A NEW PARADIGM FOR ANALYZING PWPB SYSTEMS LIKE THE COLUMBIA OUTDRY EX FEATHERWEI

Christoph I asked Marmot about EvoDry as my wife finds the Columbia Outdry Ex Featherweight lacking in aesthetics, and while she puts function first she thinks she should be able to get function in a design she’d enjoy wearing too. Trying to learn more before pulling the trigger. Marmot provided this link below, and in response to Roger’s comment, this is what they wrote in a chat:

“EvoDry is performing great, the water repellancy is actually bonded into the yarn fibers instead of being a coating, so you should not have to re-apply…you still need to wash it regularly so that those oils do not sit on the jacket, most people do not wash their jackets like they should and the interior can break down due to the lack of washing…it also has coating as well as being bonded into the fibers.”

https://www.marmot.com/evodry/EVODry-landing.html

Would appreciate Richard Nisley’s thoughts. What a fantastic job he did on the research and report.

@mocs123:

I also found the OutDry EX Featherweight on sale for below 100 USD here in Europe. Not that I really needed another jacket, but I couldn’t resist.

I haven’t had time to test the performance yet, but I’m initially positively surprised. I’m definitely keeping it. In small it’s around 200g, so about 25g more than my RAB Flashpoint (2015). I thought it would be slightly heavier. It has a good fit for me and the quality of the stitching and taping seems on par with the Flashpoint.

I don’t think I personally will have much use for the two large non-waterproof pockets, so they could have saved some weight by removing them, and I would have liked a drawstring adjustment in the bottom hem. One major drawback from a design point of view compared to the Flashpoint is the hood – it has much worse brim, it is lacking protection from the sides and it is missing the front drawstring adjustments (only has one in the back of the hood).

Looking forward for some rain so I can see how the OutDry performs and It will be interesting to see how the hood fares in rain and wind.

@rullgrus

I have found hoods of European companies’ rain shells (Haglofs and Rab) to be far superior to USA companies hoods on rain shells.

Hi Ethan

Lots of video marketing spin at that URL, but there does not seem to be ANY technical info about EvoDry on the Marmot website. No specifications about HH or wear-resistance or life or anything. That is a right turn-off.

Cheers

Hi Roger, that’s why I’ve asked Marmot to email a link to technical information which backs the claims. I hadn’t even looked at the link they sent until now. It will be interesting to see if and how they respond.

Another odd thing – Marmot website and customer service say the men’s Phoenix size medium weighs 8 oz – everywhere else on the web it’s listed at 11-12 oz.

Meanwhile my $19 not-so-breathable Costco rain jacket sans pit zips is holding the line until I have a replacement for my old backpacking rain jacket.

G’day Kristoffer, if you trawl back through the thread (there is much interesting stuff there) you will see my reference to the “big pockets” you mention- they are vents, pure and simple, and best not used as pockets unless it is very cold and work far, far better than pit zips. I would not buy any jacket now without them-you will notice it is uncomfortable to put your hands in them because of their placement-they are back to front literally-Columbia should just say these are vents and be done with it. I mentioned I own a Marmot Nano AS-with the same vents/pockets so I knew when I bought this they would work.

The hood fits best when the bottom edge is under the chin not over it, (or only over the chin a wee bit-this is not a jacket for full face coverage in my experience) it pulls the hood “into shape” making the neck area of the jacket bellow nicely which significantly adds to it’s breathability (and is a stand out feature) and makes the beak/peak work perfectly-yes, perfectly-it only took me about 30 hours in the rain to work this out. This is not a stiff brim type of jacket-so a bit of mucking around is required-but there is a huge benefit to be had in the rain when breathabilty is maximised as I have mentioned. I now agree with Richard about the “elastic bottom” and will likely put some hat elastic through it at some stage- it is however like that to maximise breathabilty -air flow, up and under the back, but a toggled tightener would be nice when stopped (to keep in the warmth) for a cuppa!

Cheers

a toggled tightener would be nice
Especially when walking up a narrow ridge in a gale and the wind is going straight up your jacket. Well, it IS a jacket after all.

Cheers

Yeah a tightener would be nice – I thought I can just pull through something but it won’t work as sections are stitched together.

Bugger! I thought it felt like there was an opening all the way around. I even followed it around with my finger nail from the outside obviously. This is right on the bottom seam. Are you certain Christoph?

I have not had a problem at all when active as each time I have been wearing mine I have had the (rucksack) belt done up. Wind can’t blow up at all!

Just sitting the other morning in the South East Australian cold took the rucksack off, having a cuppa and a little wind was working in there-I just snugged it in a bit and bingo-it was fine as it is a good length-I can just sit on mine.

Yeah I thought so too, but when I checked there was a section that is stitched through vertically.
That was just a quick glance though, maybe there are ways to get it done somehow.

The waist belt is a good point which might work as a workaround anyway!

I have returned the Jacket and ordered a different size/color, so I have to wait a few days until I can check again. Can’t wait to finally test it.

“The waist belt is a good point which might work as a workaround anyway!”

I’m not sure if we mean the same thing? I only wear this with a rucksack-(multiday) and my Widerness Threadworks 40L Luxmore has a hip belt which is always buckled when I wear this. When “Static” -sack is off, I have no belt and wouldn’t (but don’t see why not) wear one over the top of the jacket. Do you mean you would consider this?

Get some (a metre?) of that hat elastic and make a belt for static use-tough and stretchy and I could see this working. A la Jethro from the Beverly Hillbillies!

https://hubpages.com/entertainment/The-New-Beverly-Hillbillies-If-I-Had-My-Way He is on the far left if you didn’t know ha ha. Maybe get it in black!

Ah yes, we mean the same :) Sorry for the confusion. I mean the hipbelt of the backpack of course.

I think I will try to add some cord in the bottom seam, but I have to check again if there is any way to do this.

Gruss Gott. No worries at all Christoph.

I just checked and there appears nothing to block this. BUT you would have to slice open the jacket! YOUCH!

After all my hours with this jacket it really isn’t a problem-it is a rain jacket after all.

Get the metre of hat elastic and wear a belt a la Jethro.

This is the best solution if you feel the need to go this way.

Grüß Gott back :) Thanks for checking! I think I will rather use the hipbelt as I will close it anyway. Don’t want to tear the fabric.

Glad to hear you are happy with the jacket!

Oh, and I have washed my jacket about four times so far in body temp water-no soap as yet. Agitate it in a trough by hand quite briskly, inside out- to try and get at the oils-rinse-three times, then on the line to drip-takes about ten minutes to drain as it is not wet.

Washing: Can I suggest Atsko SportsWash? Or the Nikwax equivalent.
Do not use commercial laundry detergent: that is as likely to damage the DWR as clean it.

Cheers

Ta Roger,

I am going to avoid any “soap” as long as possible, maybe even completely.  I am hoping that due to the different nature of this fabric – that I might get away with the warm water “baths” done frequently. I realised I have actually “washed” this about 6 times. I have the nikwash and might eventually look into using that, but while the constant baths “work” and I “seem to be avoiding clogging” with oils I will just keep to plain body temp water. I really would like to know if it works and the only way at the moment is to keep doing it.

Cheers

Warm water may remove sweat and some things, but not oils.
Prediction: it won’t work.
SportsWash and TechWash do work very well.

Cheers

Graham F:
… see my reference to the “big pockets” you mention- they are vents …

Ah, interesting, thanks. Looking forward to evaluate how they perform as vents.

I tend to throw all my outdoor gear in the tub with wool wash. Will that kill dwr?

It doesn’t seem too bad thus far if I then chuck them in the drier.

Dont really want to wash my wind shirts in detergent that costs 10 bucks for a couple of hundred mls. Waterproofs I can cope with as they get used and washed less frequently.

Woolwash might be better than ‘laundry powder’, but the specialised sportswash versions are better. They may be $10 for a couple of hundred mls, but you only use a few mls in a wash. It works out quite economical.

Cheers

Good to know. Cheers.

I thought specialist products like Sportswash and Techwash were simply pure soap, sold in tiny amounts and therefore quite expensive.

Much cheaper if you can find larger volume containers of pure soap, or even the old fashioned soap flakes. Definitely not detergent.

Any one know different?

Well, afaik, pure soap might describe them. The more important part of the package is that they contain NO fillers, NO scents, NO UV brighteners, NO enzymes, No (whatever), just ‘soap’. Also bear in mind that ‘soap’ and ‘detergent’ are just names for a wetting agent: in very simplistic terms molecules with a water-loving end and an oil-loving end.

They are not sold in tiny amounts. A conventional bottle is either 500 mL or 1 L; I buy it in 2 or 3 L bottles. Such a bottle lasts for many years.

They are not expensive. Bear in mind that they are undiluted: no fillers etc. A spoonful is quite enough. I think that the smaller bottles recommend using a ‘capful’.

Cheers

@roger I stand corrected. I had only ever seen Techwash in the small bottles in outdoor shops, but a quick look on the interweb has shown the stuff available in 5 lt containers. Thanks for the hint  : )