jdzaharia wrote:The photo was not intended to show that Gore-Tex doesn't work at all, but that older Gore-Tex does not retain its intended properties.
This is well-known, but for a variety of reasons, such as DWR wearing off, or the membrane becoming clogged. But it's also known that if pressed hard between your body and a wet surface water will be forced through. This usually happens on knees. eVent is even worse for this.
And plenty of insulated clothing breaths just fine.
Yes, but not with a Gore-Tex shell it doesn't. Gore-Tex was not meant to work this way. The body vapor becomes trapped and cool in the insulation and cannot pass through the membrane. You may not feel wet inside, but the insulation will have moisture in it. For day or overnight use this is not really a problem, as it drys out soon enough. This is why Pertex is a better shell for down gear than DryLoft.
The issue of faulty Gore-Tex is fully relevant, as the rain obviously penetrated the Gore-Tex membrane, especially in the butt, ... Rain also penetrated the inside of the elbows on a few of our coats, ... Two of us stayed nearly completely dry and well-breathed--one person wearing new Gore-Tex,
See above re: pressure points. It's not necessarily 'faulty', you've just exceeded the limitations of the fabric, for a combination of reasons.