Jim wrote: > > I want to buy a breathable ( Gortex or similar ) touring jacket. They > aren't cheap and I don't want to purchase something uncomfortable or > restricting. Is a hooded one necessary? Steve Cramer covered most of the bases, so I'll just add a couple things. Kokatat's stuff is apparently more expensive than the Whetstone gear he references. Consider, also, that Kokatat has a lifetime guarantee on their Goretex gear. If it leaks after a while, send it in for free repairs. Steve will probably chime in with the type of guarantee Whetstone has. In drytops, consider a paddle jacket which has latex seals at the wrists (essential), and perhaps one with latex at the neck. Latex at the neck is not so critical, IMHO, depending on whether you do lots of rolling. I favor a neoprene closure that allows for better ventilation, and snugs down pretty good when you want a better closure. Not as good as latex, but close. I've done a couple hours of surfing in my yak with this and been satisfied. Maybe a half a cup of leakage, after being dumped a dozen times. I like the generous cut of Kokatat's paddle jackets, so that is something else to check out when you shop. I agree with Steve re: headgear. A hood is very restrictive and can impair your peripheral vision. A neoprene beanie or polartec (fleece) hat will keep your head warm. Here, we get lots of rain in winter, so most of us wear a fleece-lined goretex souwester or similar. The Seattle Sombrero made by OR is popular, though I favor one made locally called "The Gearhat" (888-432-7428) that actually uses a goretex clone called Sympatex, and is a little cheaper than OR's gear. -------- Jim and Dave: I spent a few days last week paddling around Lasqueti and Jedediah Island (Strait of Georgia - very exposed paddling), specifically targeting the trip to coincide with a fast moving low pressure system. Well, it rain and blew all right, and I experienced complete drytop failure. My Navarro drytop is only a couple of years old, not too heavily used. It is made from Sympatex (breathable fabric, like Goretex). There appears to be some delamination upon closer inspection. It rained so hard one day, my arms in the jacket kept filling with water. I had to keep raising my arms to drain the cold water down the sides of my torso (burrrr!!!). I'm not a happy camper. I'll see what the manufacturer says, but the warranty is normally only one year. I depend on my gear, especially this product which is heavily advertised in Canada as one that keeps the water out. If I wanted to be continually wet, I'd paddle one of Harvey's skin boats :-) So, the seals work great, etc., but the fabric don't. Be careful of imitations, I guess. As far as a hood, 95% of most paddling is accommodated by hat, as pointed out. But when the wind is blowing hard in winter, with rain or sleet, nothing substitutes for a full-on, yak-jacket hood. That's gospel. I'm now debating whether to get a Kokatat semi-drytop with hood, or go for a full drysuit. Regardless, I'll be examining the warranties closely -- this stuff costs way too much money for the flippant regard some manufactures have for their end-users. PS Dave, ya really need to learn to roll that yak of yours in the surf :-) Doug Lloyd - Paddle hard, paddle often! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Oct 02 2001 - 23:36:50 PDT
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