What is meant by water column? All information

If you are often outdoors, you need the right clothes. In order not to get wet even in the rain, there are special clothes that are water repellent or waterproof. To measure how much water the garment can withstand, the water column is used.

This is a water column

The water column is a unit of measurement for pressure and is considered a parameter for water permeability in clothing and tents.

1. The water column indicates the water pressure that a raincoat or tent can withstand.
2. 1,000 millimeters of water column correspond to approximately 0.1 bar.
3. The water column is determined by exposing a piece of fabric to a steadily increasing water pressure in the laboratory. As soon as three drops of water are seen on the dry side of the fabric, the test is canceled and the water column is calculated.
4. The water column itself, however, is rather not meaningful, because of course can not always be assumed from the latest fabric. Also, it brings nothing if the material has a high water column, but water penetrates through the seams.
5. Generally, you should always pay attention to a high-quality processing for clothing that you want to use in extreme weather conditions.
6. Ski pants and rain pants should always have a water column of 10,000 millimeters, as these usually come directly into contact with more than just splashing water. Für eine normale Winterjacke reichen bereits 5.000 Millimeter.