But with the advent of second-generation Goretex, factory taped seams, and durable water-repellant (DWR) coatings, those problems largely went away. I am currently on my third Goretex jacket and I really do find them effective. The only drawback with the less expensive 2-ply ones is that they tend to be on the heavy side. Lightweight 3-ply is great stuff, but it's pricey.
It isn't just an issue of the seams. The best most modern breathable fabrics still will soak through given enough water.
-john
I haven't seen that in practice (while hiking and backpacking). YMMV of course.
But I can see potential problems in other situations where you sit in water and mud. Goretex is pretty good when nice and clean, but from what I've read, serious fouling of the outside of the garment can saturate the membrane and lead to leakage.
For my uses, Goretex has proven itself over and over. So I trust it. But that doesn't mean it's the ideal solution for all situations.
(Aside, and a horror story: I was looking at nice North Face Goretex jackets in a mall "outdoor" store, and the retail monkeys had punched the anti-theft tags right through the membrane, 3/4 way up the back! Idiots! Somebody paid a lot of money for a nice jacket and almost certainly got a soaked back in the rain!)
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