Water Proof vs. Water Resistant: What’s the Difference?

It’s ironic that you need to keep hydrated while on a trek, cycle ride, motorcycle ride, water sport activity, expedition etc., but at the same time keep your body and your belongings / equipment protected from any external water penetration; so that they are ready for use and you don’t fall prey to any high altitude and cold sicknesses. To avoid this it is important to be aware of the difference between the terms ‘Waterproof’ and ‘Water Resistant’ and select your gear accordingly. It is important to be aware of exactly to what degree your gear can protect you from rain, dew, shower or any water body during your adventure.

Waterproof and water resistant – the moment you start shopping for monsoons, you’ll stumble across these two terms, be it electronics, rainwear, jackets, gloves, luggage, backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, watches or footwear.

Do they mean the same thing? Which one’s better? What’s the difference?

We at OTG are questioned about this difference quite often by our customers. We hope this blog clears the air for all readers and adventure enthusiasts, so that they can decide on the appropriate waterproof or water resistant gear for their use, according to their need in the outdoors.

Let’s look at the exact definitions.

Waterproof: Completely impervious to or impenetrable by water. That means the water cannot seep in through the stitches and zippers as well.

Water Resistant: Able to resist the penetration of water to a certain extent depending on the intensity of water droplets or shower.

In short, waterproof gear means no water can seep in, no matter what. On the other hand, water resistant gear will stop water to a certain extent, beyond which water will pass through.

But that’s really vague, isn’t it? You need to know the exact degree beyond which a particular piece of water resistant gear will fail, and you need to know this BEFORE making the purchase decision. You don’t want to find yourself in the middle of nowhere with gear that you bought to keep you or your stuff dry, falling short of the task.

Two different types of globally accepted rating scales are used for this purpose:

Ingress Protection Scale (IP Code): The IP code follows an international standard called IEC 60529 – Degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures and it was developed by a technical committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission.

• The IP Code classifies and rates the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects, dust, accidental contact and water.
• The scale takes into account three types of variables; the angle at which water hits the product being tested, the minimum duration for which the test must be conducted and the speed or force with which water hits the product.
• The IP code is typically used for electronics, drybags, protective cases, etc.
• The scale is measured from zero to eight, with IPX0 meaning no protection from water and IPX8 meaning protection against continual underwater immersion.

When buying gear that is certified under the IP code, you should look for the exact IP specification code on the packaging. Here’s what each of the codes in the IP system means in short.

 

Among the brands available on OutdoorTravelGear.com, Aquapac products are IP rated. The Packdivider DrySacks, Trailproof bags, Toccoa, Noatak and Stormproof bags from Aquapac have waterproofing rating of IPX6 , which indicates that these bags protect against powerful water jets / heavy seas / temporary flooding. These are great for heavy rains, but are not submersible. On the other hand, the Aquapac Whanganui cases have waterproofing rating of IPX8. This means that these are designed to not just keep out the rain but can also be submersed up to 30FT/10M under water for 30 minutes without any water ingress.

 

Hydrostatic Head:

• Hydrostatic Head scale measures the degree to which a piece of gear can hold back water
• Process: A patch of the material being tested is clamped at the bottom end of a clear transparent tube. The tube is then filled slowly with water. The idea is to see how high the column of water can get before the material lets water drip through.
• The HH scale is typically used for fabric, tents, clothes, etc.
• The scale is measured in thousands of mm. For eg., a Hydrostatic Head rating of 5000mm means that the column of water was 5 metres (5000mm) tall before the material leaked. The higher this number, the more protection a material provides against water.

(Source: bit.ly/GearWeAreHHRating)

 

In practicality, where you have water being pushed by wind and gravity against your gear, you will need a measurement of around 1000mm to resist light showers. Heavy rain and wind will create more pressure on your gear and it will require a higher rating of around 5000mm.

For really heavy-duty use, look for gear with a rating of about 10000mm. Gear with this level of rating should survive against water being pushed through by something physical, like a person or vegetation rubbing on it in the wind.

HH Rated Gear on OutdoorTravelGear.com

• Tents:

The Quechua Arpenaz 2 Tent has 2000mm PU-coated Polyester which means that the material can withstand pressure exerted up to 2 metres (2000mm) column of water without allowing any leakage.

• Rain Wear:

The Quechua Rain Cut Jacket available with www.outdoortravelgear.com has an HH rating of 2000 mm.

Some brands may not quote the waterproofing standards for their products, but may advise you on the water resistance / waterproofing levels of the gear. It makes good sense to defer to the brand’s advise and use the gear accordingly.

For e.g. a number of brands selling motorcycle luggage in India provide rain covers for their luggage that are water resistant. Dirtsack offers the Gypsy with ‘water retardant’ fabric that wards off light showers coupled with an external rain cover making the bag resistant to showers. Dirtsack also offers the Frogman series of bags made from heavy duty PVC material that are 100% waterproof dustproof and rainproof.

The Hurricane Rain Overtrousers from Mototech are technical rain pants with fully seam sealed tapes and Hipora fabric which is waterproof and breathable. Mototech also offers the Hurricane Rain Jacket as a water proofing solution sold along with Contour Air Riding Jacket as one unit.

So what’s the moral of the story? Now that you know the difference, the next time you want to buy gear that is waterproof or water resistant, find out what it exactly means for that product and see if the product is specifically rated under any of the two scales we saw above.

Don’t let the rains keep you home. Go ahead. GET OUT!

www.OutdoorTravelGear.com
# OutdoorTravelGear #GetOut

Gear from OutdoorTravelGear.com to keep you Monsoon Ready

The Monsoon is here, and for those adventure enthusiasts out there, we know that the rainy season makes for larger, better, grander adventures than otherwise. While the rest of the world may curl up at home, in front of the TV sipping hot tea, we’re more likely to be outdoors – riding, hiking, trekking, travelling and generally doing our own thing!

We all know how inflicting rain gods can be in India and if we are not prepared for the deluge, our adventure can quickly turn from being fun to being a punishing ordeal. We believe it is imperative to take extra care of two important things around in the rains: Electronic devices, and yes, your clothing. That you need to protect your electronic devices from moisture is obvious, but don’t underestimate how miserable you can get if your socks and undergarments get wet either!

At OTG, we know the passion and excitement monsoon generates in us, so we’ve put together a unique monsoon collection for all adventure enthusiasts. Featured here are the must-have items from our Monsoon Collection, products that we promise will take your monsoon adventures from ‘great’ to ‘awesome’.

AQUAPAC Whanganui Cases

AQUAPAC makes some great waterproofing products. At the foremost this monsoon are the AQUAPAC Whanganui cases for all types and sizes of electronic equipment. Pick a suitable size for your device (from micro to large) and use it comfortably in the rain. The cases are guaranteed waterproof to the International Standard IPX8. This means that these are designed to not just keep out the rain but also to be submersible up to 15FT/5M under water for 30 minutes, while at the same time providing a good degree of touchscreen responsiveness through the plastic.

MUC-OFF Screen Cleaning Kit

Despite case protection, electronic devices can get wet, especially when you finally take them out in the open. Moreover, moisture tends to get built up inside the case, due to the highlevels of humidity in the air. Screens turn streaky and unresponsive to touch with moisture, and can get scratches when you try to rub them clean. No more! Try MUC-OFF screen cleaning kit. It comes with its own microfiber cloth that is specially designed for cleaning those delicate finishing on screens. MUC-Off products are internationally revered for their ability to clean dirt, grime, fingertips and oily residue. Now try it on your electronic devices.

Pro Tip: Throw in a moisture absorbent sachet into your case. You can easily buy these or sometimes even get them when you buy branded shoes or winter clothing.

AQUAPAC Dry Bags

Dry Bags from AQUAPAC come in wide ranging sizes from 2-70 litres and are an excellent option for monsoon. These come in many colours, making it easy to colour code your stuff. Divide up your clothes or essentials into sets/categories and place them in bags for easy access. Imagine that you’re camping and you only need to retrieve a phone charger. Now it would be literally a nightmare to access the tiny thing that has slipped at the bottom of a large knapsack inside a tent. It is much easier to access stuff kept in colour coded smaller bags. They also have some brilliant innovations in design – like having handles at both ends so you can grab and pull, however you’ve placed them originally. These Drybags have international waterproofing standard of IPX6, which indicates that these bags protect against heavy seas / temporary flooding. These are great for heavy rains, but are not submersible.

And now for what you should be wearing..

MOTOTECH Hurricane Rain Jacket

This Mototech Jacket has the admirable advantage of not just being backed by Mototech’s high-quality production values, but also being designed in wonderfully lightweight and compact manner. Any trekker or biker knows the pain of having to pack heavy rain gear with them that they’ve to lug all over the place. Mototech solves the problem, and also throws in a few nice touches of their own, like making the drawstring cords high-viz, fully taped seams and having Velcro and flaps in the front instead of zippers (zippers tend to let water and wind in, and over time, they do tend to stick a little). The fabric used for the jacket is super tough and durable making it a must have for your monsoon rides or hikes.

QUIPCO Flash Hi Viz Suspenders

Quipco is a popular brand among the outdoors community for their stylish, yet functional products. This product from the Quipco stable stands out as a monsoon must-have. When it’s raining, water running of windshields and visors obscure vision to such an extent that there is real danger on the roads. These high-viz suspenders have a universal size and are wearable on anything you have worn which allows people to see you on the road from a distance. A great investment in your safety whether you are riding a bike or cycling or simply walking along.

BONUS: AQUAPAC Puncture Patches

No list of monsoon gear is complete without mentioning these great little puncture patches, again from the house of Aquapac. These small patches seal off tears, rips and holes in almost anything – jackets, aquapacs, bags, tents, rainwear, seams of clothing and much else. Their utility is tremendous since they prevent leaks and stop rips and tears from spreading. Carry a set with you for emergency use anywhere.

There’s a lot more stuff at our store that you might find useful during the monsoon. These are only our top-of-the-draw picks. Why don’t you head here and check out what else you would use during this rainy season?