UKC

I don't normally moan about clothing but there is one thing thats gets up my nose is that: as the cost of clothing is astronomical nowadays, manfactures are alway telling us how good their materials, design and about indepth testing programes, however they all somehow forget about the zips,wether its the newish water resistant or the the standard type that is on most clothing, so I speak from experience to say that they all get snagged on just about anything, and even worse when you need to be protected form the elements. So come on all you makers of mountain clothing, get a grip of this problem. If mankind can land a man on the moon, surely a snag free zip is achieveable!!!

In reply to sniffy: Here here!

I agree, and not just clothing, sleeping bags as well!

In reply to Martin1978:

+1

Mountain Hardware Lamina 20, what a bleedin' faff.

In reply to sniffy:

This seems like an ideal opportunity to anticipate the inevitable and say that ever since Mrs Num Num got her foreskin stuck in a particularly viscious zip, Birdy has been using buttons, and so should the rest of us.

In reply to sniffy:

I must be doing something wrong with the zips I use, as they rarely snag...

Actually, I'd suggest that the problem isn't the zips themselves, it's the poor design of the placket (the flap behind the zip). If it's flimsy, or attached too close the the zip, then it doesn't allow the zip to be kept clear of the placket, and so the placket gets pulled into the zip. Can be cured to some extent by sticking a finger behind the zipper when you operate it, forcing the placket away from the zipper.

Some double-ended zips are a pain to get started, though...

In reply to sniffy:

What about zips on the wrong side tho' they're a bloody pain. I have a couple of jackets I got cheap which feed with the left hand if you have never experienced this you won't know what a faff it is, but it really irritates me. surprising how such a simple action becomes so ingrained and confusing when mirrored.

In reply to sniffy:

RiRi zips are the future. Got them on my ME Kalanka

In reply to andic:


US zips are the other way around to European zips, for some reason. So stuff from Patagonia, for instance, has zips on 'the wrong side'.

You get used to it...

In reply to sniffy:

i work with YKK a bit (office is same building) and its a difficult equation.

good zips are not cheap (fancy materials, skilled installation etc), and to push up a jackets price over something the consumer tends to see as a detail is hard square price-wise.
by example, some new mammut jackets use a special zip where the teeth affix direct to the fabric rather than a bit of tape. much more snag-free and compacts smaller etc - all things the consumer wants, but dont want to pay an extra $50 for on top of the sort of garment that warrents such innovations (doesnt make sense either to outfit mid-level garments with highend features).

as stated above - half the problem is the weather flaps over or under some zips, or the use of sheathed zips that deflect most weather but sometimes still get a flap behind to keep wind out. alone they are as snag-less as is consumable, but because they feel cold from the inside they dont sell.

lots of zipless designs exist, but they are even harder to get on shelves due to the consrvatism that pervades the outdoor gear market. indeed there are hundreds of amazing innovations about - but consumers dont want them in the numbers needed to produce. recall that most gear is made in minimum volumes of 10s if not 100s of thousands...
think; if a zipless jacket that worked but cost $600 was on the shelf, would you buy it on that aspect alone?

agreed tho, zips are a problem. but theres a lot to it.

In reply to captain paranoia:

One has ones butler to fasten ones jacket in GREAT Britain.

In reply to butteredfrog:
Quite

In reply to captain paranoia:

They are American: OR, Marmot and an A&F hoody!

It does little to detract from the coats' function and you do get used to it but quite often I find myself trying to unzip and cannot disengage the bottom bit which is a bit irritating.