View Poll Results: Have You Used a Vapor Barrier Layer (VBL)?

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  • Yes, although my clothes/insulation got really wet!

    24 5.13%
  • Yes, I think they work great.

    95 20.30%
  • No, I am skeptical that VBL's work at all.

    35 7.48%
  • No, I've never really looked into VBL's.

    314 67.09%
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  1. #21
    Senior Member MedicineMan's Avatar
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    look for wrestling workout weightloss suits...some are el cheapo plastic and affordable---attach a Warmlite name and cha ching cha ching....for the feet/hands use bread bags.
    Most people these days want breathable rain gear that negates use as true VBL-hmmm unless you wear it inside out

  2. #22
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MedicineMan View Post
    look for wrestling workout weightloss suits...some are el cheapo plastic and affordable---attach a Warmlite name and cha ching cha ching....for the feet/hands use bread bags.
    Most people these days want breathable rain gear that negates use as true VBL-hmmm unless you wear it inside out
    That is true, no need to spend many $ to gain VB benefits. The Warmlite gear has some sort of lining (Fuzztstuff?) that might be nice rather than wearing a layer of thin long johns, and the fit might be an advantage. I don't know what the cost might be though, maybe too much.

    I think they also have some rain gear intended to see dbl duty as a VB.

    When my only need is to block vapor to an under hanging layer such as a HHSS or PeaPod, a $3 space blanket has, on and off for several years now, always got the job done. And maybe even reflects some heat back to me. I often have wondered if the instant warmth I always feel when adding the sp.bl. is the blocking of radiant heat, or simply the VB effect.

  3. #23
    Senior Member Trooper's Avatar
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    Would a Gore-tex jacket inside of a sleeping bag or TQ create a vapor barrier?

    From what I'm reading Gore-tex works best with a warm body inside and cold temps outside. But if a person wore the jacket inside of an insulating layer, would cause the Gore-tex to not breath.

  4. #24
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    [quote=Trooper;376069]

    error some how posted same post twice
    Last edited by BillyBob58; 12-26-2010 at 12:16.

  5. #25
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trooper View Post
    Would a Gore-tex jacket inside of a sleeping bag or TQ create a vapor barrier?

    From what I'm reading Gore-tex works best with a warm body inside and cold temps outside. But if a person wore the jacket inside of an insulating layer, would cause the Gore-tex to not breath.
    Supposedly it will work as a VB. Ironically, even the VB manufacturers warmlite says it will, because they say the stuff does not really breath well enough to keep it from functioning as a VB.

    But IMHO, that is not fully correct to say the least. Because many many times over the years, I have had wet clothing completely dry out with various forms of WPB shells covering the wet or very damp layers. With Goretex and whatever the UL Gtx NF clone is, and Pertex Endurance. I have poured a cup of water or more into a Climashield jacket with an Endurance shell and let it sit a while, wrung it out and gone hiking. I have never been able to get water from a pouring faucette to go past this Endurance shell, so it is at least slightly water "proof". Yet after a light pace 1.6 mile hike ( in drizzling rain/sleet) it was bone dry.

    Also, unless I exercise and actually work up a sweat, as opposed to just sitting around or very light exercise, I have never had things get damp in most of these jackets.

    So I just don't see how such a shell could function as a good VB, though people say they do. I guess they might slow vapor down a bit, and maybe that is better than nothing.

    Conversely, if I am in a true VB, or say old fashioned coated nylon rain gear, I never have any trouble feeling clammy, quickly. Even if just sitting around or laying in a sleeping bag. As folks report, you may even soon be actually slightly wet, even if you don't over heat. As long as I don't allow myself to over heat and sweat, I will only get so "wet", then moisture stops increasing. But it still often feels beyond clammy, and actually wet. For me, this is what I experience with true VBs. Thus evaporative cooling is stopped dead, and insulation on the other side of the VB is kept dry.

    I never feel this sort of thing with my "breathable" rain gear. But people say it helps, so maybe it does.

    But it won't hurt anything to experiment. If it doesn't work very well as a VB, then you are just back where you were with no VB in the 1st place.

  6. #26
    Senior Member Trooper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    ...whatever the UL Gtx NF clone is
    That would be HyVent, which I have been extremely disappointed with. It is lighter than Gore-tex, but I've seen the fabric soak up water after a couple of hours.

    I'll give the Gore-Tex jacket a try as a VB next time, as I already carry it. Might as well put that 360 grams to use.

  7. #27
    Senior Member wisenber's Avatar
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    WPB layers are designed NOT to be a VB. They are designed to block water while letting vapor pass. They get wet on the inside when the rate of vapor generation exceeds the ability of the fabric to pass it. When you're in your hammock, you hopefully will not be generating a lot of sensible perspiration. The rate of insensible perspiration a body generates should be able to pass through a WPB fabric.
    As BillyBob and I mentioned, hikers have been using WPB layers to dry clothing with the outward transport of vapor. This would seem to confirm that WPB is not VB. It's more like "vapor slower".

  8. #28
    Senior Member wisenber's Avatar
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    After Medicineman's comment, I did a little digging. The wrestling suits appear to be heavy and made of vinyl. I found another one here that appears to be lighter weight and pretty cheap. I might go get one today. I figure I can wear that as a base layer (or wear something really thin next to skin) and put on some fleece pants and a fleece top over it. That still leaves my feet and hands. While bread bags will work for your feet, I think the Warmlite ones will be more practical and could be used in a layered system while hiking as well.

  9. #29
    Senior Member MedicineMan's Avatar
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    Saw a guy today in the steam room post swim with the wrestling VBL suit. He said $11 for top and bottom. Was def vinyl ..didn't know the weight.

  10. #30
    Senior Member Tumbleweed's Avatar
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    So, as I understand this thread, I could use:
    First layer: lightweight silk underwear top & bottom,
    second layer:driducks raingear top & bottom,
    third layer: fleece pajamas,
    then on feet: silk socks, bread bags, wool socks or down booties,
    hands get thinnest possible gloves, surgical gloves, mittens.

    Yeti under WBBB & TQ over all. Then just "ignore" the clammy feeling???

    Would the driducks work differently if put on "inside-out" ?

    Real curious about this thread.

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