Shells' water repellancy and breathability diminish with time and wear; do something about it.

Two things: Your so-called three-season rain jacket probably is not made of polyurethane, so the “proof” qualities will wear away without care.  Also, if you find the breathability of the jacket suffocating now, don’t replace it; there is a better way.  Same goes for winter shells. 

While proper water-proof shells are basically durable plastic bags, like the Helly Hansen Voss jacket and pants, they are really only good at keeping the wind and rain out if you are reasonably sedentary.  We bird watchers or the Queen’s guard should appreciate these shells a great deal.  These “rubber” shells are non-breathable and require little-to-no care. 

Breathable jackets that use Gore Tex, HyVent DT, Conduit and other brands of treatment require maintenance to maintain optimum performance.  For those of us stuck in Peaklessburg, our shells are probably worn year-round but rarely get to see “action” on the trails or up a route.  Still, wearing it every day is every day wear.  Your sweat clogs the pores on the inside of the jacket, preventing it from breathing, and both the sun and the rain skim off the protective water resistant coating.  Both are reparable. 

To restore breathability, the shell needs a wash, especially on the inside.  I like to hand wash my jackets and snow pants, so I get a bucket and fill it most of the way with water (leave room for the garment) and two caps full of Nikwax Techwash Gel.  Gently massage the fabric.  Sometimes the garment’s label might be in conflict with the recommended water temperature for the Techwash Gel, which is warm.  If the shell says wash in cold water I put just a little hot water in first with the cap full of Gel just to activate the soap, and then fill the rest with cooler water. 

Once the shell dries most of the way and still a little damp, I lay the garment flat and systematically spray every section of the shell with Nikwax TX Direct.  The shell needs some water moisture on it to properly receive the spray treatment.  If it over dries prior to spraying, run it through the shower for a moment.  Be sure to put an unused trash bag under the shell before spraying: the spray can leave tiled floors quite slippery.  Follow the instructions on the bottle, which calls you to wipe off any excess spray and water from the garment after a few moments.  Then repeat on the other side before allowing it to hang dry.   

Some of us could have had a fashionable leather bomber jacket for what we paid for our shells.  We ought to care for them so they give us a great deal of protection over a long time, from the snow, rain, and ice.  Maybe even some protection from city smog. 

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While the weather here in Peaklessburg is going to be sunny, 90 degrees (with and a ruthless dew point of 65), some were recently reminded that winter-esque activities can be found year round if we are willing to travel across the globe.  For instance, today’s coverage of the World Cup in South Africa shows fans shivering in the stands at the brink of winter and a person who recently bought an ice axe on Ebay from me a month ago indicated he plans to use it to climb in the Andes.

However, one of the complications of preparing for an alpine adventure in Peaklessburg – during any time of year – is that the brick and mortar outfitters do not carry the specialized gear necessary and the staff’s knowledge is left entirely to hearsay advice on those topics.  The local REI, for example, does not even carry one basic ice axe or a pair of crampons.  What if a customer was going to climb in the Yukon Territory, where there are few-to-no places to gear-up upon arrival?  Of course there is the ability to shop on the Internet, but you cannot return climbing gear for any reason because of liability issues, even if the length, fit or weight is not satisfactory.  Perhaps outfitters in the south should at least have samples of alpine gear at the outfitter from which to judge comfort issues of weight and length and base making online purchases or special orders through the outfitter.

I have run into this issue with outfitters here regarding full grain leather boots and long underwear as well.  Sure, full grain leather boots are hot and uncomfortable in Peaklessburg where I bought them from a salesman that thought I was 1) throwing away money, and 2) should be buying a heavily ventilated mid-top sneaker he was pushing on me.  He clearly had never hiked in the Adirondacks where the Asolos I bought excel in crossing streams, traverse trails soaked by runoff and keep my feet comfortable despite the inevitable deep mud.  The less expensive mid-top would have left me wet and less supported under my loaded pack.  I also had difficulty obtaining long underwear for trip to Alaska, just because I was traveling in August.

Outfitters may be located in a certain region, and their staff may be most knowledgeable with the local climate and conditions, however we live in the jet age.  We travel, at least sometimes, to exotic locations.  As backpackers and mountaineers, the allure of what else is out there is very exciting.  It is too bad the stores in flat, featureless metropolitan areas are still limited in their expectation for what their customers may want to do.