GORE-TEX is the world’s leading waterproof fabric technology and we are one of Gore’s closest research and development partners. GORE-TEX is not only an extremely high performance product but has, in its ‘Guaranteed to Keep You Dry’ promise, one of the best warranties in the industry. GORE-TEX comes in numerous different versions, and each version comes in different weaves, with a greater denier ‘D’ (e.g. 40D, 80D), meaning greater fibre diameter which usually indicates greater fabric durability.

Drilite is Mountain Equipment’s own waterproof fabric range and has over 25 years of heritage. Our Drilite fabrics are chosen from literally thousands of different options and only make the cut after hours and hours of testing and development work. Again, denier is a good gauge of ruggedness with a higher ‘D’ usually indicating greater durability.

Pit zips are short venting zips in the armpit of a jacket that reduce the build-up of heat and sweat inside a jacket. Whether you want them or not ultimately comes down to personal preference : they add weight and some people can find them uncomfortable, but many other people consider them essential for keeping cool and for increasing ventilation.

Your hood should allow you to look around unimpeded while keeping out the worst of the weather. We offer three main hoods on our waterproof jackets:

• The Super Alpine HC Hood is our largest hood, designed for regular use with a climbing helmet. If worn over just a head it can be cinched down to fit, but it might feel a little ‘overkill’.
• The Mountain HC Hood is our middle hood size. When worn without a helmet it offers superb protection and plenty of vision without feeling too bulky. It can be worn over a helmet when required but for regular helmet use it won’t feel quite as comfortable or as protective as our Super Alpine HC Hood.
• The Mountain Hood is our smallest waterproof hood and is ideal for use in less extreme conditions, or when every gram counts. It works very well over a head but isn’t suitable for use over a helmet.

Choosing which waterproof jacket to ski in depends significantly on your intended use. For lift-skiing you may want pass pockets and a snow skirt, but for backcountry use you may want a simpler and lighter jacket. You may not ever ski in waterproofs and only ever wear softshell, or you may want to ski in an insulated ski jacket: you need to find what works for you. Ski legwear is slightly different, and hem diameter is the most important factor here: ensure that your hem will comfortably fit over your ski boots without being too baggy.

Hydrostatic head is a way of measuring how waterproof a fabric is, stated as a rating in metres or millimetres. It measures how high a column of water could stand on the fabric before it would begin coming through. A higher number means that the fabric is ‘more waterproof’. Even the most powerful wind-blown rain rarely exceeds the equivalent pressure of 500mm, but many fabrics advertise hydrostatic head figures of 10,000mm or even 20,000mm. That’s because higher pressures than those from rain can occur in situations like sitting or kneeling on wet ground, and because over time a fabric’s hydrostatic head can slowly degrade. All of our waterproof fabrics exceed a hydrostatic head of 20,000mm.

‘Breathability’ is better termed moisture vapour permeability. It describes how much moisture can escape a fabric, and thus how sweaty a waterproof fabric may feel. it is a frustrating subject because of the huge number of different standards and methods used to determine it. Results from these methods can contradict one another and so it is hard to get a gauge for what fabric offers the ‘best’ breathability. All of our fabrics undergo moisture vapour permeability tests and we often use multiple standards to assess them. All of our waterproof fabrics have an MVTR (moisture vapour transmission rate) of greater than 20,000 g/m²/24h, which indicates extremely high vapour transfer and so means excellent comfort.

A DWR is a ‘Durable Water Repellent’ finish that is applied to a fabric to help it repel water. They are a key part of maintaining comfort, of reducing drying times of a garment, and in promoting ‘beading’ of water on a fabric. They don’t last forever, however, and need to be revitalised or renewed regularly. For more information on this, see our care pages.

Historically, almost all DWRs were PFC-based, which are the highest performing and longest lasting type, but environmental considerations mean that PFC-free options are becoming increasingly commonplace.

PFCs are perfluorinated compounds. They are used in a very wide variety of products including cosmetics, cookware, and textiles. Their use has come under increasing scrutiny because they accumulate in the body and do not readily degrade; their use is now restricted. PFC-Free DWRs offer excellent water repellence but less oil/dirt repellence than PFC chemistries, and they require more regular reproofing to maintain performance. We are continually reviewing our use of PFCs to ensure not only excellent performance but to ensure excellent product sustainability too.