Ventile, long staple cotton, works by absorbing and swelling with water; "closing" the weave and preventing further water from getting in. However, the inner surface of the fabric is still wet, so your clothes underneath the jacket can still get wet through capillary action. So to mitigate this, oftentimes manufacturers will use two layers of Ventile or put a wool liner underneath the shoulders.
Also, once thoroughly soaked through, it will take just as long to dry as regular ol' cotton. This is why Stotz still treats their version, EtaProof, with DWR.
I think Ventile is great, but I think it's better suited for situations where you'll return to a heated shelter at the end of the night.
> RAF pilots
AKA people not exposed to the elements most of the time.
They did not have pressurised cabins (mostly) in ww2, it gets damm cold in a bomber at altitude.
Re:Robert Gore has died
by throwawayinfo on Sunday September 20, 2020 @08:10PM
(#24538522)
If your plane goes down in the middle of a battlefield, you'll need a good coat...
You're kind of fucked in that case regardless, and waterproof jacket will be the least of your concerns. All you have is a small handgun.
Pilots spend most of their time flying over either friendly territory or open water. Assuming they survive the crash intact, cold is overall their #1 threat.
Re:Robert Gore has died
by HeWhoLurksLate on Sunday September 20, 2020 @10:44PM
(#24539287)
Wanted to add that a bunch of planes from back then didn't have sealed, heated cockpits like we know today.
The vast majority of military cockpits aren't pressurized even today.
Re:Robert Gore has died
by pathseeker on Monday September 21, 2020 @01:48AM
(#24540224)
Yes, they are (F-16 most commont)[1] (F-16 pressurized)[2]. It's just not enough to avoid needing additional air supply to prevent hypoxia.
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_United_States_A... 2. https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/73143/is-the-f-...
It has some disadvantages, but it's natural, it doesn't burn and it doesn't make funny noises. There are even some certified organic variants made in Switzerland by Stotz. Many manufacturers in Germany, Scandinavia and UK are adding this to some of their jackets, so it's worth looking around.
Else, Paramo has developed a clever cloth called Analogy, which works in a manner similar to animal fur to push rain out and keep you warm. It's not perfect either, and it's based on synthetic fibers, but it doesn't have nasty plastic coatings. It's used by some mountain guides in my region, and when I asked they were quite satisfied.