Stormstroller

Our intrepid reporter and the Challenge of the Monsoon

24th June

Hi Lorraine,

Seems a long time since I wrote but you no doubt know that getting back to normal after a flood like the one we had here takes a bit of doing [The Brisbane flood disaster 0f 2011]. However I think we're on top of things now. I'm hoping things are going OK with the LE business and you're getting lots of rain to boost the sales!

Brisbane floods January 2011 - Pic courtesy The Australian

It's now the middle of the dry season here in Brisbane(!) so naturally I'm thinking of having a couple of weeks holiday and yes .... you'll have guessed, like the monsoon season, I am returning to Goa!

I've done quite a bit of thinking about how to cope with the conditions I had to face in the monsoon last year ..... it was clear quite quickly that whenever I was caught in a really serious storm, my Burberry-style trenchcoat was getting overwhelmed within minutes (I know .... you did warn me!). My Indian mac though impermeable, wasn't really the complete answer either. The high humidity led to sweating and lots condensation forming on the inside.

So I thought I needed something that claimed to be a) waterproof b) breathable and c) full length.

After a bit of research on the net I came across a raincoat which was said to be waterproof, made of 'micropore cotton polyester': the seams were 'taped', there was a hood and also a fly front.

So I ordered one and it has just arrived. It's in my favourite red colour, has a shaped waist and belt, and hangs nicely below the knee. I think it looks great. Only thing is I may not have a chance to test it before I go!

What do you think of my plan this time? Am I going to emerge from the storms smiling this time? Or will it be another ignominious failure?

Kind regards

Stormstroller

8th July

Hi Stormstroller

Great to hear from you - sorry I'm so behind.

It's amazing how quickly major happenings [like the Brisbane disaster], all over the front pages one day, are pretty much gone the next! A bit chastening to be reminded that mending and cleaning up must still be ongoing ...

Your plan to try the Gortex-type approach shows a very serious turn of mind! I suppose to be applauded ... I'm very much afraid that it might work. I absolutely don't want it to, but it might.

If you go ahead and try it, will you promise to write and tell me it's failed? I don't want to know the truth unless the Indian raincoat is vindicated. It would be like you proving that electric trains have been shown to be much faster and cleaner and more reliable than the steam variety. What do we have imaginations for if not to feed us exciting falsehoods?

I look forward to your evidence-based verdict with trepidation.

L

6th July

Hi Lorraine

I'm off on an overnight flight, practically quivering with anticipation. My micropore is still untried - most likely its first ever encounter with a deluge will be the scrummage for airport buses and what a trial that can turn out to be ! I'll let you know how we get on!

Regards

Stormstroller

11th July

Hi Lorraine

I didn't mean to cast aspersions on the Indian Mac - It saved my holiday last year, and it's also saved my bacon at least three times on the journey into work since. When the heavens open in Brisbane (or Goa) I've found a traditional trenchcoat is about as useful as an umbrella frame covered with newspaper. Both mine now just seem to absorb water rather than repel it, they are finished as effective raincoats.

On the other hand, especially here, where the humidity is always really high, I've found that the fully waterproof route ALWAYS leads to some sweating and condensation. Of course its nothing like so bad as the situation I found myself in when trying to battle my way through Goan thunderstorms in my cotton mac! So rest assured, I carefully folded my waterproof into my suitcase in case things didn't work out for the micropore.

As I predicted, our first taste of the Monsoon came at the airport. The plane made a bumpy approach through lightning to land and I had to wait to ages for my luggage to come out, then there was a queue through passport control and by the time I reached the busses, mine had pulled out and I had to wait out in the torrential rain and the lightning for half an hour for another one to arrive. Fortunately I'm experienced and had had packed the contents of my suitcase and grip in plastic!

Now the bit you wanted to hear - the micropore is not quite perfect for these sorts of conditions. The fabric and seam-taping are first class, no seaming problems there, but there is a weak point in the single breasted fly front closure design. I found a slight dampening to the front of the jacket I was wearing underneath my mac. Water must have trickled down and penetrated through the fastening. The next time I went out, on Friday morning, in equally heavy rain, I wore a light silk scarf underneath the mac, which has alleviated the problem. Perfection is not achieved. Perhaps if they had designed the mac with a zip and press stud overflap it would have been..

Even with that reservation though, the micropore is a pleasure to be out and about with!

Kind Regards

Stormstroller

12th July

Hi Lorraine

Well .... you only wanted the bad news - or maybe its good news that the Indian mac will be back in action for rest of the holiday!

My micropore had been doing well but there has now been a problem. I was out in periods of heavy rain and thundershowers for most of the day. I didn't have any problems until the evening when, on my way back to the hotel, the sky blackened and I was caught in the centre of a phenomenal 45 minute thunderstorm which led to flooding in the lower part of the town. When I say 'phenomenal' I don't think I'm overstating the case. Most of the locals, who don't normally bother much about a rainstorm, were driven into shelter, and I saw an American tourist's umbrella literally break up under the weight of rain - there was little or no wind and I could see the ribs flexing downwards until they snapped .

When I finally got back inside and examined my mac, I found one large wet area had appeared in the liner at the top of my hood and then I found two others, one under each shoulder, and a fourth in the middle of the back. Quite a bit of water had also found its way inside through the fastenings and my silk scarf was soaked through. I think the water-repellent coating (Teflon?) on the outside of the micropore fabric may have been damaged as well, as the water is not beading in the way it did to begin with, and water staining is evident on the the outer surface. Or maybe its the seam taping coming loose as the sealant is being dissolved by the water. Or maybe their are tiny flaws in the micropore liner. Something is clearly giving way under the stresses.

Perhaps this is not surprising as I have been using the coat in torrential rain for a week now. I have a lot of experience of being out in the rain but the cloudburst today exceeded anything I have ever seen before, either in Europe, Goa or Australia.

Just as an interesting side issue a fellow guest in the hotel arrived last night complete with a brand new long Burberry-style trench, a style I hadn't seen before with an attached hood. I overheard her telling Mia, who is still on reception here that she didn't fear going out in the rain as she would be 'OK'! She was caught in same late afternoon storm as I was and I saw her come in about 10 minutes after me. I think she may be sadder and wiser now.

I've reached the half way point of my holiday - no chance of a two month re-location break this time afraid! The rain has continued to lash down. A local report says 12 inches in total since I arrived and predicts another 15 inches over the next few days.

So tomorrow my Indian waterproof gets its chance to shine!

Kind regards

Stormstroller
...

4th August

Hi Stormstroller

So sorry to be so terribly late - I've been on hols, and then I've trying to catch up!

Anyway, lovely to see your emails, and hope very much it's OK to put them up?

And quite a relief I can tell you that it's not all bad for India.

Thanks so much for keeping in touch despite my slouching, here's hoping you are OK, either enjoying your trip because it's enjoyable, or at least enjoying it's being horrible if that's what it is!

Best

Lorraine

5th August

Hi Lorraine

Hope you had as much fun as I did! Use whatever you wish online but agree probably best not to mention brands! I think what happened is that somehow or other water managed to find its way into the seam taping after a week of punishing monsoon. I didn't spare the mac anything and all in all I think it did well!

Kind regards

Stormstroller