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I seem to have quite a few gortex and pertex type jackets that are great if they are kept clean and washed and proofed properly. But I also could do with a cheap waterproof jacket that can be washed every other day thats lightish, some kind of venting would be useful (can you get a breathable cheap jacket?), and still keeps you dry if its dirty. I generally work outside doing a fairly physical job and so need to stay dry... Suggestions for my moon on a stick jacket please
Anything that does what you want is highly unlikely to be breathable, let alone cheap. I now work outdoors all day, regardless of weather, which means getting wet if it’s raining all day. Site rules dictate hi-viz be worn at all times, so I could just wear a tabard over a light waterproof, which I did at first, a basic Peter Storm jacket. It doesn’t take long for it to get wet through. I now wear a supplied hi-viz jacket, which can get sweaty, but not soaked through and cold.
Pertex is a range of fabrics. Most are not Waterproof.
How cheap is cheap?
Pretty much any waterproof you will buy will be described as breathable (and they are, compared to a bin liner). In practice, most cheap waterproofs have poor breathability, so you are right to look at something with vents. Most are not intended to be washed daily, and you will likely reduce it's life quite significantly (not an issue if it is that cheap?). I suspect the sealed seams may fail prematurely. If you are washing every other day, are you happy to clear the washing machine out of normal detergent that regularly?
Depending on how active you are you might be better looking at stuff that is ventilated rather than breathable if you’re getting dirty all the time
for breathable - paramo stuff probably stands frequent washing better than most as it’s designed so that the proofing is washed in. You can probably get away with a wash-in reproof every three or four regular washes. If you wash it at night it’s dry enough to wear the next morning
pricy for working in but I buy second hand stuff off eBay
Flexothane from local farm suppliers and replace each winter. Just a t-shirt underneath to avoid getting too hot. This and variations of it are what we use tree felling in crap weather when rain is falling faster than we are sweating .
Kiwi do a slightly heavier version, but Flexothane is pretty robust anyway.
+1 Flexothane. Arco also stock.
Guy Cotten stuff is pretty good - used a lot by commercial fishermen. Very robust but not especially breathable.
Light, Cheap, Waterproof, Breathable
Choose any three, expecting four probably is moon on a wet / sweaty stick.
However, if it is recommended by a forester or farmer then that would be good enough for me.
Flexothane
Learn something new every day!
Dirty gore-tex is still going to breath better than a non-breathable fabric and should still be waterproof when dirty.
Military surplus Gore Tex is really cheap. Navy or airforce for non-camo fabrics. Some even have hi viz.
http://www.britishmilitarysurplus.co.uk/shop/jackets/raf-waterproof-mvp-jacket-grade-1123352.html
The Grade2 are £15 each - I'm sure one would get you through one winter
Flexothane is described as breathable - really its just a soft fabric bonded to the inside of the PU that mops up moisture and makes the inside feel less cold / clammy.
Compared to the high tec goretex like fabrics that a highly breathable you sort of have to think about the layering differently underneath - wearing layers that make the hot/damp climate inside the clothes comfortable.
It also really, really sheds rain - and chucks it straight down your trousers so worth pairing with over-trousers in properly foul weather.
Have a look at some of the Fladen clothing, designed for fishing. Hard wearing and pretty decent value.
https://www.uttings.co.uk/c458-clothing/brand=fladen/
Look on screwfix, they have some jackets for working in and reasonable prices.
+ a few more for flexothane stuff, and also the cheap rubbery helly hansen jackets and trousers which I think are basically the same stuff. On a building site where we can't set up a tarp to work under, if it looks like a full day of rain i'll switch to a pair of helly work thermals (screwfix bargain) under the shell and stay pretty comfortable. If the waterproofs are starting to leak, i'll put on a pair of my old paclite trousers underneath. As long as the holes don't match up it's pretty good!