The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: PipKelpy on September 27, 2023, 03:05:09 pm
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NOT WAX!
However I do remember in my youth you could chuck a bucket of water over me and it would run off, now, I get drenched, every wax coat I've bought over the last 20 years, crap for rain!
Right, plus size, need a WATERPROOF coat I can move in, double zip, NOT REGATTA stormforce type (they perish and rip!) 3/4 length preferred, pockets for corn for sheep, penknife, string etc, so basically a wax coat but waterproof!
Anyone know of any? Prefer Black or Navy. NOT hi vis, I don't like lucking like a target neither do I wish to frighten the livestock!
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Old-style (non machine washable) wax coats made for actual working country folk are waterproof but (as they always have) need rewaxing regularly, with liquified wax and elbow grease not the aerosol spray, paying particular attention to the seams.
You have to shop in the right stores and ask the right questions to get shown the ones designed for actual hard work outdoors. The Chelsea Tractor brigade like 'em thinner, machine washable, and don't need the waterproofing or rip-proofing - and will pay through the nose for the look and style without the weight and need for maintenance.
There are other waterproof jackets - Jack Murphy is a decent make but other lookeelikees can be as good and a lot cheaper - but (a) none of them IME are thornproof (which means they shred on brambles and barbed wire), and (b) most of them don't *breathe*, so if you're working in them, pretty soon you're wet inside even if the rain hasn't permeated.
Whichever brand or type you get, get one with a proper tweed lining (made of pure wool not manmade fibres), because (a) tweed is waterproof for quite a long time even if the outer is breached, (b) wool tweed will continue to keep you warm even when it does get wet, (c) wool tweed breathes so your sweat can escape and you don't get wet from the inside out, and (d), tweed is very strong, so whilst not totally rip-proof, it will repel brambles and to a degree barbed wire even if the outer gets ripped.
Check the lining of the sleeves too, they often put a nylon lining in there, so your arms get wet - my pet hate.
If you're not a fan of all that effort and maintenance, try angling shops. They will have 100% waterproof coats, and will have some which are heavy enough to withstand brambles. They probably won't have tweed linings though, so if you'll be working hard, you will get wet from the inside.
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i am still using a wax jacket I bought in the early 1990s. I reproof every two or three years, and it still keeps me drier than any other coat. No it's not a Barbour, but it's as good as Barbour were back then (and cost about 1/4 of what a Barbour did.)
I do have a more recent Barbour (birthday present 6 years ago) which is still good, albeit it wasn't the heaviest version so won't be as thornproof as my older knockoff one. It's still smart enough to wear out in company though, which the older one is no longer!
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I know someone who swears by Drizabone (Aussie/NZ make) but don't have first hand experience of them myself.
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If it’s for working in, I have a stoney creek coat which is 100% waterproof, I’ve had it a couple of years now and love it. Reproof with nikwax wash in stuff.
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I love the rubber dickies ones & their waterproof trousers too both machine washable & around about £20 - £30 each, the coats zip up & have buttons too & have big pockets & hoods too their perfect for going through floods, snow, cow s**t & mud you name it you fall over with both on & you're still clean most of the time & just rinse it off with water & they don't get 2 hot or cold so their great for all year round use. We used to swear by them in the vets.