Posted: 9/7/2012 2:46:02 PM EDT
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Just acquired my first GoreTex rain gear, I know nothing about Gore-Tex other than I already like it 20 times more than any other rain gear I've had in the past.
Please, tell me everything you know about Gore-Tex; Any do's or don'ts, cleaning, treatments, storage, durability, things to avoid etc etc etc. Im most concerned with things like, Ex: not storing sleeping bags in stuff sacks, or other information a first timer may not know. (Because like I said, I know nothing.) I don't think it should make a difference, but its a used German Mil Surplus. (from a brother in the EE) Thanks |
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The vapor transport works better as the inner/outer temperature differential increases.
If part of the garment is close to a hot object the temperature differential can drive vapor into the garment. Not a significant issue, though; just a curious quirk. The seam tape is usually the first thing to fail over time. A product called Seam Grip will re-attach the seam tape. The treated area will no longer be breathable, but that's not a big deal. |
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Gore tex is the name for the coating (membrane) on the back of the fabric.
One of the nice things about buying gore tex is that WL Gore, the company which licenses? the coating is very particular about the garment it is used in. They won't sell you the material unless your clothing meets their minimum specs. They do this in order to protect their brand. If folks take good fabric but make a poor quality product that gets bad reviews, it hurts their brand. There are lots of other similar membranes out there, some which are more breathable, some less. If you buy a rain jacket/ pants which aren't made of gore tex, I advise that you stick with one of the well known brands (Marmot, mountain hardware, North Face, Patagonia, etc). They want to protect their brand as well, so they make sure they have good quality control as well. You do pay extra for the name. If you compare Marmot's "precip" or North Face's house coating (?hyvent, or something like that) it will be significantly cheaper as there is no royalty paid to gore. If you get into the cheap off brand stuff, I think you are likely to have more problems. MORE RELEVANT TO YOU: You can still build up moisture under the clothing, especially if you are working hard. I have found that a very light wicking shirt or pant under the gore tex will keep you feeling dry and much warmer even as the moisture builds up. I use capilene from patagonia, but any good wicking underwear should work. You can get very light weight versions that don't add much insulation, but make you much more comfortable/ less clammy. |
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I bought a surplus German version of Goretex , I am going to try it out the next time it rains , It was a whole $15  The flecktarn stuff? It's AWESOME! Not to stray too far off topic, but I just picked up a Goretex Flectarn jacket the other day only to find out the zipper doesn't work worth a darn. Is there any easy fix for these or am I just SOL? |
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Thanks for all the replies guys! Great information.
Yes, I am an avid outdoorsman as well, and a construction worker/contractor, so wearing rain gear I do build up lots of body heat. I've had a few sets of rain gear that I would rather just not wear and take the rain . . . Needless to say, Im pretty excited about this one. The set I got is the German Mil Surp Flecktarn too, IT IS AWESOME!!! And to add to the awesomeness, flecktarn works great in my AO. Thanks again! |
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I sweat a lot and am outdoors a lot. goretex is worth he exta $ for me. I've tried other brands with fair to horrible results. Only Gortex seems to breathe well enough for me. Heck yeah, this. Compared to one of those pvc/plastic raincoats/ponchos, the goretex raincoat and boots I have feel like they came with air conditioning during our summer thunderstorms in Florida. 
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My $.02....
I've owned a Gor-tex Brown Camo 10X Hunting suit since 1992. I remember the year I bought it because it was the year I got divorced and I could afford this nice set of hunting clothes from an upper end shop. Anyway, this year will make the 20th year I've worn the outfit. I have never gotten wet one single time and I've been through some wet and miserable deer seasons in WV. It only gets used during deer rifle season, no other time. I also have a set of Cabelas MT050 Coveralls (cats meow) that I wear most of the time now when hunting colder (below 20 deg. F) temps. As dad taught me, "take care of your hunting clothes, buy them for a purpose and keep it that way". I won't own anything but Gor-tex. This is something I will not compromise on, buy once cry once, just like rifle scopes. |
| The German surplus Gore-Tex jacket I own does not compare to the first generation USGI one I was issued. The German ones wil start to leak after an hour or so in the rain and if you aren't wearing a hat the hood will cover your eyes. I wish I could find a first gen USGI style Gor-Tex jacket in a neutral instead of woodland or chocolate chip pattern. That was the best dang jacket I've ever owned for inclement weather. It's my understanding the current issue stuff leaks at the vent zippers if you are out in the rain for a long time. |
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Arc'teryx LEAF is the best being made, currently, in my opinion. It is also by far the most expensive.
I own the Alpha LT jacket and Beta LT Pants. This is the lightest water PROOF gear I know of, and it comes in crocodile, which is the same as coyote brown. You need to get the heavier weight items if you require Multicam. This is the best rain gear I have ever owned, and I have owned Gor-Tex products since 1985, including much Marmot and North Face. |
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My gore-tex says machine wash warm separately, do not use bleach or fabric softener, tumble dry warm. Gore-tex is truly awesome stuff. Thank you a ton for that! One of the MAIN things about Gore-Tex is to avoid the use of fabric softeners at all costs. It significantly speeds the breakdown of the product. |
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Gore tex is the name for the coating (membrane) on the back of the fabric. One of the nice things about buying gore tex is that WL Gore, the company which licenses? the coating is very particular about the garment it is used in. They won't sell you the material unless your clothing meets their minimum specs. They do this in order to protect their brand. If folks take good fabric but make a poor quality product that gets bad reviews, it hurts their brand. There are lots of other similar membranes out there, some which are more breathable, some less. If you buy a rain jacket/ pants which aren't made of gore tex, I advise that you stick with one of the well known brands (Marmot, mountain hardware, North Face, Patagonia, etc). They want to protect their brand as well, so they make sure they have good quality control as well. You do pay extra for the name. If you compare Marmot's "precip" or North Face's house coating (?hyvent, or something like that) it will be significantly cheaper as there is no royalty paid to gore. If you get into the cheap off brand stuff, I think you are likely to have more problems. MORE RELEVANT TO YOU: You can still build up moisture under the clothing, especially if you are working hard. I have found that a very light wicking shirt or pant under the gore tex will keep you feeling dry and much warmer even as the moisture builds up. I use capilene from patagonia, but any good wicking underwear should work. You can get very light weight versions that don't add much insulation, but make you much more comfortable/ less clammy. Goretex is not a coating. It is a fabric. It has the ability to allow water vapor to pass through it, but it will repel liquid water. It is also very lightweight and thin. I won't get hiking shoes without it. Gore tex lined jackets are also a must. |
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Guys, thanks again for all the replies.
Im a firm believer in taking care of your gear, second only to using it.  I'm confident it will do me much better now knowing all this info. For that I am grateful.
Hope your all having a nice weekend! 
ETA: God damn, that Arc'tyrex is some nice gear! Its gonna be some time before I can drop that kind of coin. . . if ever . . 
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Quoted:
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Gore tex is the name for the coating (membrane) on the back of the fabric. One of the nice things about buying gore tex is that WL Gore, the company which licenses? the coating is very particular about the garment it is used in. They won't sell you the material unless your clothing meets their minimum specs. They do this in order to protect their brand. If folks take good fabric but make a poor quality product that gets bad reviews, it hurts their brand. There are lots of other similar membranes out there, some which are more breathable, some less. If you buy a rain jacket/ pants which aren't made of gore tex, I advise that you stick with one of the well known brands (Marmot, mountain hardware, North Face, Patagonia, etc). They want to protect their brand as well, so they make sure they have good quality control as well. You do pay extra for the name. If you compare Marmot's "precip" or North Face's house coating (?hyvent, or something like that) it will be significantly cheaper as there is no royalty paid to gore. If you get into the cheap off brand stuff, I think you are likely to have more problems. MORE RELEVANT TO YOU: You can still build up moisture under the clothing, especially if you are working hard. I have found that a very light wicking shirt or pant under the gore tex will keep you feeling dry and much warmer even as the moisture builds up. I use capilene from patagonia, but any good wicking underwear should work. You can get very light weight versions that don't add much insulation, but make you much more comfortable/ less clammy. Goretex is not a coating. It is a fabric. It has the ability to allow water vapor to pass through it, but it will repel liquid water. It is also very lightweight and thin. I won't get hiking shoes without it. Gore tex lined jackets are also a must. Well, according to WL Gore, gore tex is a membrane which can be laminated to many different textiles (fabrics). It can be manufactured in two or three layer configurations, and with different thicknesses of the membrane to modify the breathability and durability. Two layer has the membrane laminated to the outer fabric, but then requires a seperate liner fabric. Three layer has all three of these laminated together (outer fabric, membrane, liner fabric/material). If you want to know more about it, follow this link to their page on their different products. |
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I know the german stuff is good in a light rain on a motorcycle but a heavy rain running 60 mph for about a hour and a half it doesnt really work at all Quoted: The German surplus Gore-Tex jacket I own does not compare to the first generation USGI one I was issued. The German ones wil start to leak after an hour or so in the rain and if you aren't wearing a hat the hood will cover your eyes. I wish I could find a first gen USGI style Gor-Tex jacket in a neutral instead of woodland or chocolate chip pattern. That was the best dang jacket I've ever owned for inclement weather. It's my understanding the current issue stuff leaks at the vent zippers if you are out in the rain for a long time. |
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When using Gore-Tex in climates where it is pretty cold at night, but warm in the day, you will use a layering system. Of course on the cold nights you are going to be wearing all necessary layers, but during the day it is tempting to simply remove the Gore-Tex and go with the thermal layers you had underneath. Do not do this. You are better off removing the thermals and wearing the Gore-Tex, even if you have to go behind a bush to do it.
Sweating your ass off because you took the Gore-Tex off and not the thermals sucks. Better to get your ensemble right when the sun comes out... And Gore-Tex is OK to wear as an outer garment in somewhat warm climes without thermals. It's like wearing pajamas. Anyway, the stuff is golden in cold and wet weather. There's nothing better out there that I've seen. It may be a bit heavy but nothing works better. |
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It does make a difference. I started out on German surplus Gortex gear. Totally sold me too, however once you get some good stuff, you will notice there are differences.
The German stuff has a tendency to leak at the seams given enough time in the rain. Its also faster to get dirty (outter shell thing) and harder to clean. Its still so much above all the non-breathing substitutes and even those that claim they breathe, its not funny. Here's a little to do. Try that shell with a synthetic flleece liner and then simply add layers the colder it gets. Its a hell of a system. Tj |
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One thing to remember is that Gore Tex WILL break down and lose its water repellency over time. Washing with Nikwax Tech Wash will help lengthen the lifespan. To be most clear on this, the Gore-Tex fabric itself does not break down, but the ability for the water to bead on the outer layer will, applying a new coat of a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) restores this. The reason why this is an issue is that with a good DWR coating the water will bead up on the outside, much like a good wax job on a car, and roll off the garment better. Without a good DWR the water will soak into the fabric, even though the water will not pass the Gore-Tex membrane, as designed, it will clog it up, thus reducing the breathability of the Gore-Tex, and generally making it feel more clammy. So, you do not need a DWR to keep you dry from the outside elements, you use it to increase it's breathing capabilities. Gore recommends a topical treatment, as wash-ins can hinder breathability. http://www.gore-tex.com/remote/Satellite/content/care-center/restoring-water-repellency Otherwise, I've had good results with Nikwax Tech Wash for fleece and polypro. |
Thanks for starting this thread. I just picked up a new RRS (Road Runner Sports) Gore-Tex 'Storm' jacket for $7 at a thrift shop this weekend. $7 isn't bad for a $279 jacket  It is the first Gore-Tex I've owned so I was hoping to learn more about it.
Here's what I got: http://www.amazon.com/Road-Runner-Sports-Velocity-Jacket/dp/B005DN75BG 
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