I got an REI Kimtah "lightweight" eVent parka this week and plan to use it for backcountry skiing. I use Gore-Tex a lot in winter. I'm a ski patroller & my parka is GTX and my "civilian" mountain parka is GTX but I've never, ever, tried eVent.

The Kimtah has no pit zips and the low mesh-backed front pockets are blocked by my pack's waist belt. Should I buy waterproof pit zips and have a tailor put them in or does eVent breathe well enough on its own?

I have eVent parka without pit zips and don't feel the need for them.

But, there are conditions where I'll get sweaty.

I have GTX jackets with pit zips and have never found them particularly useful.

Try your parka without pit zips and see how it performs in your situation before modifying it.

I've used on event coat, and numerous Goretex ones. IME event is more breathable, but not massively so. 10-20%, perhaps.

do you need a waterproof in winter at all?

if not you might be better of with a windshirt or softshell (without a membran)

Well, I always carry a WPB parka in the western mountains like the Spring Mountains north of Las Vegas (max. elevation 11,990 ft.) and in Sierra Nevada and the Rockies winter or summer. Like my down sweater, a WPB parka is a safety item, IMO.

Usually it was my Cabela's PacLite parka but now it's my eVent parka. PacLite pants go along in winter and in the Rockies a year 'round. They vent in the lower legs.

I guess as a ski patroller I'm very aware of the threat of hypothermia so a WPB parka seems necessary. And I've found that the Kimtah eVent parka easily doubles as a wind jacket.

Edited by Danepacker on 09/30/2011 14:24:42 MDT.

Hi Eric,

Hope all is well today.

I have an Event Jacket without pit zips for when I expect to carry the jacket in my pack and one with pit zips if I think I will be wearing it all day (mainly winter)


Cheers,

Stephen

Edited by stephenm on 10/03/2011 04:18:36 MDT.

Stephen,

TWO eVent jackets! Must be nice to have teh $$ for two of them.

I'm really interested to see a scientific comparison (with industry standard numbers on breathability and water resistance) of eVent and some of the newer Gore and Polartec WPB fabrics.

Eddie Bauer publishes their WPB membrane numbers and I wish all manufacturers did.

Well, ask and ye shall recieve. Will Rietveldt just did that great review & test of several types of WPB membranes. And I STILL like eVent after reading his test results.