It’s a cold October day in Banff, and I’m 200 feet above a scree field on the side of a cliff. Today, I’m rock climbing to test a prototype jacket made with a soon-to-launch fabric from W.L. Gore & Associates.
The jacket looks like any performance hardshell in my closet. But its fabric is a new iteration from the brand that decades ago launched a waterproof-breathable revolution.
A compound called polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is the core material in Gore waterproof-breathable membranes. Microscopic holes let water vapor escape, but precipitation can’t penetrate from the outside.
It’s been 7 years since the company released a major upgrade to its PRO fabric technology. Perhaps surprisingly, the ePTFE guts of GORE-TEX PRO see no dramatic change for next year. Neither does the durable water-repellent (DWR) finish that makes water bead.
Instead, the 2020 release focuses on fabric stretch and ruggedness. The brand will also unleash more freedom for designers to create jackets and pants in GORE-TEX configurations not offered before.
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Stephen Regenold writes about outdoors gear at http://www.gearjunkie.com.