In reply to Jimbo W:
I'm surprised if you can find any Pertex in the UK these days, since the company was sold to Mitsui.
Pertex 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 were weights of fabric, probably now called 'Classic', or something, and were plain weave fabrics, although some ripstop variants were made.
Pertex 4 was a 54g/m2 fabric, Pertex 5 69g/m2. There was a Pertex 8 Aquablox with a PU coating that was 150g/m2.
Quantum is lighter than these (~35g/m2, or ~25g/m2 for the GL variant), but Microlight is about the same as Pertex4, but is a ripstop (in all cases?).
Endurance are lightly-coated fabrics, with a low (1m HH). Shield is a thicker coating, with a 10m HH.
Equilibrium is a different beast, being a dual weave fabric with a much more open weave (not as wind resistant).
Some pretty piss-poor details at the website; at least it has weights.
http://pertex.com/fabrics/
Thread? Well, depends on the application... but polyester, e.g. Drima. Koban 75 was a popular core-spun polycotton, but no longer made. I was never keen on anything with cotton.
If you've worn through a belay jacket, you're probably not going to want Quantum or Quantum GL. Look at where the wear occurred, and use a heavier fabric.
Other sources are pennine outdoor, fabrics'n'stuff or extremtextil.de, or US suppliers. Have a look at:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/display_for...
for a lot of ideas, but bear in mind they're generally ultralight or super-ultralight weenies... There are some fantastic DIY items on that forum, and quite a few 'cottage industry' types who are generous with their advice.
I made a pair of Thinsulate salopette liners many years ago. It just about twisted my brain trying to figure out how to sew the inner, wadding and liner together, especially finishing at 4am the morning I was due to leave for skiing. But they're still going... Good luck.
