KIT & GEAR TECHNICAL FABRIC MAINTENANCE
KIT & GEAR: TECHNICAL FABRIC MAINTENANCE WITH THE MAJORITY OF US STUCK AT HOME RIGHT NOW, WE CONTINUE THIS MONTH’S LOOK AT CARE
AND MAINTENANCE AS BILL REVISITS TECHNICAL FABRICS AND TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE THEM AS PART OF YOUR LOADOUT AND HOW YOU CAN EFFECTIVELY LOOK AFTER THEM WITHOUT LEAVING THE HOUSE!
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nderstanding what you buy and what you use in relation to your personal clothing is a subject that’s very close to my heart. “Technical clothing”, whilst not hard to come by, is an expensive part of any loadout and you want it to keep on performing for a significant time to make your investment worthwhile. So, what are we really talking about when we use the phrase “technical performance fabrics”? Basically, we are looking at fabric technologies with a very specific end use in mind, that balance the three key areas of waterproofness (read general weatherproofness), breathability and durability. I’ll use the well-known GORE-TEX products as an example here, as they really are a market leader and Gore are continually developing new, ground-breaking fabric technologies to meet the needs of their Brand partners. Breaking it down, W L Gore and Associates use two main forms of construction in their garments, Two and Three Layer (although there are other specific constructions in their massive portfolio). Two Layer construction essentially means that their ePTFE (expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene) membrane is attached directly to an outer face fabric with a loose lining; Three Layer construction means that the face fabric, membrane and inner lining fabric are all bonded together. Many prefer the Three Layer construction as it’s is easier to get on and off as a loose mesh liner can sometimes snag on gear. Different seam tapes (to ensure seams are 100%
waterproof and do not let water in through stitch holes) are used in the different constructions; Two Layer seam sealing tape is applied to the GORE-TEX membrane directly, whilst in Three Layer the sealing takes place over the inner lining fabric. Seam sealing is an art form in itself!
WATERPROOF
Let’s take a look first at waterproofness and how technical fabrics achieve this. The GORE-TEX membrane is the heart of all their excellent products. It contains over 9 billion microscopic pores per square inch. These pores are 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet, but 700 times larger than a water vapor molecule, which makes the membrane durably waterproof, while allowing perspiration (moisture as a vapour) to escape from the inside. An oleophobic, or oil-hating, substance is integrated into the membrane, preventing the penetration of body oils, insect repellents and the like. Simply put, imagine an elephant, a mouse hole and an ant! The mouse hole is the microscopic pore in the membrane, the ant is a water vapour molecule and the elephant a water droplet. It’s pretty easy to see that although the ant can escape through the mouse hole with ease, there is NO WAY that you could push the elephant through it without breaking the wall down! In garment
“THESE PORES ARE 20,000 TIMES SMALLER THAN A WATER DROPLET, BUT 700 TIMES LARGER THAN A WATER VAPOR MOLECULE, WHICH MAKES THE MEMBRANE DURABLY WATERPROOF, WHILE ALLOWING PERSPIRATION (MOISTURE AS A VAPOUR) TO ESCAPE FROM THE INSIDE.”
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MAY 2020
