Drilite is Mountain Equipment’s own waterproof fabric range and has over 25 years of heritage. Our Drilite fabrics are chosen from literally thousands of different options and only make the cut after hours and hours of testing and development work. Again, denier is a good gauge of ruggedness with a higher ‘D’ usually indicating greater durability.
Other companies have developed thier own membranes too. Patagonia have thier H2NO, Mammut have MAMMUT DRY, Sherpa have Sukatec®
A good fit is essential. If you are wearing a waterproof jacket for summer mountain running then the fit requirements are different to if you plan to use the jacket for winter climbing, and so consider not only your body shape but your intended use and what layers you plan to wear the jacket with. Ensure you can raise your arms overhead without exposing your midriff, that the cuffs are long enough to cover your wrists and prevent water coming down them, and that the hood allows you to look all around without restriction. In basic terms our Active Fit is our trimmest fit, our Alpine Fit a perfect middle ground, and our Mountain Fit our most roomy, but there may be slight variation from model to model.
Features
The best waterproof fabric is worthless if your hood doesn’t work, the cuffs don’t fasten neatly, and the seams leak. Consider what you are going to use the product for and whether it has the features that you want. Hoods, pockets and cuffs are perhaps the three most important factors, along with fit.
Hydrostatic head
Hydrostatic head is a way of measuring how waterproof a fabric is, stated as a rating in metres or millimetres. It measures how high a column of water could stand on the fabric before it would begin coming through. A higher number means that the fabric is ‘more waterproof’. Even the most powerful wind-blown rain rarely exceeds the equivalent pressure of 500mm, but many fabrics advertise hydrostatic head figures of 10,000mm or even 20,000mm. That’s because higher pressures than those from rain can occur in situations like sitting or kneeling on wet ground, and because over time a fabric’s hydrostatic head can slowly degrade. All of our waterproof fabrics exceed a hydrostatic head of 20,000mm.
Breathability figures
‘Breathability’ is better termed moisture vapour permeability. It describes how much moisture can escape a fabric, and thus how sweaty a waterproof fabric may feel. it is a frustrating subject because of the huge number of different standards and methods used to determine it. Results from these methods can contradict one another and so it is hard to get a gauge for what fabric offers the ‘best’ breathability. All of our fabrics undergo moisture vapour permeability tests and we often use multiple standards to assess them. All of our waterproof fabrics have an MVTR (moisture vapour transmission rate) of greater than 20,000 g/m²/24h, which indicates extremely high vapour transfer and so means excellent comfort.
DWRs
A DWR is a ‘Durable Water Repellent’ finish that is applied to a fabric to help it repel water. They are a key part of maintaining comfort, of reducing drying times of a garment, and in promoting ‘beading’ of water on a fabric. They don’t last forever, however, and need to be revitalised or renewed regularly. For more information on this, see our care pages.
PFAS
PFAS is a large group of per and polyfluorinted compounds. PFAS may be present in coatings, membranes, for colour stability, and to increase textile properties. Global regulations restrict the use of PFAS.
The OSC ranges are PFAS-free* for Autumn/Winter 2025 in production, including all trims, membranes, and components.