Michael Kelly Mort Kondracke Ch. It kept rain out, yet you grew damp from perspiration that was trapped inside. Today's rain gear employs all sorts of fabrics and treatments in an attempt to keep you dry. There are thin finishes applied to the outside of the shell fabric to help water bead up and roll off.
Some jackets contain laminates bonding several thin layers of different materials.
Some use a combination of methods, such as a laminate and a finish. We tested nine widely sold jackets made with a variety of fabrics. We evaluated the jackets' capacity for keeping out wetness by showering them with water to simulate gentle, moderate and torrential rainfall. Most of the jackets did very well at staving off even a pelting rain. That was true when they were new, after laundering, and after the kind of abrasion that occurs with use.