In the late 1970s, when Gore-Tex garments were just coming on the market, I was newly out of college, happily jobless, and devoted to outdoor adventures. I did things on the cheap and made a lot of my own gear, so I bought a few yards of Gore-Tex fabric and sewed myself a rain jacket. I kept the project simple and didn’t add pockets, armpit zippers, or any of the fancy features that are available now in foulweather gear. I didn’t miss any of the extras. The PFD I wore while rowing and sailing would have covered any pockets if I’d had them, backpack straps did the same while I was hiking, and the smooth shell was free of flapping pockets while on bicycle trips.In the simplicity of its design, the Taku Essential waterproof jacket, made by Mustang Survival of Burnaby, British Columbia, brought back fond memories of that jacket I made almost 50 years ago. As the name suggests, the Taku is pared down to the essentials. It has a clean exterior with only two pockets, flush with the jacket body and evident only by the zippered openings discreetly incorporated in the side seams.The fabric used in the making of the Taku is Mustang’s Marine Spec SP, a laminate that has an inner layer of nylon tricot and an outer layer of 70D nylon coated with a PFC-free hydrophobic polyurethane. In between is a windproof, breathable, and waterproof polyurethane membrane.
Read this article now for Free!
Ready for a second free article? Create a free account by entering your email address and a password below.
— OR —
Subscribe now for $29.99 a year and have immediate access to all of our content, including hundreds of small-boat profiles, gear reviews and techniques, adventure stories, and more! You can also browse our entire archive of back issues starting from September 2014, as well as post unlimited classified ads. This is an extraordinary value!
Wow. Looks like Mustang has two new fashion models! I’m glad to see this manufacturer is offering rainwear made without PFCs as well.
And on another serious note, Chris, you ruined me from a fashion standpoint with the DIY cagoule featured in SBM a few years back . I made one based on a nylon poncho, gluing the side seams and adding sleeves and a few other features. When faced with blowing spray or a downpour, nothing beats wearing that caguole over the PFD and being able to pull your arms inside for warmth! When the storm is over, the poncho dries almost instantly. An externally-worn PFD, exposed to the elements, stays sodden a long time.
I would urge readers looking for rainwear to give that article a gander.
Cheers,
Andy
Timely article, Chris, thanks.
I’d been contemplating a new waterproof sailing jacket for some time, but the high prices and unknown level of performance put me off – were they really worth that much?
Seeing this jacket put through its paces, plus the sale, caused me to commit. I ordered one from Mustang (the somewhat fancier version) and it turned up on my doorstep two days later.
It’s been too hot to wear the thing since then but I hope to head out on the water within a few days for a cruise and I look forward to seeing how well it works for me.