My wife once told me there was a factory outlet in/next to Taipei.
Does that happen often? Where could I buy a cheap jacket?
Costco will stock them at some point - no idea of where they are presently in terms of the product cycle.
[quote=“Dater”]My wife once told me there was a factory outlet in/next to Taipei.
Does that happen often? Where could I buy a cheap jacket?[/quote]
The Goretex jacket trilemma is ‘quality, cheap price, features’. Pick two. I haven’t heard of any factory outlets selling good Goretex jackets, but then I buy retail from a mate of mine in Banqiao (who gives me 30% off, which makes it affordable). I would highly recommend his business. He is extremely experienced, he’s an avid hiker, climber, and photographer, well traveled, with good English, and if he doesn’t have something in stock he can usually get it from his supplier in a few days. His main line is Lowe Alpine, but he also sells Berghaus, Marmot, and a couple of other brands.
If you can find a genuine brand name Gortex jacket for below typical retail price at a factory outlet somewhere local, I say go for your life. If not, I would recommend a visit to Michael.
There are two types of outlet place here. One is a permanent shop and the other is one of these moving things that just pops up from time to time. They’re usually great value, but of course there are no returns, since the shop only exists for a week or so at a time. They usually sell known brands, incidentally, and as far as I know, not counterfeit. There’s currently one on Gangqien Rd opposite the Ferrari showroom, if that interests you. These places tend to have more summer-type stuff, but you never know.
I got some Merrell shoes a while back at a place about 10 minute’s walk east from the Tone 56 bar (on the same side of the road). It looked like the sort of place that would have jackets, but I didn’t check. Also, I’m not sure if that was one of the permanent places or just there for a couple of weeks. Maybe someone can confirm if that’s still there.
Yes, I’m looking for a decent Goretex cycling jacket. long back, short front, elastic waist that tucks under the butt, high collar, hot-air taped sealed seams, underarm vents, high visibility colours, etc. double layer rather than triple laminate preferred.
If any of you goretex hunters sees one, particularly in smaller sizes, PM me immediately!
thanks
There’s a small mom and pop shop on the northwest corner of Jinshan and Chaozhou (near Guting MRT) that’s forever “going out of business” according to the sign in the window. They carry jackets that are factory rejects (I remember seeing Goretex there), but you’ve gotta dig into the piles of clothes lying all over the place. It’s hit or miss, but if you get a hit, it’s a great deal.
Hmmm, factory rejects can be good, but often there’s reason why it’s been rejected, like a tear, a whole, a dropped seam, all of which are big no-nos for Goretex stuff. OK for jeans and shoes…
A whole what?
a whole void, a.k.a. an entire absence in a contiguous and conjoint portion of was-meant-to-be-fabric of any stuff or substance. pardon me.
You could’ve at least typed that the first time, lazy bastard.
You know, Gore Tex has been out of patent for donkeys years. There’s plenty of alternative materials out there that are just as good and a fair bit cheaper. I suggest you do some google on different fabrics - eVent, Hyvent, H2NO, Simpatex all work in a similar way - basically the fabric has (w)holes big enough for water vapour molecules to pass through but which are too small for liquid water molecules to get through.
The Gore-Tex brand does add a lot to the cost. The one thing it has over the other brands is that it sets very strict quality standards on the manufacturers to ensure that seams are sturdy and leak-proof. The fabric itself, however, isn’t any better or worse than its competitors.
In many respects you’d be right, Greenmark, but having tried many alternatives and been disappointed with the breathability of most of them, I still like Goretex the best. Waterproofing, fine, but vapour transmission (and resistance to delamination) varies greatly between competitors. Anyway, they only supply the material, not the manufacture of each garment, and that has a lot to do with the design, the experience, and the quality control of each brand too.
That said, i’ll take another option if it’s as good. Sad thing is, it’s always hard to do any real back-to-back testing, and i hate spending big money on items like that to get disappointed, so I stick to things I know will work.
Urodocus, in my experience even the lightest of the Gore-tex fabrics are not breathable enough for when one is cycling - which is what you said you were looking for. This comes from my days when I was fit and a cycle courier in mid-London winter - even in the coolest of days you would end up building up a nice clammy layer of sweat underneath Gore-tex.
What I found best for day to day riding and commuting was a simple shell outer layer such as Pertex - that should keep you comfortable enough for up to 45 minutes or so. If you need something sturdier for longer then look for any gore-tex or gore-tex clone fabric but make sure that you can play about with the vents - that is under-arm zippers and the option of only buttoning up the front instead of having to zip it up entirely and being able to loosen up the cuffs.
Remember also that the lightest Gore-tex jacket does not pack up very small, so it is actually a bugger to remove and pack down. The downside is that when the rain gets light then you end up wearing a heavy jacket that you won’t remove and you end up sweating buckets again.
For most people, who are looking for a rain jacket or ski jacket where they won’t necessarily be building up quite as much effort then a clone should be fine. I’ve had plenty of luck with such jackets before.
I know, maybe I’m better off sticking with my el cheapo rainshell. At least it’s windproof and vaguely waterproof (almost as wet inside as out in the rain), but when it sticks to your chest it still gets chilly on long descents.
I’ve never actually had a Goretex jacket (though I have a couple of Goretex caps, a pair of Goretex gaiters, and a pair of Goretex lined boots). I’ve used Reflex (by Macpac), and Triplepoint (by Lowe Alpine), and found them both to be more than adequate.
Then there was that one trip where you sealed your entire body in candle wax from the neck down.
I guess that didn’t work out so well.
Actually, maybe this should be in the Body Hair thread…
Wow! A lot of people are posting in this thread now. Thanks for participating!
Today my wife and I went to a shop called ‘New York New York’ (right after we finished watching Terminator 4) and I found a jacket which felt very right. i really liked the quality of the jacket. I inspected it inside out and it also had those zippable vents under the arms…
tomorrow we’ll go to a shop which supposedly is going out of business with huge discounts…and after that to the Outdoor shops next to Taipei MRT Main Station (Exit 7, a friend told me about that one).
Anyways… if i don’t find anything better I’ll go for the one i found in New York New York.
[quote=“Dater”]Wow! A lot of people are posting in this thread now. Thanks for participating!
Today my wife and I went to a shop called ‘New York New York’ (right after we finished watching Terminator 4) and I found a jacket which felt very right. i really liked the quality of the jacket. I inspected it inside out and it also had those zippable vents under the arms…[/quote]
Are the zips seam sealed?
OK! My wife and I just returned from Asiaworld (formerly known as FNAC) in Nanjing E Road. As you may know from the news they are closing and having a Bye Bye Sale with huge discounts.
Man… that was like war inside there!
We just bought 5 (in words: five) Jack Wolfskin Goretex Performance Shell Jackets, a Jack Wolfskin Photo Backpack and a pair of Goretex Meindl Boots for a total of 27580 NTD!!! So we just saved about 1000 Euros. I think we are going to have a problem at customs now when we travel back to Germany 
It’s been a year and a half since anyone’s posted in this thread. Can anyone give me an idea if a jacket like this one http://www.rei.com/product/795419 is going to be cheaper in Taiwan or here in the US at REI… and whether or not I’m going to get my size in Taiwan? It does NOT have to be this particular jacket or brand… I like good pit zips, comfy pockets, and critically, LONGER THAN HIP LENGTH. The jackets that sit at the waist make me end up with a wet butt, and at that point, I’m unhappy enough that I might as well have skipped the damn jacket altogether. :fume: I would try them on, of course, but likely would buy an L or an XL; I wear size L/XL clothes but tend to like things loose.
This jacket seems to run about NT$10,000 at most stores in the US; I’d get a 10% member rebate from REI next year which might sway my purchasing decision IF everything else were equal.
Thanks in advance for your opinions and advice. 
[quote]The streamlined Arc’Teryx Theta SL combines 2 great waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex® textiles. This PacLite® jacket features Gore-Tex® Pro Shell reinforcements in critical areas.
Below-hip length offers maximum coverage, and a short list of critical features keeps the Theta SL light and packable
2.5-layer Gore-Tex PacLite is engineered specifically to be light, packable and more breathable than other 2- or 3-layer Gore-Tex fabrics
Lack of need for a separate liner allows fabric to be light and compact; combines durable wind- and waterproofness with exceptional breathability
Shoulder, collar and sleeve areas are reinforced with 3-layer Gore-Tex Pro Shell with an ultra-thin backer for added durability
Micro seam allowances increase breathability and suppleness, and save weight; all seams are sealed for complete protection
Trim-fitting Stow Hood™ with molded brim compresses to hide within the jacket’s collar; it’s accessible through a watertight zipper
Lightweight Stow Hood™ with molded brim compresses to hide within the jacket’s collar; it’s accessible through a watertight zipper
Pit zippers allow easy and efficient ventilation; WaterTight™ zippers do away with bulky zipper flaps
Features laminated hem and waist drawcords and a quick-dry chin guard
WaterTight front and pocket zippers; jacket has 2 hand pockets
Articulated elbows and No-lift gusseted underarms let jacket remain in place when arms are raised, and ensure unhindered movement
Trim athletic fit enhances performance[/quote]
