Great Gifts for Travelers: Gore-Tex Jacket

I have been on many many walks and hikes all over the UK and beyond and I have learned, often through bitter experience, that I enjoyed my trip far more once I had the right gear to wear, and I swear by my Gore-Tex jacket! They are a perfect gift for travelers.

I always expect the unexpected when I go walking in England especially up north. In one day it could be hot, cold, indifferent, and it could even hail and snow. It really doesn’t matter what month it is. What matters is how high you are and how far you venture from the south of England.

So far 2014 had been wet, wet, wet – the BBC tell us that this January was the wettest since records started. People have been struggling with floods, rivers have burst their banks, and the houses on the southern coast have really taken a battering. Have a look at the video below.

Really frightening! It's not always like this -this is beautiful Cornwall - the British Riviera!

It lashed down with rain all day today and because I am walking to improve my health I had to go out regardless. I walked for about an hour and when I got home I was completely drenched.

I had left my rain jacket in the back of my husband’s car, so I wore one I had at the back of the wardrobe. It is a well-known brand, but it was next to useless because I got very wet and cold particularly on my shoulders and arms.

It wasn’t a very pleasant walk and I got a bit fed up, so when I got home I looked up the said jacket on Amazon and couldn't believe that it costs $199!

I want to sing the praises of my beloved rain jacket, which is made of Gore-Tex.

The right gear makes all the difference!

In the rain you will need a waterproof shell jacket that is also breathable. A showerproof one will get soaked. Mine is almost the same as the one in the picture above and I saved up for it because it was extremely expensive but believe me it was worth it.

The magic of Gore-Tex is that it breaths so your clothes stay dry on the inside. It is a material that has thousands of tiny holes in it that are too small for rain to pass through, but big enough to let sweat out, and it somehow keeps out the wind too!!

A new Gore-Tex jacket will keep you dry but it is not the Gore-Tex itself that does this. A new jacket will have had a layer of Durable Water Repellant sprayed onto it and therefore it will be extremely effective at keeping out water. But this coating wears out in time so you will have to treat the jacket again. I have put a link to a product specially made for this job below. It's not difficult you just put it in the washing machine. Or there's a spray version too.

If Gore-Tex is out of your price range, then there are other breathable materials such as Sympatex and Hyvent. If you click on any product on this page you’ll be taken to Amazon.com where you can find all these too.

I also wanted to tell you about the zips. The new jackets have waterproof zips, but mine doesn’t it has a Velcro flap that runs all the way down. It has Velcro on the cuffs too and at the front of the hood, so you can close out the wind. The seams have to be sealed too. A jacket like this is essential if you are going to be outdoors in the UK.

A few moments ago I got up to make some tea, and I could see through my kitchen window that it was still belting down outside. You may be very lucky and encounter no rain here at all, but somehow I doubt it!

Here's a link to my article about Adventure Travels Find out more about how to travel thoughtfully.

Do you like walking in the rain? Please leave a comment before you go. Thanks very much for visiting.