Ventile - a classic waterproof revived

Ventile is a pure cotton material used since the thirties when it was developed for use by pilots operating from aircraft carriers. It was designed to keep them warm and dry for long enough to enable them to be rescued before they were overcome by exposure.

Photo Ventile

It was widely used as a breathable and waterproof fabric before materials like Gore-Tex were developed. Since more modern fabrics have become available its use has gradually declined among outdoor types, although Ventile claims that it is still used by fighter pilots in their flight suits. Others still prefer Ventile, claiming that it is quieter, more breathable and robust.

Ben Fogle wearing Cabourn Ventile parka

The recent resurgence of interest in vintage work clothes has seen its revival by modern designers. Private White V.C. is one of several companies that markets garments made from Ventile. Ben Fogle used a Nigel Cabourn recreation of Edmund Hillary's Ventile Arctic parka when he went to the South Pole a few years ago. My Nigel Cabourn Tenzing jacket has Ventile shoulder and arm patches which enhance its shower-proof capabilities to the extent that I only leave it at home in persistent rain. 

Nigel Cabourn Tenzing jacket

I bought an old Survival Aids Ventile jacket last Autumn to see how it compares to my modern breathable mountaineering jacket. It is very wind-proof and keeps out all but very heavy and persistent rain. The cotton fibres that make up the Ventile expand when wet, which means that the jacker becomes slightly heavier and stiffer and takes a while to dry out.

Vintage Survival Aids Ventile jacket

Overall my modern jacket is slightly more waterproof, but it does get damp inside from condensation, something that I haven't experienced with the Ventile garment, which is also quieter and more comfortable to wear as the cotton is softer and warmer to touch.

Ventile jacket

To sum up, I would take the modern technical waterproof into very wet conditions, but would use the Ventile for shorther or more sheltered use or where quietness is needed (bird watching, wildlife photography, field sports). An added advantage of Ventile is that it does not readily take up dye during manufacture, so it develops a lovely distressed patina of age with use!