gore tex pro jacket wet inside at pockets

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 r1ch79 15 Mar 2017
I have a high spec gore tex pro jacket (i odnt want to name the manufacturer as i dont want to debate their particular pros and cons at this point )

its 12 months old and has been worn a few times on the hills but last weekend in N wales it chucked it on sunday and the wind was driving

the inside of my jacket was wet at the pocket areas both breast and 2 hand pockets

there was no ingress anywehere else on the jacket and the pocket zips were shut and are made from waterproof zips......

before I get onto the manufacturer or seller (ellis brigham) has anyone else had this problem or have any ideas

im back in n wales this weekend and the weather is similar so Im hoping to give it another go and see if it happens again

bit peed off tbh as this imho shouldnt have happened and there was no ingress at shoulders when my straps were .......

can anyone suggest naything or help me out here before I try to get a refund or replacement?

really shouldnt have jackets like this leaking water at the pockets.... the manufacturer should have ironed out gremlins like leaky points in testing.....
In reply to wannabeagoat:

> the inside of my jacket was wet at the pocket areas both breast and 2 hand pockets

Condensation. There are two or more layers of not very breathable fabric where the pockets are, and moisture cannot escape. Gore-tex is not magic.

The same reason applies to waterproof pockets accumulating water; moisture passes through the first layer, and then gets trapped in the waterproof pocket and condenses.
 BnB 15 Mar 2017
In reply to captain paranoia:

> Condensation. There are two or more layers of not very breathable fabric where the pockets are, and moisture cannot escape. Gore-tex is not magic.The same reason applies to waterproof pockets accumulating water; moisture passes through the first layer, and then gets trapped in the waterproof pocket and condenses.

Beat me to it
OP r1ch79 15 Mar 2017
cheers folks

not sure if I explained poorly or i I still am being blonde (i am mildly fair haried)

The wetness was in the inside of the jacket and not the inside of the pocket (which were also wet inside)

should the inside of the jacket be wet and if so how come this only happened at the pocket area and not the rest of the garment?

really appreciate your help im not being arsey I juist dont want to sound a total muppet in ellis birgham where I pretend I know what Im on about!!!!!


 Neil Williams 15 Mar 2017
In reply to wannabeagoat:
FWIW both the Berghaus Gore-Tex jackets (a Trango Extrem and a Mera Peak) that I own do and always did leak (actually leak, not condense) into the outside pockets. It seems to be a design flaw of those specific (very similar) jackets.

I wouldn't however expect a leak *inside the jacket* unless as others say it's condensation.
Post edited at 13:48
 nniff 15 Mar 2017
In reply to wannabeagoat:

I think you've rather answered your own question - it was lashing down and windy, and it leaked at the pockets. Zips of that ilk are water resistant not water proof and the elements overcame the resistance..
 john1963 15 Mar 2017
In reply to wannabeagoat:

My new gortex pro jacket came with a warning don't put valuables in the external pockets. They definitely hold water in heavy rain but don't leak through to the inside of the jacket as yet. L can see why it could effect breathibility though.
Can't say any waterproof I've owned has kept me totally dry.
 Jack_Lewin 15 Mar 2017
In reply to wannabeagoat:

I used to work for the retailer mentioned. Manufacturers will guarantee to keep YOU dry and not your pocket contents dry. And as mentioned jackets usually have warnings in pockets warning against storing valuables in pockets.

If you are dry then I'm afraid the jacket is doing its job.
 Trangia 15 Mar 2017
In reply to wannabeagoat:

I have a small dry bag to keep things like my phone and wallet dry in my Paramo pocket, because the pockets don't remain dry.
 wheelo 15 Mar 2017
In reply to wannabeagoat:
I claim my prize, its a Rab, and the pocket zips are not waterproof.
In reply to wannabeagoat:

> The wetness was in the inside of the jacket and not the inside of the pocket (which were also wet inside)

Yes; that's what I understood from your OP, and my first comment addresses the problem; it's condensation.

You sweat.
The sweat evaporates.
The water vapour tries to make its way out of the 'breathable' gore-tex fabric.
It manages to do this when there is only one layer of fabric.
It does not manage it where there is more than one layer of fabric.
Where the water vapour does not manage to escape, it condenses on the inside of the fabric, on the inside of the jacket.
The fact that this is occurring only in the areas of the jacket where there are multiple layers of fabric (the pocket areas) is a good giveaway of what the problem is.

Gore-tex relies on a vapour pressure gradient between the two sides of the fabric to drive water vapour through the membrane.
Where there is just one layer, the gradient is between the warm, fuggy air inside the jacket, and the cool, dry air outside the jacket. Thus, vapour transfer can occur with reasonable success.
Where there is a pocket, the gradient is between the warm, fuggy air inside the jacket, and the slightly less warm, slightly less fuggy air in the pocket. Thus, vapour transfer is not as efficient, and condensation occurs on the inner face of the jacket.

As a test, loosely stick some non-breathable tape over an area of the single fabric, and try wearing it in similar conditions. You should find that the area covered by tape suffers from the condensation problem.

You might also experiment with keeping the pockets unzipped, and propped open in some way, so that the vapour pressure gradient is similar to the non-pocket areas.
strawbale 15 Mar 2017
In reply to captain paranoia:

plus 1

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