Next spring, when you go to replace your favorite lightweight running jacket, biking shell or rainwear, there'll be a new waterproof breathable on the racks.
eVent's DVL (short for Direct Venting Lite), incorporates a new membrane, pictured above, that is light and breathable and allows an imperceptible amount of air to pass through to clear the sweat out from inside your jacket fast.
Engineers at eVent have figured out a way to print directly on the surface of the membrane so that now you don鈥檛 need 2.5 or three layers to make a complete jacket. More material makes a jacket heavier and hotter. A typical waterproof breathable has two layers of fabric that sandwich a membrane and protect it, or a layer of fabric, a layer of membrane, and a polyurethane coating on top.聽
鈥渆Vent DVL waterproof fabric stands alone in this class of fabrics because it does not use a聽polyurethane coating to protect the membrane from contamination,鈥 explained Glen Crowther, product line leader for eVent fabric. 鈥淧olyurethane, applied as a coating, clogs the pores of the membrane and impedes聽airflow. In eVent fabrics, the individual fibrils forming the membrane are treated so the pores remain open鈥攐r air permeable鈥攁nd heat and moisture can pass through directly.”
eVent's new proprietary membrane uses the same base as traditional eVent and Gore-Tex, ePTFE (scientific name: expanded polytetrafluoroethylene), which allows moisture to escape, but keeps out the wind and rain.聽
鈥渆Vent DVL fills the market鈥檚 continuing demand for light waterproof breathable fabrics,鈥 Crowther said. 鈥渆Vent DVL waterproof fabric uniquely offers the ultimate combination in rainwear: it鈥檚 air permeable, breathable and 100-percent waterproof. We believe it is best in class by all three measures for activities and seasons that call for lightweight, packable rainwear.鈥
is one of the first companies to use the new membrane. It will show its new Viper Jacket, designed for alpine climbing, at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City in August. The Viper has a helmet-compatible hood, two A-line chest pockets and a napoleon pocket鈥攁ll harness and pack compatible鈥攁nd pit zips for extra ventilation, all for under 14 ounces (men's large).
鈥淒VL fabric is unique in that it offers the reliable breathability and durability found in other eVent fabrics in a much lighter fabric more specifically designed for warmer-weather adventures,鈥 said Samantha Kilgore, marketing manager for Rab USA. 鈥淩ab鈥檚 mission here is to create the only truly comfortable summer rainwear on the market, where dampness against the skin is not an issue.鈥
Rab Viper, $260; available February 2013; .
鈥擝erne Broudy