When it comes to outdoor equipment, novices may immediately be familiar with the necessities such as jackets that everyone has more than one, down jackets for each level of down content, and hiking shoes such as combat boots; experienced experts People can also pick up various industry slangs such as Gore-Tex, eVent, gold V bottom, P cotton, T cotton and so on.
There are tens of millions of outdoor equipment,But how many high-end top technologies do you know?
①Gore-Tex®️
Gore-Tex is a fabric that stands at the top of the pyramid of outdoor protective layers. It is a domineering fabric that is always marked in the most conspicuous position of clothing for fear that others will not see it.
Invented by the American Gore Company in 1969, it is now popular in the outdoor world and has become a representative fabric with high waterproof and moisture permeability properties, known as the "Cloth of the Century".
The near-monopoly power determines the right to speak. Gore-Tex is overbearing in that no matter what brand you have, you have to put the Gore-Tex brand on your products, and only cooperate with big brands to authorize cooperation. All the cooperative brands are either rich or expensive.
However, many people only know one thing about Gore-Tex but not the other. There are at least 7 kinds of Gore-Tex fabric technologies used in clothing, and each fabric has different performance focuses.
Gore-Tex now distinguishes two major product lines - the classic black label and the new white label. The main function of the black label is long-lasting waterproofing, windproof and moisture-permeable, and the main function of the white label is long-lasting windproof and breathable but not waterproof.
The earliest white label series was called Gore-Tex INFINIUM™, but probably because this series is not waterproof, in order to distinguish it from the classic waterproof black label, the white label series has recently been revamped, no longer adding the Gore-Tex prefix, but directly called WINDSOPPER ™.
Classic Black Label Gore-Tex Series VS White Label INFINIUM
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Classic Black Label Gore-Tex Series VS New White Label WINDSTOPPER
The most classic and complex among them is the Gore-Tex waterproof black label series. The six technologies of clothing are enough to dazzle: Gore-Tex, Gore-Tex PRO, Gore-Tex PERFORMANCE, Gore-Tex PACLITE, Gore- Tex PACLITE PLUS, Gore-Tex ACTIVE.
Among the above fabrics, some examples can be given of the more common ones. For example, MONT
Kailash's new MONT Q60 upgraded from SKI MONT and Arc'teryx's Beta AR both use 3L Gore-Tex PRO fabric;
Shanhao’s EXPOSURE 2 uses 2.5L Gore-Tex PACLITE fabric;
Kailer Stone's AERO mountain running jacket is made of 3L Gore-Tex ACTIVE fabric.
②eVent®️
eVent, like Gore-Tex, is an ePTFE microporous membrane type waterproof and breathable fabric.
In 1997, Gore's patent on ePTFE expired. Two years later, in 1999, eVent was developed. To a certain extent, the emergence of eVent also broke Gore's monopoly on ePTFE films in disguise. .
A jacket with an eVent logo tag
It's a pity that GTX is ahead of the curve. It is very good at marketing and maintains good cooperation with many well-known international brands. As a result, eVent has been somewhat eclipsed in the market, and its reputation and status are far inferior to the former. However, eVent is still an excellent and top-notch waterproof and breathable fabric. .
As far as the fabric itself is concerned, eVent is slightly inferior to GTX in terms of waterproof performance, but slightly better than GTX in terms of breathability.
eVent also has different clothing fabric series, which are mainly divided into four series: Waterproof, Bio environmental protection, Windproof, and Professional, with 7 fabric technologies:
| Series name | Properties | Features |
| eVent
DVexpedition |
water proof | The toughest durable all-weather fabric
Used in extreme environments |
| eVent
DValpine |
water proof | Continuously waterproof and breathable
Regular waterproof 3L fabric |
| eVent
DVstorm |
water proof | Lighter and more breathable
Suitable for trail running, cycling, etc. strenuous outdoor exercise |
| eVent
BIO |
Environmental friendly |
Made with castor as the core bio-based membrane technology |
| eVent
DVwind |
windproof |
High breathability and moisture permeability |
| eVent
DVstretch |
windproof | High stretchability and elasticity |
| eVent
EVprotective |
professional | In addition to waterproof and moisture-permeable functions, it also has chemical corrosion resistance, fire retardant and other functions.
Suitable for military, fire protection and other professional fields |
eVent series product data:
Waterproof range is 10,000-30,000 mm
Moisture permeability range is 10,000-30,000 g/m2/24H
RET value (breathability index) range is 3-5 M²PA/W
Note: RET values between 0 and 6 indicate good air permeability. The larger the number, the worse the air permeability.
This year, many new eVent fabric products have appeared in the domestic market, mainly used by some start-up brands and some lesser-known brands, such as NEWS Hiking, Belliot, Pelliot, Pathfinder, etc.
③Other waterproof and breathable fabrics
The more well-known waterproof and breathable fabrics include Neoshell®️ launched by Polartec in 2011, which is claimed to be the most breathable waterproof fabric in the world. However, Neoshell is essentially a polyurethane film. This waterproof fabric does not have too many technical difficulties, so When major brands developed their own special films, Neoshell quickly fell silent in the market.
Dermizax™, a non-porous polyurethane film fabric owned by Japan's Toray, is still active in the ski wear market. This year, Anta's heavy-launched jackets and DESCENTE's new ski wear all use Dermizax™ as a selling point.
In addition to the waterproof fabrics of the above third-party fabric companies, the rest are the self-developed waterproof fabrics of outdoor brands, such as The North Face (DryVent™); Columbia (Omni-Tech™, OUTDRY™ EXTREME); Mammut (DRYtechnology™); Marmot (MemBrain® Eco); Patagonia (H2No); Kailas (Filtertec); Millet (DRYEDGE™) and so on.
Thermal technology
①Polartec®️
Although Polartec's Neoshell has been almost abandoned by the market in recent years, its fleece fabric still has a high position in the outdoor market. After all, Polartec is the originator of fleece.
In 1979, Malden Mills of the United States and Patagonia of the United States cooperated to develop a textile fabric that was made of polyester fiber and imitated wool, which directly opened up a new ecology of warm fabrics - Fleece (fleece/polar fleece), which was later adopted by " Time magazine and Forbes magazine praised it as one of the 100 best inventions in the world.
Polartec's Highloft™ series
At that time, the first generation of fleece was called Synchilla, which was used on Patagonia’s Snap T (yes, Bata is also the originator of fleece). In 1981, Malden Mills registered a patent for this fleece fabric under the name Polar Fleece (the predecessor of Polartec).
Today, Polartec has more than 400 types of fabrics, ranging from close-fitting layers, mid-layer insulation to outer protective layers. It is a member of many first-line brands such as Archaeopteryx, Mammoth, North Face, Shanhao, Burton, and Wander, and Patagonia. Fabric supplier to the U.S. military.
Polartec is the king in the fleece industry, and its series are too numerous to count. It’s up to you to decide what to buy:
②Primaloft®️
Primaloft, commonly known as P cotton, is too misunderstood to be called P cotton. In fact, Primaloft has nothing to do with cotton. It is an insulating and thermal material mainly made of synthetic fibers such as polyester fiber. It is called P cotton probably because it feels more like cotton. products.
If Polartec fleece was born to replace wool, then Primaloft was born to replace down. Primaloft was developed by the American Albny Company for the US Army in 1983. Its earliest name was "synthetic down".
The biggest advantage of P cotton compared to down is that it is "moist and warm" and has superior breathability. Of course, P cotton is still not as good as down in terms of warmth-to-weight ratio and ultimate warmth. In terms of warmth comparison, Gold Label P cotton, which has the highest warmth level, can already match down of around 625 fill.
Primaloft is most famous for its three classic color series: gold label, silver label and black label:
| Series name | Properties | Features |
| Primaloft
GOLD |
classic gold label | One of the best synthetic insulation materials on the market, equivalent to 625 fill down |
| Primaloft SILVER |
classic silver label | Equivalent to about 570 feathers |
| Primaloft BLACK |
classic black label | Basic model, equivalent to 550 puffs of down |
③Thermolite®
Thermolite, commonly known as T-cotton, like P-cotton, is also an insulating and thermal insulation material made of synthetic fibers. It is now a brand of the Lycra fiber subsidiary of the American DuPont Company.
The overall warmth retention of T cotton is not as good as that of P cotton and C cotton. Now we are taking the EcoMade environmental protection route. Many products are made of recyclable materials.
④other
3M Thinsulate (3M Thinsulate) - manufactured by 3M Company in 1979. It was first used by the US Army as an affordable alternative to down. Its warmth retention is not as good as the T-cotton above.
Coreloft (C cotton) - Arc'teryx's exclusive trademark of synthetic fiber insulation and thermal insulation products, with slightly higher warmth retention than Silver Label P cotton.
Quick-drying sweat-wicking technology
①COOLMAX
Like Thermolite, Coolmax is also a sub-brand of DuPont-Lycra. It was developed in 1986. It is mainly a polyester fiber fabric that can be mixed with spandex, wool and other fabrics. It uses a special weaving technique to improve the efficiency of moisture absorption and perspiration.
Other technologies
①Vibram®
Vibram is a shoe sole brand born from mountain tragedy.
In 1935, Vibram founder Vitale Bramani went hiking with his friends. In the end, five of his friends were killed during the mountaineering. They were wearing felt-soled mountain boots at the time. He described the accident as part of the Blame it on "ill-fitting soles." Two years later, in 1937, he drew inspiration from rubber tires and developed the world's first pair of rubber soles with many bumps.
Today, Vibram® has become the rubber sole manufacturer with the most brand appeal and market share. Its logo "golden V sole" has become synonymous with high quality and high performance in the outdoor industry.
Vibram has dozens of soles with different formulation technologies, such as lightweight EVO, wet anti-slip MegaGrip, etc. It is almost impossible to find the same texture in different series of soles.
②Dyneema®
The scientific name is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), commonly known as Hercules. It was developed and commercialized by the Dutch company DSM in the 1970s. This fiber provides extremely high strength with its extremely light weight. By weight, its strength is equivalent to about 15 times that of steel. It is known as "the strongest fiber in the world."
Due to its excellent performance, Dyneema is widely used in clothing (including military and police bulletproof equipment), medicine, cable ropes, marine infrastructure, etc. It is commonly used outdoors in lightweight tents and backpacks as well as connecting ropes for folding poles.
Cane-folding cane connecting rope
Myle’s Hercules backpack is named Hercules Bag, let’s take a closer look
③CORDURA®
Translated as "Cordura/Cordura", this is another DuPont fabric with a relatively long history. It was launched in 1929. It is light, quick-drying, soft, durable and can be used for a long time. It is also not easy to discolor and is often used in outdoor equipment materials to manufacture backpacks, shoes, clothing, etc.
Cordura is mainly made of nylon. It was first used as a high-tenacity rayon in the tires of military vehicles. Nowadays, the mature Cordura has 16 fabric technologies, focusing on wear resistance, durability and tear resistance.
④PERTEX®
A kind of ultra-fine fiber nylon fabric, the fiber density is more than 40% higher than ordinary nylon. It is the best ultra-light and high-density nylon fabric at present. It was first founded and developed by the British company Perseverance Mills Ltd in 1979. Later, due to poor management, it was sold to Japan's Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Pertex fabric is characterized by being ultra-light, soft to the touch, breathable and windproof, much stronger than ordinary nylon and has good water repellency. It is mainly used in the field of outdoor sports, and is used with Salomon, Goldwin, Mammoth, MONTANE, RAB, etc. Work closely with well-known outdoor brands.
PPertex fabrics are also divided into 2L, 2.5L, and 3L structures. They have good waterproof and breathable functions. Compared with Gore-Tex, the biggest feature of Pertex is that it is very light, soft, and extremely portable and packable.
It mainly has three series: SHIELD (soft, waterproof, breathable), QUANTUM (lightweight and packable) and EQUILIBRIUM (balanced protection and breathability).
| Series name | structure | features |
| SHIELD PRO | 3L | Rugged, all-weather fabric
Used in extreme environments |
| SHIELD AIR | 3L | Use breathable nanofiber membrane
Provides highly breathable waterproof fabric |
| QUANTUM | Insulation and warmth | Lightweight, DWR resistant to light rain
Mainly used in insulated and warm clothing |
| QUANTUM AIR | Insulation and warmth | Lightweight + high breathability
Used in outdoor environments with strenuous exercise |
| QUANTUM PRO | Insulation and warmth | Using ultra-thin waterproof coating
Lightweight + highly waterproof + insulation and warmth |
| EQUILIBRIUM | single layer | Double braided construction |
Other common ones include:
⑤GramArt™(Keqing fabric, owned by the chemical fiber giant Toray of Japan, is an ultra-fine nylon fabric that has the advantages of being lightweight, soft, skin-friendly, splash-proof and windproof)
⑥Japanese YKK zipper (the originator of the zipper industry, the largest zipper manufacturer in the world, the price is about 10 times that of ordinary zippers)
⑦British COATS sewing thread (the world's leading industrial sewing thread manufacturer, with a 260-year history, produces a series of high-quality sewing threads, which are well received by the industry)
⑧American Duraflex® (a professional brand of plastic buckles and accessories in the sporting goods industry)
⑨RECCO avalanche rescue system (a reflector about 1/2 thumb size is implanted in the clothing, which can be detected by the rescue detector to determine the location and improve search and rescue efficiency)
————
The above are the third-party fabrics or materials with outstanding performance on the market, but these are just the tip of the iceberg in outdoor technology. There are also many brands with self-developed technology that are also doing quite well.
However, whether it is stacking materials or self-researching, the truth is that you need to be hard-working. If a brand's products are only mechanically stacked, it is no different from an assembly line factory. Therefore, how to stack materials intelligently, or how to combine these mature technologies with its own R&D technology, is the difference between the brand and its products. manifestation.
Post time: Feb-27-2024