Old Mountain Hardwear Gore-Tex tech shell: Repair or replace?

[Arden]

Hi;
I have an old (nearly 20 years) Mountain Hardwear Gore-Tex technical shell. I don't know what the model is. The main zipper has ripped from its binding, and needs to be replaced.
In addition, the seam tape on the inside has detached from most of the seams.

I attempted to get repair info from MH, but they are pretty much useless, so I Googled, and found Rainy Pass Repair. I filled out their repair estimate form.

Whether I decide to have the shell repaired (if it is possible) or purchase a replacement will depend on the cost of the repair. I don't think it's worth more than $100 to repair.
It appears that I have chosen a good time to consider buying new, as MH is having a 50% off sale on some of their jackets/shells.
I was looking at their 'Superforma' jacket. It is on sale now for $199, but I am not sure it would be a replacement for the shell I now own.
The old shell is so good at blocking the wind, I don't want to buy anything that will not be as good in that respect.
I'm not dead-set on MH either. I just don't want something that I would wear for a few years and have to buy again.
Is Mountain Hardwear still a superior brand? It seems that so many great brands have gone to manufacturing in China, and removed much of their quality, just to remain competitive.

Here is a photo of the MH shell I am talking about:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f5l...ew?usp=sharing

Thanks for your advice
Arden

[CalebJ]

Any of the upper tier brands make durable 3 layer shells. At one point it was called XCR, then Pro Shell, then Proshell (or something like that). Patagonia, Arc Teryx, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, etc offer excellent products if you dig through their catalogs. For what it's worth, don't skip the option of buying used if there aren't great deals available on new products. I picked up a Mountain Hardwear pro shell jacket a few months ago in excellent condition for $125, and a couple of friends were able to find Patagonia's Super Alpine for $140-180 around the same time by keeping an eye out on gear forums, eBay, etc. Given the list of things you went over that are wrong with your current shell, IMO it's not worth repairing vs replacing.

[peakbagger]

I picked up Beans Proshell Goretex jacket for winter hiking 2 years ago and previously had a pair of proshell winter pants. I previously had a North Face Gore Tex jacket and Beans Goretex pants. The Proshell decidedly has better vapor transmission than the prior Goretex but it still has an issue with heavy exertion.

Unless you DIY and are good at it I doubt you can get new zipper and figure out a way to reseal it if you paying someone to do it. Its highly likely the DWR coating is long gone so it probably wets out which impacts the breathability. There are products to redo the DWR coating but I have tired them on a similar vintage Moonstone Gtex jacket and although its big improvement it still is not like new.

Pretty much any Gtex jacket will block wind, its pretty well inherent in the material. Really the bigger things is how well it fits, how well it ventilates and how well the hood fits should be driver to decide it its worth replacing. One newer detail that can be annoying are the newer "waterproof" zipper that incorporate a rubber flap with the zipper halves. The work better than conventional zipper for wind and water proofing but there is lot of resistance on the zipper pull. I could open and close my pit zips on my North Face while wearing it but it darn close to impossible with the rubber flap style.

Note a lot of folks have switched to soft shells to get better breathability and similar wind resistance although the trade off in nasty conditions is they are more water resistant than waterproof.

[Arden]

Hey guys; Thanks for the info.
I would like to stick with the hard shell type, as it is more appropriate for backpacking, and from what I have read, it's more breathable.
So far as the shell losing its DWR coating, it seems to still repel rain.

Considering that I paid $400 for the jacket new, I think a brand-new one (of the same type) would cost around $600 today, unless heavily discounted.
I have been looking at Ebay for used, and will continue to do so, but considering what you say about DWR losing its properties, is buying used worth it?

I also have an old Solstice hard shell (not sure I still have the hood though) which I didn't use all that much. I purchased it while on a ski trip in Utah before I bought the MH.
The MH is far superior in blocking wind than the Solstice is. The Solstice was about $100 (on sale I think), so I guess you get what you pay for...

[CalebJ]

I believe peakbagger meant to say that some have switched to softshells. In any case, it definitely sounds like a hard shell is what you're after.
Buying used certainly requires you to be cautious about reading the listing and looking at the photos carefully, but there are bargains to be had for sure. Not the only way to go, but it works well for me.

[peakbagger]

Yup thanks for catching it. I corrected it

[Arden]

While searching, I found this: https://sectionhiker.com/why-does-dwr-suck/
Interesting blog. If the current chemical used in DWR is phased out, will the new one work as well, and be less toxic?
Sounds a lot like the CFC issue...

[Arden]

BTW; Where are Mountain Hardwear Gore-Tex jackets made now? Mine has no 'country of mfg' on the label.
My Solstice was made in China, not surprisingly.

[CalebJ]

For what it's worth, REI has the Arc'teryx Beta AR in some colors/sizes for in their clearance section. It's $401.93 for the clearance ones, and an extra 25% through 3/11 that brings it down to $301. Really solid deal for a full size pro shell (retail is $575).

https://www.rei.com/product/135601/a...ar-jacket-mens
Edit - looks like S, XL, and XXL in the Conifer color are at the reduced price.


Edit 2 - the Mammut Crater is also worth a look:
https://www.rei.com/product/132773/m...ll-jacket-mens

[Zalman]

Mountain Hardware offers a lifetime warranty, as far as I know. I'd file a warranty claim.. You might need an original receipt, if they're cranky about it.

[Arden]

Mountain Hardware offers a lifetime warranty, as far as I know. I'd file a warranty claim.. You might need an original receipt, if they're cranky about it.

OK. Although I believe the failure of my jacket will be classified as normal wear and tear, and/or normal breakdown of materials, what do I have to lose.
I don't have the sales receipt though.

[Zalman]

OK. Although I believe the failure of my jacket will be classified as normal wear and tear, and/or normal breakdown of materials, what do I have to lose.
I don't have the sales receipt though.

Could be, but a broken zipper is a defect in my opinion, not "wear and tear" (ditto for delamination, btw) . I suspect the receipt will be more of an issue; they apparently only want to support that warranty for the original owner.

[trailmercury]

Who keeps a sales receipt from a 20 year old clothing garment?


I had a MH windstopper jacket become defective many years ago, they replaced it with a new one without the original sales receipt. (I had purchased the jacket in good used condition online a few months prior)

[Arden]

I don't have the receipt, but I know that I purchased the jacket at Campmor in Paramus NJ.
The zipper itself isn't broken. It has become detached at the very bottom; the fabric part of the zipper ripping away from the jacket. It's just an inch or so, but prevents me from zipping it up unless I really tease it, which becomes very frustrating.
I will fill out the warranty form, but I think I need to launder the jacket before sending it to them.
Also, they may reject my claim since I attempted to repair it myself using that JB Weld. I don't know what possessed me to try that. I would have been better off with silicone glue; at least it is flexible...

In the end though, I am due for a new jacket, but currently my budget does not allow for a major expenditure, so I will have to get along with the cheaper - inferior - Solstice shell.

[Zalman]

Also, they may reject my claim since I attempted to repair it myself using that JB Weld.

That would be good to know if that's the case, because I would expect that a zipper which broke in the field might be "welded" in all sorts of ways before filing a warranty claim back at civilization, and an outdoor gear company that rejected a claim on that basis would be suspect in my mind.