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I was looking at hard shells by Marmot and Montbell and they both sell jackets with their own fabric…
I highly doubt that Montbell and Marmot (clothing manufacturers) could make significant breakthroughs in material science to rival Dupont and their Gore-Tex products.
But of course maybe I'm wrong.
Are they just OEMing other companies products and calling it their own?
The proprietary waterproof stuff is usually PU coatings (lower price) or PU lamination (higher price). In both cases, the price point will be lower than Gore-Tex branded apparel. In some cases, it may be lighter weight than Gore-Tex branded versions.
As hwc 1954 alluded to, Gore-Tex and these other proprietary waterproof breathable fabrics employ different technologies.
Gore-Tex is composed of a stretched polytetrafluoroethylene membrane that is laminated to fabric (usually an inner and an outer fabric (hence the "3-layer" designation) but not always.
Most of the newer proprietary waterproof breathable fabrics coming out from other companies are some form of polyurethane (PU) coating or laminate technology.
Both of these different fabric types can perform well in some conditions and fail in others. There is no silver bullet. I wouldn't expect any "waterproof breathable" fabric to breath all that well, even the Gore-Tex branded stuff. This aspect of WBP products has stagnated for many, many years now.
Fabric weight and bulk has gone down, but breathability is still pretty dreadful by any objective measure.
Kevin, try eVent WPB parkas. Very breathable and just as water resistant as the best Gore-Tex. eVentpasses vapor DIRECTLY through the laminate, not the two-stage process that GTX requires, therefore eVent breathes best of all WPB laminates.
I prefer it to GTX Pro Shell laminate, their most breathable GTX.
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Brynje Mesh BaselayersBrynje baselayers use open mesh construction to move moisture away from the skin, create insulating air pockets, and help regulate body temperature across changing conditions and activity levels.
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