PillsburyDoughboy":3iusu8im said:
Goretex
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Its easy to say "Goretex", but laminates are only as good as their outer DWR coating. Goretex does not fare well when it comes in direct contact with water. So, for example, if you have Goretex lined boots and the DWR coating wears off and is not reapplied, your feet will get wet just walking through wet grass. The outer fabric becomes abosrbed, then the Goretex laminate comes in direct contact with water and then you feet are pretty much instantly soaked. goretex works well, but its no magic pill. You need a quality outer liner with a quality DWR application that is retreated regularly. Even though it does breathe reasonably well, you need a pretty good temperature differential between the heat generated on the inside of the laminate and the air temperature on the outside for it to work effectively. The problem in the SE is that it is often too warm to achieve this differential. So, while a Gortex jacket works well on cold wet days, it may not be ideal for mild to warm wet days that we experience so frequently. You wear your Goretex jacket while walking through the woods on a 58 degree rainy day, you'll be sweating, with not enough temperature differential for the laminate to work effectively. Based on that and the high cost of Goretex, a goretex lined jacket may not ideal for your sole piece of rain gear in TN. On the other hand, I'm not sure if such an ideal rain jacket exists. The more waterproof, the less breathable, the less breathable, the hotter. multi layer jackets also tend to be loud, which isn't so good for hunting purposes, especially bowhunting. If you end up sweating, you haven't effectively kept yourself dry, then what's the point in wearing rain gear in the first place?
