HOW TO CHOOSE A JACKET FOR HIKING?

HOW TO CHOOSE A JACKET FOR HIKING?

In our store you can find 3 types of jackets, 2 of which are windbreakers and a third that is waterproof. I want to clarify that when we say windbreakers, they are not 100% waterproof jackets, they are jackets that will protect us from the wind, they will also protect you a little. of rain but not of storms.

Before showing each of the jackets, I want to tell you that all our jackets are not lined on the inside, since we want them to be as light as possible.

BASIC WINDBREAKER JACKET

This jacket will protect you mostly from cold wind and rain, but not from heavy rain, this jacket has an advantage and that is that when it gets wet it dries very quickly.

I usually wear this jacket for short hikes.

PRO WINDBREAKER JACKET

This jacket has a little more properties that make it ideal for hiking and its waterproofing is a little more than the basic jacket.

PRO JACKET PROPERTIES:

  • Colour: washing the garment will not lose its colors so easily.
  • Anti Tear: grid weave that gives greater resistance to the fabric, and thus prevents it from tearing easily when in contact with branches, etc.
  • Resistant to sweat stains: as we said before there is nothing worse than your favorite garment being stained by sweat.
  • Sun protection: Uv +30 norm aatcc 183.
  • Water repellency: by this we mean that the textile will not absorb water since it repels it, but if it is placed in extreme conditions such as a storm, the particles could pass through the middle of the fabric.

This is a jacket that I really like, since it doesn't take up much space and can be carried anywhere.

EXTREME JACKET

Before showing this jacket I would like to clarify some concepts for you to take into account and do not go out buying a jacket that is waterproof but that will not work for the activity you are going to do.

We will explain the following concepts:

  • Impermeability
  • Breathability
  • Wind resistance

WATERPROOFING

The rate of impermeability is expressed in mm of water or columns of water, which is obtained by subjecting the textile to a hydrostatic pressure test, which consists of placing the fabric on the tube base and beginning to fill it with water, until its pressure makes the water filter through the fabric, this height that the water reaches in the tube is expressed in mm and is known as water columns.

A fabric is said to be waterproof if it has a value greater than 10,000 mm

I share a table where you can see what activity you could use it for:

Next we will go into another very important factor when choosing a waterproof jacket and that is breathability.

BREATHABILITY

When we sweat our sweat evaporates, that evaporation is a key part of keeping us cool, so it is important that the jacket has good breathability, This value is given in g/m²/day, which indicates the amount of water vapor that passes through a square meter of membrane in 24 hours. The higher the value, the more breathability. A value of 10,000g/m²/24h indicates that a membrane is highly breathable.

I share a table where you can see what activity you could use it for:

WIND RESISTANCE

Last but not least important is that it be a jacket resistant to strong winds.

Windproof ratings are often measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM) or square meters per second (m²/sec) of approximately a 30-mile-per-hour wind that can pass through a square measure of material. As such, a lower number shows that the garment is more effective when it comes to blocking the wind.

It is said that a garment will protect you from the wind when this value is below ≤ 5 m² / sec.

CONCLUSION FOR CHOOSING A WATERPROOF JACKET

YOU MUST CHOOSE A JACKET:

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