DWR
Text: Emma Carlsson / Photo: Emelie Voltaire
ANATOMY OF A SHELL JACKET
When the wind blows cold or the promised sunshine turns to rain, you’ll thank yourself for the shell jacket you hurriedly threw into your backpack before heading out. But what is it that makes the shell jacket the last word in weather protection, and how does it work? Come with us as we take a closer look at the fibres and discover all the secrets that make shell jackets so effective in keeping the weather out but the heat in.
A Durable Water Repellent finish, or ’DWR’, is a water-repellent surface treatment that causes the rain to bead on the jacket the rain bead on the jacket before it runs down down off the surface. It works just like the Teflon coating in a frying pan. Been a while since you’ve caught a glimpse of pearl-like rain drops on your coat? Have a look at ’Washing 101’ for advice on how to re-impregnate your jacket
Breathability
No less important than managing to keep the rain out, a jacket has to be able to breathe. This stops you getting wet inside the jacket. The breathability of a garment is often measured in g/m²/24h. This unit shows the amount of moisture that can be moved from inside to outside, per square metre, over a period of twenty-four hours. The higher the number, the more moisture the jacket can let out.
5 000–10 000 g/m²/24h: everday walks 10 000–15 000 g/m²/24h: hiking and biking >15 000 g/m²/24h: running and ski touring
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