The Sasta Peski Anorak is very different to the weatherproof jackets we normally review on Outdoors Magic. It doesn’t use Gore-Tex, eVent or any other type of waterproof membrane but is instead made from a single layer, 100 per cent cotton weave, which, despite coming under many different names over the years, is commonly known as Ventile.
Plenty of people will already be familiar with this, it’s a more traditional form of protective fabric – developed just before the Second World War – that was one of the first technical materials adopted by mountain rescue teams in the UK. The cotton is woven so densely that it’s able to completely block the wind and it’ll also provide a strong degree of protection from the rain.
But it won’t provide complete waterproof protection however, and that, some people argue, is Ventile’s big drawback when compared to modern membrane-lined jackets. When the fabric gets wet, the yarns expand to increase the density of the weave (and its protection) even further, however, with constant exposure to heavy rain the fabric will eventually become saturated.
Sasta Peski Anorak: Performance
Ventile does have an advantage over modern waterproof jackets, and that’s when it comes to breathability. Wear it in steady rain and you can expect to feel a lot less clammy than you would in most waterproof membrane jackets. It’s also a ‘quiet’ fabric, meaning that it doesn’t rustle with your arm movements like most membrane-lined jackets (a notable exception being Páramo).
“I’d say is that it’s a fantastic jacket, so long as you know what kind of use and conditions it is made for…”
This balancing of breathability and weather protection, plus its quietness, makes Ventile a popular choice for northern Scandinavian hunters who expect more snowfall than rain and therefore don’t feel at risk from the kind of weather that will soak through. It will come as no surprise that Sasta is a brand based within Finland’s Boreal, or ‘Taiga’ forest.
