I was wondering if any company has ever made any kind of WPB jacket based on the shingle effect?

What with nano technology these days, the right fabrics, etc, i would think you could make mini shingle flakes onto UL fibers, using basically completely waterproof material for the "shingles", but still get breath ability because of the gaps below. If done right, you probably wouldn't need a DWR treatment...???

Dunno, it's probably a stupid question and concept.

Edited by ArcturusBear on 01/29/2013 16:58:16 MST.

I've thought about this concept too but could never find a way to do much with it.

Jackets for a long time have used a single shingle on the top back of jackets. I've usually found they made the jacket colder but no less condensating.

I like your line of thinking.

Something that comes to mind is that it would make the fabric more fragile (easier to rip) and because it would have to be almost a double layer, heavier.

Hi Daryl, thanks, and i would think if this is feasible at all, it would be really hard to do in a DIY type project.


Hi Franco, yes, that thought occurred to me as well, but there might be ways around this. Speaking very theoretically, say you used a very fine dyneema thread and in a very simple and more open weave pattern, then slightly calendared the threads to "spread it out" (flatten) some, and then used nano technology to attach the shingle scales, it might get the weight down enough to be feasible (it's also highly dependent on what material you are using for the shingle scales)? But no doubt it would be very expensive to produce! Hey, but then again, it's not unheard of to hear people spending 400 or more dollars on a WPB jacket anyways.

(one problem with using dyneema thread is that it's super, super conductive-- i have some safety sleeves with a lot of dyneema in them, which i use for motorcylce riding, and it's amazing how fast and easy body heat passes through!)

btw, good to see you again.

Is this jacket the sort of thing you had in mind?

http://www.petesy.co.uk/berghaus-vapour-storm-jacket-lightweight-gore-tex-active-shell-first-look/