Chemicals to Hurt You

TESTIMONIALS & OTHER INFORMATION

Dear Jerry,

Sir, all of the products you produce are a plus!!! Last October, I purchased a DucksBack sweater and Sun Walkers, both items perform just as you said!!! Warm and dry! ☺

I have worked in the nonwoven and F.R.P. composites industry for 45 years plus, marine, tanks and custom parts. I have worked in marketing, sales; I have looked at buying interesting companies for an east coast company I worked for. I negotiated with suppliers and end-users. I know cut fiber and hollow spun-bond. Goretex and cut fiber will not keep you dry and/or warm!!! Sorry, to hear you will not be using the DucksBack material anymore. Please keep up the great work!!! Made in the U.S.A. is what it is all about. I will be placing another order soon. I lived in the U.P. of Michigan for 35 years, we know what cool and snows are all about.

Best regards,

Larry M. Wall

It is always nice to read comments from readers supporting my position on chopped staple fiberfill and goretex.

Hello Jerry!

I tested light weight waders on my latest hike in Finnish Lapland in June and I have to say they are just perfect! Thank you!

With best regards

Risto

Here is couple of photos. The river was the one that I waded over.

The photo of the river/stream I could not copy so I could not paste it for all to see, it is really a wonderful picture, sorry Risto, but thank you.

HeiQ Announces PFC-Free DWR With Dry Cleaning Durability

Swiss textile innovator HeiQ launches new fluorocarbon-free (PFC-free) products in their HeiQ Eco Dry product family for a full range of durable water repellence (DWR) technologies, for outdoor apparel to footwear and fashion. The newly introduced products are durable to dry cleaning.

Evaluating the DWR performance using the spray test method at HeiQ laboratories (HeiQ)

Consumers of water repellent jackets, pants and footwear think it is important that products are made of environmentally-friendly materials and are PFC-free¹. HeiQ Eco Dry is a family of innovative, eco-friendly and PFC-free water repellent textile technologies that provide protection against water and water-based stains. As of August 2018, HeiQ Eco Dry has a brand awareness of 8% in the US among water repellent gear consumers¹. By adding new products to the range, HeiQ now has a broad range of DWR solutions for outdoor apparel, footwear and fashion markets.

Launched in 2013, HeiQ Eco Dry was one of the pioneers in PFC-free DWR textile treatments. Continuous refinements of this product range have allowed HeiQ to be the go-to solution provider as its technologies offer not only industry-leading DWR performance, but also fewer chalk marks and a softer hand than other technologies available. The latest breakthrough with dry cleaning durability makes this DWR suitable to fashion coats and jackets made of premium fibers such as silk and wool. All HeiQ Eco Dry products are Oeko-Tex® conform, bluesign® approved/pending and fluorocarbon-free.

“The new PFC-free DWR treatments have been engineered specifically to meet industry challenges and maintain excellent hydrophobic properties after multiple dry cleanings”, says Walter Nassl, Chief Technology Officer at HeiQ. “We continue to innovate different technologies of HeiQ Eco Dry to allow even more high-quality, durable and sustainable products in the market”.

All of their innovation encompasses chemicals that humans should not be exposed to in my opinion!!!

DRY CLEANING CHEMICALS

The following is the definition of the chemicals used for dry cleaning as copied from Wikipedia.

Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a chemical solvent other than water. The modern dry cleaning process was developed and patented by Thomas L. Jennings. ^[1]

Despite its name, dry cleaning is not a "dry" process; clothes are soaked in a liquid solvent. Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), which the industry calls "perc", is the most widely used solvent. Alternative solvents are trichloroethane and petroleum spirits.^[2]

Most natural fibers can be washed in water but some synthetics (e.g. viscose, lyocell, modal, and cupro) react poorly with water and must be dry-cleaned.^[3]

HISTORY OF DRY CLEANING CHEMICALS

Thomas L. Jennings (1791 – February 12, 1856. In 1821 he was issued a patent for his chemical for this use.

An early adopter of commercial "dry laundry" using turpentine was Jolly Belin in Paris in 1825.^[5]

Modern dry cleaning's use of non-water-based solvents to remove soil and stains from clothes was reported as early as 1855. The potential for petroleum-based solvents was recognized by French dye-works operator Jean Baptiste Jolly, who offered a new service that became known as nettoyage à sec—i.e., dry cleaning.^[6][7] Flammability concerns led William Joseph Stoddard, a dry cleaner from Atlanta, to develop Stoddard solvent (white spirit) as a slightly less flammable alternative to gasoline-based solvents. The use of highly flammable petroleum solvents caused many fires and explosions, resulting in government regulation of dry cleaners. After World War I, dry cleaners began using chlorinated solvents. These solvents were much less flammable than petroleum solvents and had improved cleaning power.

By the mid-1930s, the dry cleaning industry had adopted tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), or PCE for short, as the solvent. It has excellent cleaning power and is nonflammable and compatible with most garments. Because it is stable, tetrachloroethylene is readily recycled.

HeiQ is a chemical company and as such must create chemicals that counteract other chemicals.

Chemicals upon chemicals we are being subjected too in our everyday lives and it is necessary; in my opinion NO!!! This HeiQ Company gets paid by the fabric mills or marketing companies by selling them chemicals and then when a consumer buys a garment that has the chemical on it they are paying a higher price because the chemical cost is added to the price of the material. However the consumer is paying an even higher price because the chemical (s) applied to these fabrics will/do ultimately affect you.

This company as well as all the rest of the chemical companies who market to the garment trade in my opinion do not care that they are selling what is I believe are all carcinogenic compound chemicals.

What follows is an e mail from a customer dealing flame retardant tents available from rei which includes what they publicize on their web site.

Jerry,

Thanks for your attention to the topic.

Wow. I really had no idea this was going on to the extent it is. REI's response is scary....

What you can do to reduce your exposure to flame retardants while camping

• Wash your hands after setting up a tent or wear gloves when setting it up.
• Use the venting systems.
• Leave the rain fly off the tent when possible, to increase ventilation.
• Avoid using heat sources inside your tent, including cooking stoves, lanterns or candles.

  you've probably seen this but the article is here:

  https://www.rei.com/blog/camp/understanding-flame-retardants-in-camping-and-backpacking-tents

  It's like they're saying - we know it's a problem but we're not doing anything about it.

  --

  -Greg

  I was not sure you could open the link so I decided to copy and paste it for all to see.

  “UNDERSTANDING FLAME RETARDANTS IN CAMPING AND BACKPACKING TENTS

  VIK SAHNEY//

  This fellow is the head of sustainability at rei.

  Last week, researchers from Duke University published a study co-sponsored by REI on flame retardant treatments in camping tents.

  We sponsored this work because we felt that the industry had an opportunity to learn more as we think about developing new approaches and technologies for our members. The Outdoor Industry Association Sustainability Working Group is leading this work and you can learn more in their “Flame Retardant (FR) Chemistries” backgrounder.

  A quick explanation of what flame retardants are and why they are used

  Flame retardants are applied to prevent or slow the spread of fire in potentially flammable materials. These additives are the most effective and commonly used treatments applied to camping and backpacking tent fabrics to meet regulatory flammability requirements.

  REI decided to study the topic

  Although flame retardants offer the potential benefit of fire reduction, research suggests that some of these chemicals may be harmful to people and the environment. In order to better understand the chemicals being used, exposure and the potential impacts, REI and other leading U.S. tent brands partnered with Duke University two years ago to dig deeper into this class of chemistry.

  The results of this project showed that backpacking tents included in the study were treated with some flame retardants chemicals that are used in a variety of consumer products, but have been linked to a variety of potential health effects.

  Since rei decided to study the topic and having done so is not doing anything about it why the big deal to study it in the first place?

  Our understanding is advancing, but there is more to learn

  There is a growing body of knowledge about human exposure to flame retardants from consumer products, but the data we have today are not comprehensive. Research does indicate that exposure to flame retardant chemicals while camping and backpacking outdoors may be less than exposure from using other treated products or spending time in enclosed public places. That said, the Duke research helped REI and the outdoor industry identify areas for improvement, as well as ways for campers to reduce their personal flame retardant exposure.

  Considering what they have supposedly learned shouldn’t they end carrying the tents they carry? Looks to me like they haven’t learned a thing about the subject.

  What we have done so far

  At REI we have chosen to eliminate certain additives from REI-branded products and to use better alternatives. The findings of the Duke study have helped us to arrive at that decision. If you are in an REI store, all REI branded tents comply with industry flammability standards. We have also openly shared information with our employees so that they are well informed. More broadly, to drive progress through the industry as a whole, REI and other tent brands partnered with the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and formed the Flame Retardant Task Force. This task force is working with ASTM, the agency currently responsible for the tent flammability requirements, to re-evaluate the standard.

  The decision they have made is to regardless of the facts chose to do nothing. So I ask again what have the learned?

  Why we challenged the standard

  The current tent flammability standard, CPAI-84, was created in 1976 to limit the risk of fire in large paraffin-coated canvas tents, like those used to host a circus. This standard has not been revisited in over 20 years. In that time, tent fabrics, sizes and intended uses have greatly evolved, which has left the CPAI-84 standard outdated.

  Are they challenging “to burn or not to burn” since that is what happens, the tents burn!!!

  What you can do to reduce your exposure to flame retardants while camping

• Wash your hands after setting up a tent or wear gloves when setting it up.
• Use the venting systems.
• Leave the rain fly off the tent when possible, to increase ventilation.
• Avoid using heat sources inside your tent, including cooking stoves, lanterns or candles.

  Great, you are out in the field and are told to “wash your hands” after you have erected your tent or you just might die.

  What we believe should happen next

  We continue to engage with our partners and ASTM to re-evaluate the applicability of the standard to modern camping and backpacking tents, but updates to the flammability standard by ASTM can take time. REI has made changes to the flame retardants used on REI brand tents, and we will continue to evolve as standards change and new science becomes available. We are also exploring whether brands should have the freedom to choose whether to apply flame retardant to tents sold in the U.S., which has been the approach in other parts of the world.

  If a retailer the size of rei tells a supplier they want tents with flame retardant applied to the fabric that is what the supplier will provide them with in order to get the business. It does not matter in reality what the rest of the world sells to the supplier if he want rei’s business.

  Additional resources

• Outdoor Industry Association’s Priority Issues Brief: “Flame Retardant (FR) Chemistries”
• Environmental Science & Technology Abstract from Duke study: “Characterizing Flame Retardant Applications and Potential Human Exposure in Backpacking Tents”

  Just think all of the retailers who sell tents are not about to just give them back to their suppliers in my opinion and the answer to the question I pose is why? Because they the retailers want the sales!!! So if you happen to own stock in any of the publically traded retailers who sell camping equipment to include tents you should call them and tell them the ultimate consumer is NOT to be sold life threatening products such as tents that will burn!!!