Enlightened Equipment Visp Rain Jacket Review

Other than looking like Barney the purple animated dinosaur we all love this looks like a nicely made rain parka, especially with the pit zips.

My question is (with the “e”PTFE) does the “e” stand for something like the “e” in eVent? I have an REI eVent Kimtah parka and pants that are sometimes a bit too breathable, as when I’m skiing fast down a run in 10 F. temps.

I certainly like the low weight of this parka considering my eVent parka (size XL) is 16 oz. (as are the pants).

I did a quick “spec for spec” comparison of the new Visp (with pit zips) and the new Montbell Versalite.  I’m having a very hard time not coming down on the side of the Versalite. 16″ vs 12″ pit zips, pockets, very interesting “K-Mono Cut” pattern that minimizes seams, roll-up hood, for only 0.45oz more (both quoted for Men’s size M) and priced identically.

Gore-tex doesn’t claim total waterproofness for the Infinium Windstopper fabric used in the Versalite, but Montbell is claiming waterproof to 30,000 mm and MVTR of 43,000.  Visp claims are 20,000 and 75,000 respectively. This appears to show the Versalite is more waterproof albeit less breathable.  I do however know the danger when one assumes…

I have 2 EE quilts, love them both and would gladly replace with same.  I also have a lot MB gear and love every single piece.  Until I see a head-to-head comparison, I have to go with Montbell.

Eric, ePTFE just means expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. This is what gore tex is and also what eVent uses. It’s a standard way of making a waterproof breathable membrane. Just like “polyester” or “nylon” don’t tell you much about the fabric or its performance beyond the basic material, “ePTFE” doesn’t necessarily tell you much about the membrane performance, just what it is made out of.

If Andrew would like to send me his VISP rain jacket for a few days, I will measure the MVTR, HH and air permeability (which I presume is less than 1 CFM/Ft2).    I can then compare it directly with the MB Versalite (I own the current version) or lots of others WPB jackets. By the way, the HH for the Versalite is as claimed by MB.    Please PM me if you would like to proceed with this.

Ryan M.,

So the WPB membrane in the Visp is really GTX “Windstopper”?? That is definitely NOT a waterproof membrane and was never meant to be so this otherwise nice parka is out for me.

Too bad the MontBell Versalite UL rain parka also uses this same laminate.

Hi Eric:

Considering Windstopper as a water proof membrane:  As I recall, for years, Gore did not permit seam taping on Windstopper products.  For this reason, it was not waterproof, rather water resistant.  The Montbell Versalite is seam taped and I measured its HH at >30000.  So, I don’t see why it would not be considered waterproof.

The VISP is also seam sealed, so I would expect it to perform well as Versalite.  The 20k rating may simply mean that their HH test could only go to 20k, which will be adequate for most activities.

It is interesting that the VISP has a higher MVTR than the Versalite.  Perhaps the face fabric weights and fiber characteristics explain the difference.  We don’t know which MVTR test was conducted for the VISP (it is specified for the Versalite).  However, if it is actually so much higher in the VISP, the VISP may be a superior choice for that reason.  However, it may be a more vulnerable to abuse than the Versalite due to the lighter fabric.

I have found Versalite to be an excellent wind shirt replacement and, if Versalite really has substantially better MVTR, it may well be superior in performance to Versalite as a windshirt replacement.

Until I can get one sent to me for testing, it is all speculation, but it sounds like a strong contender.

There are affiliate links in this review. Aren’t you legally obligated to disclose that to your readers? I couldn’t but help notice.

Very thorough review over at Section Hiker, after a reported 6 months of use (vs 10 days for the BPL review).  Some conclusions mirror those of the BPL review, others do not.  Of particular personal interest were the comments comparing the Visp to the Montbell Versalite, and Phillip’s suggestion that a difference in target audience may suggest they are not entirely comparable.

Stephen,

Have you analyzed rain jackets recently? I’m a big fan of the ShakeDry material, but it seems not to be made anymore. I’ve had three different SD jackets and one Columbia of a similar material. All were absolutely waterproof and amazingly breathable even without pit zips except that they all eventually had leaky zippers. I’ve recently bought a Versalight based on various reviews but am not looking forward to its inevitable DWR failure. I’d love to see one of your patented comprehensive analyses on the state of the rain jacket market.

You can still purchase Shakedry from Gorewear.com. I got one to add to my small collection standby Shakedry jackets. At some point I need to take a look at the new expanded polyethylene membranes from Gore.  I would also like to test a Pertex ShieldAir jacket.  Other than that, I have no plans at the moment.

Shakedry material has been discontinued by Gore in an effort to be more environmentally friendly, but they will continue to make jackets until they run out of material.   To be honest I’m not sure what’s next on the horizon for WP/B tech.

I spoke to customer service at Gorewear and they stated just what Brad said.  When asked how long their supply might last, I was told they did not know.  I agree with Brad about what is on the horizon for WP/B tech.  Schoeller and Pertex have introduced electrospun fabrics (similar to Neoshell).  I have not tested them.  They have the potential to equal or exceed MVTR performance of Shakedry.  How will they compare in durability, we don’t know.  They will undoubtedly have lower hydrostatic head than Shakedry and other Gore membranes.  They will be subject to the shortcomings of DWR treatments.

Gorwear is limited in sizes at the moment, no size large. Also, I had one before and its zipper failed as well. It’s beyond me why these guys make waterproof jackets but use moisture-resistant zippers.