wear XM and Lalizas for offshore work and Slam on the inshore stuff, very happy with it all.
 
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