Publication: The Shooting Gazette
Edition: October/November 1991
Article: Ventile - A Weatherproof and friendly fabric?
Author: Coline McKelvie has no doubts about his favourite weatherproof fabric nor his favourite coat

Keeping rain and wind out, and still remaining dry and free of clammy condensation, is one of the great challenges to makers of outdoor clothing. Oilskins may repel ocean waves, but just try taking energetic exercise in them. The ubiquitous waxed cotton thornproof, almost a fieldsports livery, has the same characteristics, and in haevy rain you can soon feel as though you're wearing a suit of armour made from plates of damp cardboard.
The holy grail for outdoor clothing is a fabric which will repel rain but keep the wearer free of clammy heat, just as human skin keeps water out but allows us to shed excess heat and fluid by sweating.
A lot of money and effort has gone into recent attempts to replicate these qualities of human skin, by various synthetic membranes which claim to be water proof but water-vapour-permeable. My own experience of sporting clothing incorporating these synthetics has been dissapointing, because the breathable membranes simply cannot stand up to repeated rough use. And once they start to leak they are useless.
Ventile is something altogether different, a pure cotton cloth made in the UK and originally developed in the 1940's for aircrew survival clothing. The object was to make a cloth that which would be comfortable for the wearer over long hours of use, and also waterproof in the event of a ducking in the sea if an aircraft came down.
Ventile meets these criterea by its specially close weave, which allows perspiration vapour to pass through but prevents moisture from entering. The tight weave, virtually windproof, actually swells up when the surface is dampened and locks into an even tighter water barrier, and treatment with a light proofing agent makes everything doubly sure.
Still used by the RAF and the British Antartic Survey, Ventile has found a small but growing niche in the clothing market, and a number of makers now offer shooting and fishing jackets in various styles and designs.
MALIN has designed and evolved a Ventile coat since the early 1980's, seeking to create the ultimate protective garment for the very worst of British weather. his Countrysports caot makes few concessions to style, and the emphasis is all on functional efficiency.
A double skin of olive green heavyweight Ventile with offset seams provides a superb barrier against rain and wind and the front fastens with a robust two-way zip and a storm flap. The neck area, so vunerable to water trickling in and heat escaping, can be fastened snugly with what MALIN calls a half-hood, rather like a high, detachable collar, and there is also a full collar for complete protection.
Pockets are ample, with two large weatherproof bellows thigh pockets, two well-positioned handwarmer pockets, a zippered interior security pocket and twin game pockets with washing linings. A waterproof seat flap can be lowered to provide a dry seat when required - a great comfort.
The storm cuffs are gussetted and infinitely adjustable with a neat and comfortable toggle system, and it is quick and simple to batten down the hatches when foul weather comes along, returning to a looser and freer fit when the sun comes out. The MALIN jacket is comfortable in all but the hottest British weather, and when matched with extra under-layers of wollens in winter is resistant to the worst cold winds. The fabric remains soft and comfortable when wet, and this coat is significantly lighter than a waxproof.
Ventile is a truly remarkable material, made from pure natural cotton, and a British invention which deserves much wider recognition. The MALIN coat is by far the toughest and most functional sporting jacket I have come across. Few other coats can approach its qualities.

"Ventile is something different, a pure cotton cloth made in the UK and originally developed in the 1940's for aircrew survival clothing"

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