Water resistant Breathable bush coats

Hi Bushtrek,

Hope you're sitting down...this is a long one!

I've been using and selling the waterproof breathable products since the eighties when they first arrived in Australia. Until a few years ago Goretex had the lions share of the market and the product is definitely good. There are some other brands of material on the market now and they have benefits that differ slightly from Goretex. For example they may be a little less waterproof but more breathable which is better for our conditions here. When I say they are less waterproof I mean that they will do everything we need to do with them but may not be the best option if you're doing extreme work such as hard mountaineering for example. These fabrics are all laminates in either two or three layers and include Empatex, Repel, Conduit, and Hydronaught etc etc.

If you stick with the good outdoor clothing brands such as Mountain Hardware, Mont, Mountain Designs, Paddy Pallin, North Face and ask the shop staff to explain their various materials and jacket designs then you can't go wrong. Depending on your end use you should be able to pick a suitable model from around $250 - $400. The more technical jackets are the higher prices as they have under-arm waterproof zips and all sorts of other features that add to the manufacturing cost. Just weigh up whether you really need all the extra gizmo's.

Mont is an excellent brand and Aussie too.

I hope this all helps.

I don't have a MONT jacket, but I have a large backpacker-style backpack which has been fantastic- I am really happy with the quality of materials and construction.

I have a Mont brand jacket I have used for several years bushwalking - it is Hydronaute material. It keeps me pretty dry, even walking in rain with a back pack on. Probably not quite as breathable as a Goretex jacket I used before, but quite satisfactory - and cheaper.

I have two Mont jackets; one for cycling and another for walking and ski touring and can vouch for their quality and function. Plenty breathable and waterproof.

Cheers,

Mark

Hi Bushtrek,
Have a look at the Oringi wet weather gear. It is made in New Zealand. I used to wear it working out doors during winter. Keeps you dry, is breatable, and I found you don't sweat in it. They are very light. As a test when it was first bought the guys at work hosed me down with a fire hose, not a drop got through. They also do a really good beany that is warm and not itchy.
http://www.oringi.com.au/index.pasp? Well worth their money. We placed a large order for our workers and they threw in some extra gear for free, good advertising.
No affiliation just happy with their product.

Josh