Low-tech beats Gore-tex?

A replica of the gear worn by doomed mountaineer George Mallory fared surprisingly well when it was road-tested in Mount Everest:
"I immediately found the underclothes warm to put on, whereas the modern polypropylene underwear feels cold and clammy," said Hoyland.

"When exposed to a cutting wind blowing off the main Rongbuk glacier, I found the true value of the Gabardine outer layers. These resisted the wind and allowed the eight layers beneath to trap warmed air between them and my skin.
It must be said that Hoyland is not quite the neutral observer since his pet theory is that Mallory actually reached the summit of Everest decades before Hillary before succumbing on the way down. Proving that Mallory's old-fashioned equipments are equal to the task of climbing Everest will obviously strengthen his contention.

Whether or not gaberdine works as well as goretex, you have to admit Hoyland looks quite stylin'.