appalling

Pertex® Shield® Air Panel

Pertex® Shield Air - The new, super-breathable technology from Pertex®. We strategically construct our new ES sleeping bags with a panel of Pertex® Shield Air on the top to allow more moisture to vent, while maintaining warmth and minimizing excess humidity.

The Shield Air membrane is a precisely engineered, electrospun nanofibre web, with an open network of interconnected pores. These small and consistently sized pores present little resistance to moisture vapour, whilst providing an effective barrier to liquid water. Crucially, whereas many other waterproof breathable membranes have zero (or close to zero) air permeability, the open structure of the Shield Air membrane allows air to pass through, whilst still offering effective wind resistance.

The first paragraph I reprinted from the feathered friend’s website. I never heard of this air shield material so I went to the pertex web site to learn more about it.

But first, pertex is a British textile company. They have been around for years specializing in light weight nylon fabrics. The second paragraph I copied from their web site. I do not know if they actually produce fabrics in their own facility, maybe they do.

The “electrospun nanofiber web” sounds just like the “futurelight” from northface. Northface created this technology several years ago.

The following I took from the northface web site.

“ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY

FUTURELIGHT is our best-in-class standard for breathable-waterproof technology. Using a “nanospun fiber structure”. [sounds to me very much like “electrospun nanofiber web] we have produced our most light weight, comfortable and breathable membrane to date. [air shield sounds familiar doesn’t it] FUTURELIGHT technology allows air and vapor to permeate the fabric [membrane is attached to the nylon fabric I believe via a electrospun method] while maintain waterproofness, improving temperature regulation and reducing overheating in changing weather conditions.

In my opinion shield a ir and futurelight are one and the same. When northface created the futurelight material they wanted to sell it to the gore customers. I guess they finally found one in pertex. And pertex finally found one in feathered friends. All of feathered friends competition uses goretex.

It is appalling to me to read that virtually all of the companies that market expensive down no sleep sleeping bags are now making them with goretex. In the 1970’s gore provided Marmot with goretex backed ripstop nylon for use in manufacturing sleeping bags. people who bought them didn’t have a chance to use them because the fabric stuck to itself like saran wrap. Marmot gave up making goretex sleeping bags.

To the best of my knowledge no other companies has until recently ever used goretex for sleeping bags.

Now the most expensive bags you can buy are made with goretex or pertex.

There has been a reversal in the way the managers of these companies are doing things when it comes to sleeping bags.

When I got into the business ALL used ykk molded tooth zippers, all used polar guard continuous filament fiberfill, non-used goretex. Today none use an ykk molded tooth zipper, they all use #5 coil zippers, those that sell synthetic bags only use chopped staple fiberfill [the asian quality is horrible], none use continuous filament fiberfill and lastly many of them are now making a bag or more using materials that have proven not to have the ability to allow moisture to migrate through them.

These company managers have no knowledge of what it takes to make a sleeping bag that will actually allow you to sleep when you are in it. I do not think they whoever they are, have ever known what is necessary to make a sleeping bag. Today it all comes down to marketing. I know they have no knowledge because they have allowed gore to probably buy their business with advertising dollars.

It is absolutely appalling to see how these companies can sell product that can endanger the life of the buyer.

ARE THEY BRAIN DEAD????????????