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If I didn’t know better now, eVent DVLwaterproof breathable fabric (introduced last autumn) would remind me of yet another diet fad (burn that fat!…eliminate that sweat!). Unfortunately such attempts at worn humor will definitely fall with a wet splat like some hapless trail runner tripping in a mud puddle as eVent DVL actually works just about as good as they say it does.
Product literature claims eVent DVL is “air permeable.” That’s a bit of liberated language, as nearly any waterproof breathable fabric is “air permeable” to one degree or another, but usually not much. Try the bubble test. Grab a hunk of your favorite shell’s fabric, twist and seal until you get a bubble of air in the fabric. With some jackets the bubble will push out through the fabric fairly easily; others it’ll feel like you’re trying to push air out of a plastic bag. Bubble test the eVent DVL. Air passes through the fabric so easily you can barely get a bubble to hold.
What’s that mean? Most “waterproof breathable” fabrics “breath” by shedding water vapor, but they don’t pass much air. You’ll feel a difference in comfort between your hardshell and your softshell. The hardshell will sweat up faster. Holy grail of fabric design is to cook up something that feels like the breathability of a softshell, but won’t let water in when it’s snowing cat globs. Does eVent DVL do it?
Apparently, yes. READ FULL REVIEW ON WildSnow.com
