The and Wonderful Evolution of the Waterproof Jacket
29 points by surprisetalk
by fmajid
1 subcomments
They should have mentioned Tyrolian (Austrian) loden, a densely woven and felted wool that is reasonably water-resistant. Since that comes from the weaving, it does not require regular reproofing unlike a waxed cotton trench coat. I have a coat that is the best of both worlds, loden with a Gore-Tex membrane.
I also have a lighter weight Ventile raincoat by Private White VC that is absolutely phenomenal. I wish more brands would adopt it and democratize the fabric.
by barbegal
6 subcomments
Interesting but I can't deal with the AI generated prose.
Sentences like "This was not a garment for walking between a carriage and a doorway. It was ..." show me no human has proof read or edited the text.
by justinator
2 subcomments
People are moving away from Gore-Tex, especially as the new jackets simply work worse than the previous ones that have poisoned our water. It's just simpler materials and mechanical venting (pit zips). Simple, strong, lightweight. And they don't cost $400.
by iammjm
0 subcomment
Funny how in the 1800s they got rid of the hood. I assume hats were the reason? As in: everybody wears hats anyway, so why do we need the hoods? And then the hats mostly went away and thus the hood returned.
by gingerlime
1 subcomments
I wonder about hot environments where it rains, like tropical countries. Any tips or insights on what works best?
by cwmoore
1 subcomments
What can we anthropomorphize next?
“Think of it like this. Imagine you have a room full of people on one side of a door, and an empty room on the other side. Open the door and people will naturally drift toward the empty room. That’s how Gore-Tex breathes.”
by joe_the_user
0 subcomment
Bizarre that simple leather garments aren't mentioned. I'm pretty sure leather was the go-to solution to rain and cold for much of human history.