As mysterious as GORE-TEX® is, it isn't black magic that is behind the concept, it can be explained. I will hopefully share some insight into how the membrane works and what you can do to maintain it. So in no particular order, here are my 5 best GORE-TEX® FACTS.
1) GORE-TEX® is a membrane
When you purchase a GORE-TEX® garment, the material used to make the item of clothing is not actually made out of GORE-TEX®, but it will have a GORE-TEX® membrane lining the inside of the garment. Normally on less expensive clothing the membrane will be a separate layer to the material of the garment, however on higher end apparel the membrane is bonded to the main material, giving a laminate bonding effected. This has the advantage of repelling water before it can completely soak through the clothing’s outer layer – this “lamination” also has the advantage of keeping the garment lighter and easier to dry when wet.
2) GORE-TEX® membrane has a lot of pores.. Yes thats an understatement
The membrane is made up of polytetrafluoroethylen stretched to contain over 9 billion pores or simply holes per square inch! I would have hated to be the person counting to get that fact.... The pores, though they vary in size, are just big enough to let sweat evaporate out of the membrane, but they are too small for any water droplets to pass through the pores, hence the GORE-TEX® garment is breathable yet completely waterproof. I find it useful to think of the other end of the scale where a plastic bag is 100% waterproof BUT 100% not breathable – so imagine how sweaty that would be!
3) GORE-TEX® works better in cooler places
The way GORE-TEX® works in order to be breathable requires the outside temperature to be colder than inside the garment. The sweat molecules need a cooler place to escape to, which is great if you find yourself hiking in the Alps or stuck on the M25 in the middle of December, but GORE-TEX® would not be as effective in tropical climates, the sweat molecules would have nowhere to go, as the climate is already hot and humid.
4) Tumble drying GORE-TEX® garments helps maintain the waterproof properties
Your GORE-TEX® apparel will most likely have DWR (durable water repellent) finish applied to the outer material. This is used in conjunction with the GORE-TEX® membrane and the treatment allows water to bead off the surface material without ever soaking in. However the DWR finish does not last forever, tumble drying the clothing for at least 20 minutes will help reactive the durable water repellent treatment. If you find this isn't working however, you can purchase various water repellent treatments like this one (Shift-It Textile Spray On Re-Proofer) to reapply the effect once the factory DWR has worn off.
5) GORE-TEX® is guaranteed for the useful life time of the product
What does this mean? Basically if you you are not completely satisfied with the waterproofness, windproofness, or breathability of your GORE-TEX® product then GORE-TEX® will repair, replace or refund your purchase. As for the useful lifetime of the product part, this can be a tricky one to judge, what does the useful lifetime of a product mean? Basically the GORE-TEX® membrane itself shouldn't deteriorate, but the garment around the membrane will, leaving the GORE-TEX® membrane vulnerable. If the membrane is damaged because the garment has been misused or judged to be in a state of deterioration that indicates that the life time of the product is up, the apparel will unfortunately not be replaced. However if you take steps to take care of the GORE-TEX® clothing you purchase, I can talk from experience it will last years and years!
I hope these 5 facts have helped you understand more about GORE-TEX®, it is a clever invention that is literally guaranteed to keep you dry! GORE-TEX® has many applications in motorcycle clothing, including gloves, jackets, trousers, and even boots. Bike Stop has been a GORE-TEX® retailer for many many years now and has built up a wealth of knowledge about the kit. Why not head down and ask one of the team if you have any questions? Or call on +44 (0)1438 317038, we are happy to help!
