Clothing Fabrics

When Comfort Really Counts ...

NATURAL FABRICS

COTTON
This is the worst wet-weather material as it absorbs water like crazy and takes ages to dry. When cotton gets wet, it loses 100% of its insulation. If you're wearing cotton and happen to be wet, your body is losing heat up to 25 times faster than normal. To compound matters, water evaporates directly off your body, cooling you down further - making you a prime target for hypothermia in cold conditions. For this reason, jeans are the worst thing to bring on a backpacking/trekking trip unless purely on casual basis (ie. around town) or when there is little chances of rain and the weather is extremely hot. Never wear cotton in cold conditions as a form of insulation. For comfort and safety, go for the special synthetic fabrics which are designed to wick away body moisture and keep you dry & warm. The advice is: "Leave it at home!"

WOOL
The traditional material for thermal underwear, it is now superceded by synthetic fabrics. Rather than wicking moisture, wool absorbs it into its fibers, leaving a dry surface against the skin. Although it still retains its insulating properties when wet, the disadvantage of wool is that it can absorb a lot of water, thus making it very heavy when wet (as much as one-third the garment weight) and it can take a long time to dry. It can also be itchy against the skin and allergic for some people.

SYNTHETICS

3 BIG ADVANTAGES:

1. they do not lose their resiliency and insulating capacity when wet,
2. they absorb very little water, and
3. they dry fast.
   

CHOICES OF SYNTHETICS

POLYPROPYLENE
Low cost and functions very well as a base layer. Polypro is the lightest and thinnest of the wicking synthetics. It doesn't absorb moisture but quickly passes it along its fibers and into the air or the next layer. However, after a day or so, polypro tends to stink - something that can be hard to get rid of. Other than the odor, polypro also ceases to perform properly if it's not washed every couple of days, and it will leave your skin feeling clammy and cold after exercise. Hence it is necessary to carry several pieces along or to rinse out one regularly and learn to live with the smell of stale sweat. These days, polypropelene fibers have been surpassed by the use of polyester fibers in their ability to perform as outdoor insulating clothing.

POLYESTER
Polyester fabric in itself does not absorb water. Today's polyester fabric structure are usually altered so that it absorbs moisture, drawing water from the skin through the fabric to the outer surface where it spreads out and quickly dries. Unlike polypro fabrics, treated polyester can be washed and dried at high temperatures, and treated with an antibacterial agent to prevent odor, it seems like a good alternative to polypro as a base layer. Polyester are more costier than polypro. Some well-known high-tech moisture wicking polyester fabrics are Patagonia's Capilene, Layer's Thermion, Nike's DriFIT, DuPont's Coolmax, Thermax & Thermastat, REI's MTS 2, Comfortrel and Malden Mills' Polartec® PowerDry & PowerStretch.

COOLMAX
A high-performance polyester fabric that moves sweat away from the body to the outer layer of the fabric. Here the moisture evaporates faster making the overall fabric of the garment dry faster than any other fabric. Better evaporation means you spend less energy to cool your body, which increases your performance and endurance. And because CoolMax has better breathability, nothing's more comfortable to wear.

NATURAL FABRICS

• Cotton
• Wool

SYNTHETIC FABRICS

• Advantages
• Polyproplyene
• Polyester
• Coolmax

SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS

• Polartec Fleeces
• Gore-tex
• Gore Windstopper
• Activent
• Triple Point Ceramic

SYNTHETIC NAMES

FLEECES
Made from 100% polyester, fleece clothing plays an essential role in providing insulation, particularly when used as part of a layering system. It is lighter in weight than wool, offers better insulation and remains warm when wet, does not absorb moisture, and dries very fast. It is manufactured in a variety of thicknesses, offering different amounts of loft and insulation and numerous layering possibilities. It is invariably known also as pile. The most well-known high-tech fleeces are the series of Polartec® Fleeces by Malden Mills.

POLARTEC® FLEECES
Polartec® fabrics are a selection of high-tech, high performance materials that are engineered into garments to keep you warm and comfortable in a wide variety of performance activities, across a broad range of climate conditions. Polartec® fabrics are manufactured exclusively by Malden Mills and are made available by various outdoor brands as the mainstay of their fleece apparel wear. No matter what kind of activitiy or climate you are up against, Polartec® fabrics are designed to help you perform at your best, which is why Polartec® fabrics are known the world over as 'The Climate Control Fabric'.

The 100% polyester velour construction creates air pockets that trap air and retain body heat. Unlike less expensive fleece fabrics, Polartec® fleeces maintain their insulating ability and non-pilling appearance after repeated laundering. These fabrics are available in a range of weights to provide the right level of insulation for most outdoor activities

Polartec® Classic 100™
The lightest Polartec® fleece, it allows for fast, efficient wicking during exertion, is quick-drying, and highly breathable. It is ideal for intense training or activity. Soft and comfortable against the skin, it is excellent as a warm first layer or worn alone as a lightweight sweater if it's not too cold.

Polartec® Classic 200™
The most popular and versatile fleece for everyday use, this double-sided, mid weight velour pile fabric is ideal for layering (between wicking thermal & outer jacket) in mild weather conditions, functioning either as an insulating layer or as multi-purpose outerwear. As in other Polartec® fabrics, Polartec® 200 resists piling, stays warm when wet, is quick-drying and can be machine washed.

Polartec® Classic 300™
This is the thickest and heaviest weight high-performanc pile velour, great for extreme cold as it provides the greatest warmth to weight ratio of any pile fabric. Polartec® 300 functions well in extreme cold weather as an outer layer or as a thermal mid-layer.

Polartec® Classics are also now available with a water-repellent surface that sheds rain and snow. The Classics provide not only outstanding warmth without weight, but are breathable and durable, dry quickly, and are great styling options for virtually every end use.

Polartec® Bi-Polar
A breakthrough in pile fabric technology - Bi Polar technology made possible a fabric construction which provides the greatest warmth at a low weight. Made from Polartec® Classic 200 but with unique technical faces on each side of the fabric: the low-pile velour outer face is water repellent and offers improved wind resistance and durability; the high pile inner face has advanced abilities to trap air and so provide increased insulation. It can function either as a warm mild layer or as multi-purpose outerwear.

Polartec® Thermal Pro®
fabrics are the most durable of the Polartec ® thermal fabrics, at least 30 times more durable than bargain fleece. These fabrics offer excellent breathability, dry quickly and provide outstanding warmth without weight – ‘the fleece that thinks it’s down!’

Polartec® Wind Pro®
fabrics are 4 times more wind-resistant than conventional fleece and represent the evolution of lightweight insulation. A very tight construction greatly reduces the effects of wind chill, while the inner efficiently traps air and provides a high warmth-to-weight ratio. The durable water-repellent surface sheds rain and snow.

Polartec® Windbloc®
100% polyester fabric combined with Polartec® Bi-Polar technology:- The Inner is a high pile velour, maximising the amount of air trapped for greater warmth. The Intermediate layer is a laminated barrier that is completely windproof, highly breathable and water resistant. The Outer layer is a high pile velour with a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish which sheds rain and snow.

Polartec® Windbloc® fabrics block 100% of the wind and offer maximum protection from the cold and the elements. They combine the warmth of Polartec® thermal fabrics with a polyurethane barrier membrane that allows moisture vapor transmission and is completely windproof and waterproof, eliminating the need for a windbreaker or additional shell. This reduces the weight and number of layers needed to protect and insulate.

These fabrics are very durable, quiet, and non-pilling, and have enhanced stretch and recovery, making them appropriate for general outerwear and accessories where weather protection is desirable. Windbloc® fabrics are ideal when the activity level is low or intermittent, and when cold and inclement weather demands high-performance outer protection.

Polartec® Windbloc-ACT®
fabrics provide wind and weather protection where enhanced breathability is required. Air Control Technology (ACT) enables the fabric to block 98% of the wind. The remaining 2% is allowed to circulate within the fabric, which greatly enhances moisture vapor transmission – 2 times faster than other windproof fleece – and improves breathability. Durable water repellency sheds rain and snow.

Polartec® Power Stretch®
fabrics feature body-hugging 4-way stretch. The construction features two unique surfaces: the durable nylon outer layer is wind- and abrasion-resistant; the soft polyester velour inner layer is warm and comfortable. Power Stretch wicks sweat away to keep the skin dry, and is very breathable.

Polartec® Power Shield®
is a soft-shell fabric with an abrasion-resistant woven nylon outer surface that provides superb protection from wind, snow and light rain, yet remains highly breathable. The breathable membrane is sandwiched between the outer and the polyester velour back, which traps air and provides a high warmth-to-weight ratio.

Fleece

GORE-TEX®
GORE-TEX is undoubtedly the most famous name in outerwear. This miracle fabric that started the breathable waterproof revolution 25 years ago forever changed the standard of performance outerwear when it was introduced.

Used in everything from hiking boots to parkas and socks, GORE-TEX is actually a microporous membrane that is bonded to other tougher materials such as polyester and nylon. Every square inch of the GORE-TEX membrane has about 9 billion microscopic pores. These pores are smaller than the smallest drop of water, but about 700 times bigger than a water vapor molecule. Water from the outside cannot get through the membrane, but water vapor - perspiration wicked away from the inner and middle layers of clothing - can.

GORE-TEX® fabric is waterproof
No matter how wet the going, no moisture can penetrate through its outer layer, which is why GORE-TEX® fabric carries the Guaranteed To Keep You Dry® promise.

GORE-TEX® fabric is breathable
The more active you become, the more heat and moisture your body produces. Breathable outerwear and footwear aids your body's natural cooling process by allowing perspiration vapor to escape.

GORE-TEX® fabric is windproof
You can't keep warm when the wind is cutting through your clothing. That's why windproof fabric is so important in guarding against the windchill effect that robs heat from your body's microclimate.

GORE-TEX® fabric is durable
To top it off, GORE-TEX fabric is very durable and resistant to oil-based lotions, insect repellents, and a host of other stuff that might be smeared over clothing during an venture into the outdoors. Unlike some 'technical' fabrics that lose effectiveness with hard use or even washing, the performance of GORE-TEX® fabric is guaranteed for the life of the garment.

The main deterrent about GORE-TEX gear, however, may be the high price tag. However with a long term view, it may be a smart investment in your comfort.

GORE-TEX FABRICS

GORE-TEX® XCR ( Extended Comfort Range)
gives the best all-round combination of wind and water protection, breathability, durability and light weight. In its 3-layer form Gore-tex XCR is up to 40% more breathable than the standard Classic fabric.

GORE-TEX® PACLITE
is designed to be forgotten. It packs small and is incredibly lightweight, so you don't notice you’re wearing or carrying it. It’s waterproof and windproof so you don't have to think about the weather, plus it’s extremely breathable.

Original GORE-TEX®
2-layer and 3-layer fabrics are the most tested - and most trusted - weather protection you can wear . Two-layer is lighter weight and softer - ideal for use in trekking and trail applications. Three-layer is a heavier-duty alternative - ideal for more demanding pursuits or climatic conditions, such as serious backpacking, climbing, and mountaineering.

GORE-TEX® Soft Shell
garments provide soft, comfortable, warm performance with the Guaranteed To Keep You Dry promise. Durably waterproof, the fabric is wind resistant yet very breathable with a stretch component and a soft liner.

GORE WINDSTOPPER®
Manufactured by W.L.Gore, makers of Gore-tex fabrics, the WINDSTOPPER® membrance transforms fleece into a one-layer weather protection system. Windstopper fleece is fully windproof for the life of the garment, water resistant and highly breathable - without losing any of its insulating properties. Use it for any outdoor activities when it's cold and windy and when it still doesn't warrant using your waterproof jacket.
When the wind rips through your clothes, it disrupts your body's microclimate — the thin layer of air next to your skin. The cold wind pulls the warm air away and you feel cold. WINDSTOPPER® fabric protects you from this windchill effect by blocking the wind. The pores in the WINDSTOPPER® membrane are too small for the wind to pass through. Because the wind can't pierce through your clothing, your body remains warm and safeguarded.

WINDSTOPPER® outerwear keeps you warm and comfortable with fewer layers and less bulk. The initial cost outlay of a WINDSTOPPER® garment may appears high but it's a smart investment in your comfort in the long run.

ACTIVENT®
A windproof, extremely breathable, and water resistant fabric by the same makers of Gore-tex fabrics. Outerwear made with Activent fabric is the ideal apparel for those times when you stand a greater chance of getting wet from the inside than from the outside. Activent fabric is a unique composite of a microporous membrane and polymers specifically engineered to maximize the performance characteristics required for short duration, high energy activities. Activent fabric is a two-layer or three-layer laminate with a water- repellent finish applied to its surface.

TRIPLE POINT CERAMIC®
Triplepoint Ceramic Fabric by Lowe Alpine - A unique PU coating, containing microscopic pores formed by ceramic particles. This coating is applied to specially woven nylon face fabrics. The Triplepoint Ceramic coating is not a straightforward microporous PU. Unlike traditional microporous structures, the pores (holes) are smaller and more numerous, giving better breathability. The coating is applied to the face fabric, then covered by special secondary coatings for increased durability. You could liken the process to spreading butter on bread. As the coatings are applied, they integrate into the weave of the face fabric. Once there, like butter on bread you'll find it very difficult to remove! That's the secret of Triplepoint Ceramic's durability.