Sheltex, how good is it?

snerkler

snerkler

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How good is Sheltex compared to Gore-tex? I understand that Sheltex is Hein Gericke's own version of Gore-Tex, but their Sheltex Jackets are about 1/2 the cost of their Gore-Tex. I'm someone who believes that you get what you pay for, but is Gore-Tex really that much better? The only negative I'm aware of is that the Sheltex isn't quite as breathable so could be a tad warmer in the summer, but by how much?
I'm looking at the Hi-Viz which get grimey pretty quick so the 5 years warranty of the gore-tex doesn't bother me as the jacket will be faded after a year or 2 anyway :blast
 
Personal experience, last year i went to Spain in July, 35-40 degrees, i had a HG sheltex and the missus had a HG Goretx(work that one out), at the end of each day she was far mor comfortable than me, i was absolutley dripping in sweat and the inside of the jacket was soaking, whilst she was sweaty her jacket felt far nicer and more pleasent, sheltex i have found ok waterproof wise in the uk using all through the year, however after this trip i bought a HG Goretx and have to say it is far comfier, keeps me drier and i hope if we get any hot waether this year cooler.
If i had a choice it would be Goretex over Sheltex, as you said, you get what you pay for:thumb2, and at leats HG is slightly cheaper than some other brands, i got mine off e bay, very little use, as new and less than half price of the same new item.
 
From my personal perspective Sheltex is excellent. My last HG Sheltex jacket lasted five years, didn't leak, was warm and protected me when I came off at 60 mph which is the only reason I don't still have the jacket. I ride all year in all weathers and cover in the region of 15-20,000 miles pa so my Sheltex jacket remained waterproof for at least 75,000 miles during which time the outer was washed in Nikwax only two or three times. I'd have another but when I fell off I couldn't find an HG jacket that fitted so I bought a Rev-it Cayenne Pro again with a non Gortex membrane.

Hot weather wise you're better off with a removable membrane as all of them will leave you hotter than you'd like to be.

Hope that is of some help.

Dave
 
I guess there's a reason for that price difference (and the different warranty).
BTW - The 5 year warranty from HG is on the manufacture of the suit isn't it?
The warranty on Goretex (the waterproofing bit) is lifetime I think??

I personally have always gone with Goretex over Sheltex as I had a mate who used to manage a HG store who advised me to "go with Goretex unless the costs is just prohibitive".

He reckoned the Sheltex was a good product for the price, but you get what you pay for.

I've also tried had BMW branded kit with their C-change breathable and waterproof membrane, and I found it to be excellent; never leaked and is very comfortable in hot weather.

This year's top price BMW kit has dropped Goretex in favour of C-Change, so they must be pretty confident in it.
 
had both for 5 years and many many miles in hot and cold countries
sheltex brilliantly waterproof, so is goretex
sheltex sweatier than goretex
for me
 
My personal experiance is that my Sheltex jacket was waterproof but not very breathable.

Gortex , however, has always worked for me and I don't bother buying anything else these days :thumb2

Andres
 
Yeah - come to think of it, I think that was part of the reason why my mate recommended Goretex over Sheltex; both at waterproof, but Goretex is less "clammy".

IF breathable is a big factor for you, then you might be interested in this;

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260150

Of course, if the initial purchase cost is the main factor, then Sheltex would be a good bet IMHO, as long as you don't expect the ultimate in breathability.

I guess there's no hard and fast answer to the original question - you just pays your money and takes your choices :rob
 
Thanks for all the replies. My thoughts are that I'll wear the new hi-vis jacket in better weather, and wear my old hi-vis one through the winter to prevent the new one from getting grimey so quickly. This means I'll be wearing the new one in warmer conditions so the Sheltex sounds as though it might not be for me, I hate being too hot :rolleyes:
 
I wonder about the utility of Goretex type materials in motorcycle clothing.

Waterproof is nice, but motorcycling is not really active enough to generate the thermal gradient needed to drive water vapour through the goretex membrane, so the breathability is poor.

Great for active outdoor pursuits and maybe if you're walking about in your gear, but for breathability whilst riding, I think we're buying into hype.

Similarly, most motorcycle clothing has a goretex membrane on the inside which is completely pointless - the jacket gets wet, the water evaporates and takes heat with it and you get just as cold as if you were wet to the skin.

Just clever marketing.
 
stolzy said:
Similarly, most motorcycle clothing has a goretex membrane on the inside which is completely pointless - the jacket gets wet, the water evaporates and takes heat with it and you get just as cold as if you were wet to the skin.

.
Click to expand...

This is true, I have noticed that it still gets very cold if wet. I've tried alsorts to keep myself warm under a gore-tex or any other jacket, including cold killers, thermals, layers, etc etc. At the moment I've got a jacket with alufoil detachable lining which seems about the best so far, but it can still get cold after a couple of hours riding in 5 degree temps or lower, and even more so if wet :nenau
I don't want to go down then line of heated vests etc as I don't like the idea of wrapping myself up in something electrical :eek:
 
Stolzy / Snerkler,

You are both right in the case of kit which uses the Gore-Tex Z liner (or Sheltex, or whatever else).

BUT, there are suits available (at a price) which have the Gore-Tex bonded to the outside, so that they shed the water right away rather than absorbing it in the outer layer and relying on the liner to stop it going further.

That's why I bought my BMW Comfortshell suit when replacing my old HG Master 3.
Because the Comfortshell sheds the water, they don't get as cold during a downpour or spend all night dripping on the floor afterwards.
A thermal base layer underneath (I have some icebreaker stuff) is perfectly adequate for most of the year.
It also doesn't end up weighing a tonne when wet (like my old Master suit did).

HG have suits these days with the Gore-Tex bonding (Master 5 and PSX-RS) but you are looking at almost a grand for the suit.
The new BMW StreetGuard kit has the same C-Change membrane as the Comfortshell, and it has a thermal lining too, but weighs in at nearly £1100!

I'm sure there is more than just the different waterproofing that goes into the price difference between the "lower" end Sheltex and top of the range HG /BMW/Rukka/whatever (such as better abrasion resistence, higher spec armour etc.) but I guess you are going to have to shell out big bucks if you want top performance :(
 
stolzy said:
................................

Similarly, most motorcycle clothing has a goretex membrane on the inside which is completely pointless - the jacket gets wet, the water evaporates and takes heat with it and you get just as cold as if you were wet to the skin.

Just clever marketing.
Click to expand...

Without wishing to get into a 'what oil' type discussion I think it's quite a personal thing as to what works..................

Based on many miles in all sorts of weather the following is what works for me:

My big thing is to keep cool in the summer, I hate being hot and/or sweaty on the bike. To this end the only thing that has worked for me to my satisfaction is the good ol' Twat suit and the reason it keeps my cool in the summer is because it has a removable liner and big F-off vents. Jackets with a Gortex shell are not as cool in the summer (well, the ones on the market so far aren't).
If it rains when it's hot then I can still have the vents open, put the liner back in and stay dry (and sweat free) :thumb2

In the winter I keep plenty warm enough with the Twat suit and decent layering (Merino wool). Nine times out of ten the fact the jacket gets wet in the rain does not make me cold (it is a pain, however, to have a wet jacket to hang up and dry. Especially when using the bike daily through wet weather).
In very cold or wet conditions I have a second hand army Gortex over jacket that cost me £30 and rolls up into the back pocket. Worn over the Twat suit it keeps me warmer and stops the jacket getting wet.
If you want something more stylish then Klim do the same for over £100.

Works for me.

Big Gortex fan I am :)

Andres

PS Oh, and the other good thing about liners is you can swap them into different (cheaper) jackets e.g. I use my Twat suit trouser liners in my Enduro trousers when off roading turning cheap off road trousers into warm waterproof off road trousers :thumb2
 
When I went shopping at HG there was a big price difference, I spent about £400 for a sheltex suit, a similar quality Gore-Tex one was £600.

I actually wanted a Gore-Tex suit, but found by far the best fitting suit in my budget was a Sheltex one.

I always use a base layer under leathers and find that keeps me quite comfortable even when it is very hot and prevents the skin-stuck-to-jacket misery.

Only used it in cold weather so cannot comment on how it performs in Hot or Wet conditions, certainly a lot warmer than leathers full of perforations & stretch panels!
 
SPL said:
BUT, there are suits available (at a price) which have the Gore-Tex bonded to the outside, so that they shed the water right away rather than absorbing it in the outer layer and relying on the liner to stop it going further.
Click to expand...

Is there a way to tell if it's bonded to the outside, or will it just tell you on the label?

The trouble is that I'm limited to choice as after a very near miss, in which a friend wasn't so lucky, I will only wear hi-vis stuff :(. I'm prepared to pay up to about £350 for a jacket, but not prepared to pay some of the ridiculously high prices. It does have to have good armour though,as well as being waterproof and warm in winter, whilst having good vents for summer.
 
snerkler said:
Is there a way to tell if it's bonded to the outside, or will it just tell you on the label?

The trouble is that I'm limited to choice as after a very near miss, in which a friend wasn't so lucky, I will only wear hi-vis stuff :(. I'm prepared to pay up to about £350 for a jacket, but not prepared to pay some of the ridiculously high prices. It does have to have good armour though,as well as being waterproof and warm in winter, whilst having good vents for summer.
Click to expand...

Gore-Tex Pro Shell
Listed here are all the manufactures ( minus BMW) that use Pro Shell

http://www.gore-tex.co.uk/remote/Sa...hell/allbrands/allgender/motorcycling/allgear

In leather garments, the leather is perforated to aid breathing, but it feel a lot stiffer than normal leather. I have the Rukka Lancelot and it is still very stiff.
 
Get what you pay for, the quality is there long after the price is forgotten :comfort
£200 Jacket £600 Jacket use it for three years, not even 20p a week :augie

Best regards Stretch :)
PS mines HG Master V Suit.:thumb2
 
Pro shell

Pro shell Goretex is bonded to the cordura, so water pretty much just runs off it. :clap

If you get Goretex Performance shell (P shell) or anything else, it is a layer under the cordura. These jackets also keep you dry, but just soak up water and take forever to dry out (bitter experience!!).

I wouldn't get anything but Pro shell now even if it does cost more....

zappa
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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