The Wednesday Wellness threads are meant to encourage users to ask for and provide advice and motivation to improve their lives. It isn't intended as a 'containment thread' and any content which could go here could instead be posted in its own thread. You could post:
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Requests for advice and / or encouragement. On basically any topic and for any scale of problem.
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Updates to let us know how you are doing. This provides valuable feedback on past advice / encouragement and will hopefully make people feel a little more motivated to follow through. If you want to be reminded to post your update, see the post titled 'update reminders', below.
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Advice. This can be in response to a request for advice or just something that you think could be generally useful for many people here.
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Encouragement. Probably best directed at specific users, but if you feel like just encouraging people in general I don't think anyone is going to object. I don't think I really need to say this, but just to be clear; encouragement should have a generally positive tone and not shame people (if people feel that shame might be an effective tool for motivating people, please discuss this so we can form a group consensus on how to use it rather than just trying it).
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
In case anyone want's to really nerd out about waterproof-breatheable membranes.
Classic GoreTex™ was expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). It's probably more correct to say that it is waterproof OR breatheable, and this trade off is tunable. When it is dry out there can be enough of a gradient to drive some sweat through the membrane, but if the humidity is greater on the outside of the membrane (because it's raining) the gradient is usually in the other direction. The patent for ePTFE ran out some time ago, but most membranes in that style are now expanded polyethylen or polyurethane. I think, but have not seen lab data, that the performance is actually worse, but presumably the manufactures are concerned ePTFE will get designated a polyfluorinated compound of environmental concern.
That brings up the topic of durable water repellent coatings. If you expect some rain, but not extreme cold or sustained rain a "wind-shell" with a DWR coating may be enough, and will breath better. Additionally, membrane based jackets typically require a DWR coated shell for durability and to help mitigate the reverse gradient problem above. In terms of performance fluorinated DWR very likely outperforms alternatives, but are being phased out due to environmental and health concerns and the associated reputational and liability risks.
If you (1) are in the US, (2) don't care about durability and (3) don't mind looking goofy, a set of frogg toggs ulra-lite2 rain suit or poncho is a pretty effective alternative to those $1 plastic ponchos you see people wearing at various tourists traps. They do tear easily but pack down supper small, are relatively cheap in absolute terms, and breath better than a trash bag. If there is a risk of it dropping below 60°F and it raining I would pack at least that. It is possible to go hypothermic in 50°F weather if you can't move around and are wet.
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