this is probably common knowledge to you but here is the info anyway!
anything made of a breathable material must be washed fairly regulary otherwise it won't work well!
for the sake of ease i shall refer to all breathable material as goretex.
think of goretex as skin.
it has millions of holes which allow sweat out but rain cannot pass through because the molecules are bigger.
if the goretex is dirty the holes will clog therefore making it less breathable!
if anyone has told you
often people find that their goretex leaks after a while. it isn't it's just a build up of sweat because it can't escape through the blocked holes!
if you have a genuine big hole take it back to the shop it may be a fault!
never put wax or silicone based products on goretex, it will permanently block the pores! and you can't get it off!
the correct way to use goretex.
1: wash it when dirty the most i would reccomend is once every 10 weeks though even that is extreme. if you've only worn it occasionally then every 20 weeks.
2: wash gore tex with either a reccomended wash like "pure soap" or soap flakes, anything stronger will strip off "ok" previous treatments!
3: when reproofing, dampen the item, and follow instructions on the bottle, spray seems less effective as you can miss bits.
4: try to tumble dry the garment, on a warm setting, you woun't dammage the garment it's what they do in the factory!
a warm setting helps the treatment "melt" or "set" onto the fabric it is worth going to the local launderette!
5: expect the garment to smell of "PVA" or "Wood" glue for a day or two.
6: do not fold your garmets the same way each time! creeses will form and the fabric will weaken, better still shove them in a stuff sack, this randomly creeses them.
7: goretex is still not as good as skin! you will still sweat in it if you are running about!
8: same goes for Goretex XCR, and any other branded breathable fabric!
9: the one exception is lowe alpine "ceramic" you don't need to proof it!
to "re-proof it just wash it and heat it up, it's all molecular and very clever!
if a salesman tries to sell you some proofing for lowe alpine ceramic, you have either just been conned or they don't know about it!
the same principal applies to:
bivy bags (especially ex army ones!!!)
gloves
hats
boots
and anything else made of a breathable material!
one more point:
what does water proof mean?
take a look at a very cheep pvc jacket. it will probably be stitched right through the fabric so you can clearly see the stitches either side and they are un covered. this is known as "water/rain/weather resistant"
take a look at an expensive jacket or tent, you will see all of the seems have been sealed, with a tape or glue substance this is really "water proof"!
always check this it makes a difference in bad weather!
anything made of a breathable material must be washed fairly regulary otherwise it won't work well!
for the sake of ease i shall refer to all breathable material as goretex.
think of goretex as skin.
it has millions of holes which allow sweat out but rain cannot pass through because the molecules are bigger.
if the goretex is dirty the holes will clog therefore making it less breathable!
if anyone has told you
they are either lying or ignorant. you find this in fashion shops rather than outdoor shops."you must not wash goretex"
often people find that their goretex leaks after a while. it isn't it's just a build up of sweat because it can't escape through the blocked holes!
if you have a genuine big hole take it back to the shop it may be a fault!
never put wax or silicone based products on goretex, it will permanently block the pores! and you can't get it off!
the correct way to use goretex.
1: wash it when dirty the most i would reccomend is once every 10 weeks though even that is extreme. if you've only worn it occasionally then every 20 weeks.
2: wash gore tex with either a reccomended wash like "pure soap" or soap flakes, anything stronger will strip off "ok" previous treatments!
3: when reproofing, dampen the item, and follow instructions on the bottle, spray seems less effective as you can miss bits.
4: try to tumble dry the garment, on a warm setting, you woun't dammage the garment it's what they do in the factory!
a warm setting helps the treatment "melt" or "set" onto the fabric it is worth going to the local launderette!
5: expect the garment to smell of "PVA" or "Wood" glue for a day or two.
6: do not fold your garmets the same way each time! creeses will form and the fabric will weaken, better still shove them in a stuff sack, this randomly creeses them.
7: goretex is still not as good as skin! you will still sweat in it if you are running about!
8: same goes for Goretex XCR, and any other branded breathable fabric!
9: the one exception is lowe alpine "ceramic" you don't need to proof it!
to "re-proof it just wash it and heat it up, it's all molecular and very clever!
if a salesman tries to sell you some proofing for lowe alpine ceramic, you have either just been conned or they don't know about it!
the same principal applies to:
bivy bags (especially ex army ones!!!)
gloves
hats
boots
and anything else made of a breathable material!
one more point:
what does water proof mean?
take a look at a very cheep pvc jacket. it will probably be stitched right through the fabric so you can clearly see the stitches either side and they are un covered. this is known as "water/rain/weather resistant"
take a look at an expensive jacket or tent, you will see all of the seems have been sealed, with a tape or glue substance this is really "water proof"!
always check this it makes a difference in bad weather!