Originally Posted By: MostlyHarmless


Gore-tex is good stuff, but it does not possess magical qualities. It is waterproof, but it is by no means breathable enough to keep you dry in sweaty activities. I think a realistic assessment is that you will be 20% drier in Gore-tex than in a total "vapour barrier" garment (such as heavy-duty raingear). That 20% is a huge improvement from 0, but is a far shot away from being perfect. Those 20% is good enough to keep you fairly dry as long as you have a moderate level of activity and the totality of clothing is appropriate and functions well together.


Agree 100%. When combined with wicking layer on the inside it's very good. I'll add that goretex boots work great for me, because when I wear synthetic socks (which is always) it breathes enough for my feet to stay dry. If your feet sweat a lot it may not work as well for you.

Goretex also completely blocks the wind, which lets you use breathable layers on the inside, like fleece, to best effect. As an example, I'd much rather have a heavy fleece shirt with a goretex shell than some sort of windblocker fleece.