Feed My Pants!

No more washing outdoor clothing and jackets that produce their own waterproofing is the batty premise of a group of scientists devloping materials containing benevolent micro-organisms.

Researchers have succeeded in impregnating fibres with colonies of bacteria, which, with further development could perform useful functions. The starting point would be fabrics housing strains of bacteria which feed on sweat, dirt and other waste products, removing the need to wash garments at all.

'Says one of the scientists 'You could end up having to feed your shirt instead of wash it.' Nice... But at least it puts a postive spin on those frightening beer spillages...

And that's just the start: other bacteria, suggests the article in New Scientist, could secrete waterproofing agents or treatments designed to extend the life of the garment. Frankly, it sounds like a load of old cobblers to us and we reckon that washing machine manufacturers and the likes of Gore won't be quaking in their boots just yet.

OUTDOORSmagic's product expert Richard Gear was unconvinced when we asked him: 'I'm uncovinced,' he commented. 'It's bad enough having to renew your water repellant coatings every six months or so, I really can't imagine a fleece that needs feeding every few weeks taking off. Besides, what if the bacteria get really hungry and decide to eat you? It could all get very messy.'