After reading the thread about "camping in fog" and "vapor barriers", it made me want to test something out. Though this piece of gear is not a hammock, I do wear it in a hammock, and the test could apply to UQs and top quilts used in a hammock. It is a Polarguard jacket wit a Pertex Endurance WPB shell. I had just read an article at BPL about the importance of shells being breathable to aid in clothing and sleeping bags, synthetic or down, drying out overnight if they got damp. And I had my doubts about how breathable this Endurance would be, and was thinking maybe I should have ordered the hooded pullover with out the Pertex Endurance.

I was getting ready to take a walk in 39*F right after sunset. So I did what people normally do with their jackets before going out side, I soaked it. That sounds rational, right? ( Also encouraging me to do this: my wife was not home yet, so she would not have to worry about my insanity)

Earlier today I was having to do some work outside, and even though it was no colder than 48*F( though windy), I was freezing. So I went in and took off my Gore windblock fleece jacket and replaced it with my Bozeman Moutain Works PG jacket with hood, plus replace my shoes with some very old Goretex Vasque Sundowner boots. This made a word of dif, and I was able to finish my work and stay comfortable.

But then the Sun went down, it dropped to 39*, and it was time for my little hike. So, I take my PG jacket and put it over the sink and poured one cup of water on the inside surface. I tried to keep the water on the right front and back, trying to keep the other side dry. It was not being soaked up much, and the other side was WPB Endurance fabric, so it just stayed there making a couple of little lakes inside the jacket. Somehow, while trying to pour it out, I poured it all down the right sleeve.

After I lightly squeezed it out, I decided I was not satisfied with it's wetness. So I repeated, and poured another cup of water onto the inside. Once again with the little lakes. But I had major lack of coordination, and this time while trying not to pour down the sleeve, I poured it all over my jean leg, right side. After much cussing as I was getting ready to change jeans, I decided to heck with it, I would just wear the wet jeans and make it part of the test.

So I lightly and quickly squeeze the jacket out again, put it on and head out. I had on a thin long john top so I wouldn't feel the water so much against my skin. About the time I got to the first street light, I passed a neighbor going the other way. I hoped she wouldn't glance at my leg, as it would surely look like I had pissed myself. I walked 1.6 miles as fast as I could go, between 20 and 30 minutes ( forgot to time it exactly).

At first I thought that, while not actually being cold, I could tell a dif in warmth between the r side and l side. But after about a half a mile or so, I got to where I couldn't tell much dif, if any.

I got home( now 38*), and felt inside the jacket- both r and l front sides felt about the same, warmth wise. I took the jacket off and felt around the front, back and inside the sleeve. I could find no hint of water at all. Nor inside the r sleeve. My long john top and every surface inside the jacket all felt equally dry, which is to say- bone dry. And I had been plenty warm while outside, although I was moving the whole time.

So, there you have it. I don't know if this proves anything useful or not. But I do think it at least shows that this particular WPB shell is breathable enough for insulation to dry out from body heat, at least when worn very close to the skin. And I was warm in a wet garment, though I was moving the whole time, and I might have noticed a bigger dif if I had stopped. As far as I could tell, I was somewhat as warm in the wet areas as I was in the dry. Though I might have been cold if I stopped moving. And the insulation dried about as quickly as one could have hoped, even if it had been colder on the wet areas.

Those positive results exceeded expectations. I thoght it would at least still be pretty damp in there, but it was not. And this was enough fun that I think I will do similar experiments with other gear in the future!

My jean legs were still damp and quite cool a couple of hours later.