New from the Gore-Tex people is a waterproof Soft Shell fabric claimed to combine waterproofness, warmth and mobility in a single layer. Plus win a great Berghaus Gore-Tex jacket.
In the old days there was just one sort of Gore-Tex, now it feels
like there's a different Gore fabric for every day of the year plus a
few extra for leap year contingencies... And now there's a new
one.
It is, says Gore, 'a new innovation in durably waterproof fabrics -
Gore-Tex softshell'. Due out this winter, the fabric is a waterproof
version of Gore's Windstopper-based softshell fabric and is claimed
to be 'the first durably waterproof soft shell fabric the outdoor
market has ever seen'.
The new fabric is reckoned to combine the waterproof protection of
a shell with the insulation and warmth of a mid-layer. In tests the
it 's at least five times warmer than a 3-layer Gore-Tex fabric.
Completely Waterproof
The material consists of a Gore-Tex fabric backed with a thin
lining layer of fleece for added insulation plus a stretch, abrasion
resistant outer material, again laminated to the PTFE membrane, it
also has built-in stretch. What differentiates the new fabric from
existing Gore Soft Shell fabric is that the seams can be sealed using
a new, patented Gore process rendering the entire garment totally
waterproof.
Existing Gore Soft Shell is already highly water resistant, but
untaped seams mean that it will never be completely waterproof in
sustained rain - the new version changes that and means that Soft
Shell users will no longer need to carry a lightweight shell just in
case the heavens open.
"By combining all the protection of a shell with increased levels
of insulation, Gore-Tex Soft Shell users will experience an
unrivalled form of cold weather protection - free from bulky
midlayers that can reduce breathability, freedom of movement and
ultimately comfort," says Carol Anne Smith of Gore.
Gore's tests apparently show that the new fabric offers the same
level of breathability as a fleece mid-layer combined with a
three-layer Gore-Tex fabric, so users shouldn't experience and loss
of breathability compared to a conventional layering system. They
also provide the same level of insulation, but we'd expect the new
soft shell to be less restrictive by dint of being a single, stretchy
layer.
The fabric is being used by several major brands this autumn
including TNF, Mountain Equipment, Sprayway and Berghaus. We'd expect
it to work well in the Alps, but the real test will be whether it can
cut it in the damp, cold environment of Scotland in winter. Watch
this space.
Win A Berghaus Gore-Tex Stretch Paclite Jacket
Finally, you could win a Strtech Paclite Berghaus Endurance jacket
in our latest great Gore-Tex competition. Enter
now.
