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British invented a tightly woven cotton called Ventile for RAF pilots, which is waterproof, windproof and breathes quite well when not wet. It has some disadva
by nextos 6y ago
British invented a tightly woven cotton called Ventile for RAF pilots, which is waterproof, windproof and breathes quite well when not wet.
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.
- et-al 6y agoVentile, 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.
- m0zg 6y ago> RAF pilots AKA people not exposed to the elements most of the time.
- throwawayinfo 6y agoIf your plane goes down in the middle of a battlefield, you'll need a good coat...
- m0zg 6y agoYou'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.
- Retric 6y agoPilots 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.
- HeWhoLurksLate 6y agoWanted to add that a bunch of planes from back then didn't have sealed, heated cockpits like we know today.
- TylerE 6y agoThe vast majority of military cockpits aren't pressurized even today.
- pathseeker 6y agoYes, 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_Air_Force_aircraft https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_United_States_A... 2. https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/73143/is-the-f-16-cockpit-pressurized https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/73143/is-the-f-...
- C1sc0cat 6y agoThey did not have pressurised cabins (mostly) in ww2, it gets damm cold in a bomber at altitude.
- nextos 6y agoI didn't clarify Ventile was created to increase their chances of surviving if shot down in the North Sea.