Every autumn we get emails that open the same way: “my shell has failed, it wet out on the first day.” Nine times out of ten the shell has not failed. It is filthy, and the fix is a washing machine.
A waterproof shell does two jobs with two different systems. The membrane keeps water out. A durable water repellent finish on the outer face fabric makes water bead and roll off before it gets to the membrane at all.
Body oils, sunscreen, insect repellent, campfire smoke and general grime coat that outer face and break the surface tension. Water stops beading, spreads out, and soaks the face fabric. The membrane is still working perfectly — but a saturated face fabric kills breathability, so your sweat stops escaping and condenses on the inside. You get wet, from the inside, and it feels exactly like the jacket leaking.
Most jackets bead again at this point. Test it under a tap before you go any further.
Now — and only now — re-proof it. Wash-in treatments are easier and coat the inside as well, which slightly reduces breathability. Spray-on treatments only coat the outside, which is what you want, but take longer and need an even hand. Either way, heat afterwards.
Re-proofing a dirty jacket is a waste of a bottle. Clean first, always.
Hold the jacket up to a light and look at high-wear areas — shoulders under pack straps, hips under a harness. If the face fabric has gone thin and shiny, or if you can see the laminate delaminating on the inside as bubbling or peeling, the membrane is mechanically damaged and no amount of washing will bring it back. That is a genuine end of life, usually after several hard seasons.
Before you replace it, send it to us. Delamination in the first couple of seasons is a warranty matter. Delamination after five is just a jacket that did its job.
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