There is only 1 name brand waterproof membrane...Gore-Tex. Every other membrane made today is a clone of Gore-Tex. eVent is similar to what Gore-Tex was 20 years ago. A loose membrane that breaths well ( better than Gore-Tex ) but as Gore found out is not durable enough to maintain it's waterproof properties when pulled, stretched, bent, or stressed. Gore was decades ahead of the competition in both the process of making it's membrane, and how to seal it so that the seams were capable of holding up to the same stress when their patent expired. No other membrane on the market today has even come close to achieving the waterproof capabilities along with long term effectiveness of Gore-Tex. That's why you still have to pay $200.00 more for the same basic gear if you want Gore-Tex. I'm sure Klim would use eVent (which they once did ) and sell for less if they could provide the same product, which they found out the hard way they couldn't. So would Simms, Sitka, North Face, Patagonia, Danner, Cloudveil, etc. Klim about went broke trying to warranty and guarantee clone membranes before they realized the only way to produce the product they wanted to produce was to go to the expense and jump through the extremely complicated process of earning the right to be the exclusive Gore-Tex sponsored snowmobile clothing manufacture. A match made in heaven, both own the drawing boards in their field of expertise with little threat of anyone catching up anytime soon.
It's will be interesting to see if 2 or 3 years from now MotorFist gear is still holding out the water. Or, if they will be in the same boat Klim was in when they were using the same basic clone membrane. It's to early to tell because most of the clone membranes are effective for a year or so. If anyone did figure out how to make a product that would really compete with Gore-Tex I would expect somebody like Cabelas to pick it up first. They have been trying for years to find a membrane that they could use to compete with Gore, but last I heard even Dick Cabela himself said there was not a product that could do so. For now, I'll spend the extra $200.00 bucks and bet on Gore + Klim.
I don't have to ride in both, I rode in the old Klim gear, and as I stated "as MotorFist is Klim once was." What I mean by this is Klim use to use the same basic clone membrane as well as the same heavy cordura outer layer. They upgraded for a reason I'm sure MotorFist will soon discover. And style????? I'm not sure we can give either manufacture any points for style can we? Both pretty basic looking stuff. I think both companies are smart enough to avoid the age groups who are more concerned with style than they are with function. Remember Tobe tried the style thing.
If I blow that tranny under warranty and it doesn't look EXACTLY like it did before it blew, I will drive it up their *** and open the doors and back out. I don't want my clothing scabbed together with patches. If it is lifetime warranty and they have to rip out every stitch to get it back to the way it was they had better do it. It would probably be more cost effective it they replaced the whole garment tho.
