Dear BPL community,
First off, as this is my initial post, I want to thank you all for your dedication to ferreting out technical data and giving the broader reading public useful benchmarks. Bravo! I have learned a ton.
By now, I've learned to distinguish my CFM (cubic feet per minute windblocking) from my MVTR (moisture vapor transmission rate breathability) and my PSI (or 'hydrostatic head' water resistance).
Still elusive is the "Spray Test" / DWR rating information for most of the good waterproof & water resistant technologies. Did I miss a post on this at BPL? I've seen this referenced as a ratio — 80/20, meaning 80 percent of hydrostatic head after 20 washings — or as a more amorphous "grade." The info that Google has indexed is far too fragmentary.
Would you care to help piece this info together? Or, in less concrete terms, what has your experience been with the durability of the waterproofing treatments?
I'd like to know whether eVent is as durable as Gore ProShell, PacLite, etc.
Incidentally, I've heard that Epic, contrary to claims, is actually not terribly durable under pack abrasion, and that the pilling that results breaks the waterproofing. Not trying to spark another debate over Epic, but I thought this second-hand trail report is worth recording on this thread.
As an aside, my current need is a WPB shell for distance running in rainy weather — say, medium rain exposure over 1 hour. My first instinct was Epic because it's safely washable, but I was subsequently advised that Epic doesn't breathe sufficiently for prolonged aerobic activity. An alternative's been suggested, of a wicking compression base layer and a minimalist eVent shell with some non-vulnerable vents. Now the problem is, will I stink up the eVent and find a few unavoidable washes has depleted a treatment whose breathability Nikwax can't restore?
Much obliged,
Martin
