lies continue and an update of OR.

WHAT IS GRAPHENE? IN A WORD IT IS GRAPHITE!

Vollebak puts graphene to the test in new jacket

The latest product to be released by innovative UK outdoor brand Vollebak is a jacket that has one side coated in graphene nanoplatelets.

Graphene has been attracting lots of attention in the textile industry over recent years, most notably due to the work of Italian materials developer Directa Plus, which has launched a number of graphene-based products. Among the early adopters of this technology was high-end Italian sportswear brand Colmar. UK-based footwear brand inov-8 has also released a range of graphene-enhanced shoes for running and fitness activities.

Vollebak’s Graphene Jacket is fully reversible with one side coated in graphene and the other not. Its benefits and impact on the body vary depending on which way it is worn. It describes its new product as “part jacket, part science experiment”.

To create it, graphene nanoplates were blended with polyurethane to create a very thin membrane, which is then bonded to nylon. The company has said the addition of graphene “fundamentally changes” the mechanical and chemical properties of the nylon, including increasing its capacity to conduct heat.

This is precisely what gore did to their Teflon film, coat it or laminate it to a very thin membrane of polyurethane before they laminated it to any nylon fabric. I am puzzled as to how laminating a polyurethane film to nylon chemically changes the properties of the nylon. I have been buying polyurethane coated nylon for years as have many other companies since the 1940’s and we have not seen any chemical changes to the nylon. If the urethane is used as light as ½ ounce per square yard on the nylon it is not water proof but if it is 1 ½ ounces such as I use on my waders it is water proof. That is the only change to the nylon fabric, but chemically I do not think so.

As for increasing its capacity to conduct heat, maybe but that world mean the heat from your body would be moved away from you faster, in a summer jacket that would be good, in a winter jacket that would be bad. However, I would be shocked if an individual could actually tell the difference between a jacket made from processed nylon and unprocessed nylon during any season.

All the panels of the jacket are cut with lasers to ensure as little of this expensive material as possible is wasted. The pockets are also laser cut. The panels are then bonded and the seams sealed for waterproofness.

Talk about expensive, cutting one garment at a time is like making a mink coat, damn right it will be expensive to make.

When the jacket is worn with the graphene side next to the wearer’s body in cold weather, it helps maintain the temperature of the skin by conducting heat from warm areas to cold areas. It also creates less humidity next to the body than a normal membrane would.

This above paragraph was written by a person who has brain damage, none of what is written has any validity to it.

Graphene’s tight atomic bonds make it impermeable to nearly all gases and liquids, but Vollebak says water molecules are the exception. This means the jacket is both breathable and waterproof. For the best combination of these qualities, the brand said the graphene should be worn on the inside.

Here we go again with the waterproof and breathable BS. Every company out there wants to be on the gore gravy train ride of lying to the consumer.

Vollebak’s Graphene Jacket sold out just over a week after it was released. The brand has said it is the fastest-selling gear it has ever made.

If that is a true statement it amazes me since the cost of the jacket as I read on their web site is $695.00. That is an astounding price for an unlined nylon jacket. Since they are a European company maybe they are selling their jackets to Saudi princesses. Amazing what some companies will attempt to do to sell their products, even embellish to the point of absurdity.

Graphene may have some uses but in a garment such as this company is making it has no purpose.

THE FOLLOWING IS AN INTERESTING EXPLANATION ABOUT THE ELLSWORTH V-CHANNEL SOCKS FROM A USER OF THEM.

Hi Jerry,

I just read your always entertaining/informative article about the Ellsworth V-Channel Technology Socks. Putting aside for the moment the other points about this product, I can say from personal experience that while the “V-Channel” weave may look great, the odds of it maintaining the “channel” to move the moisture from under the foot in practice are about zero (I’m not even talking about the issues of vapor vice water; wool absorption; and so forth).

In Vietnam, all the jungle boots came issued with a set of 3D waffle-weave nylon insoles that were intended (like the V-Channels) to move moisture under the foot and help prevent trench foot. The idea was flawless. Unfortunately, the 3D waffle-weave lasted in the field for about a week, and then the weight and pressure of the foot crushed the insole into a flat mess. Most guys just wore the non-functioning insoles until they started to totally disintegrate and then tossed them. I’m going to speculate that these V-Channel socks will also crush and flatten out very quickly and it will be indistinguishable as to whether the sock had a V-Channel or not.

Mike

It is always a pleasure to read an individual’s account of the use of a product that I have written about that cannot perform as the company describes.

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I read an information article about a new boot that is built by Danner to the Orvis ideas and specifications I guess. The following is the published information taken from the Orvis website. Orvis has a place on the web site that you can write to with concerns so I wrote to them knowing they have goretex in the boots. I asked if they had proof positive that they could show me proving the goretex functioned as advertised. To my surprise I received an answer form a fellow who confirmed to me that he personally always has wet or wet and cold feet when wearing his goretex lined boot. Actually what follows is his response.

Hello Jerry,

We do have that new boot as described. To be perfectly honest with you, I am a backpacker, a hunter and general outdoors person who is not always out there just for sport. I have never, no matter how much money I have spent, found a Gor-Tex footwear product that will keep my feet dry even on a humid day. Gor-Tex makes my feet sweat, and the dew on grass will soak my feet very quickly. My feet are always wet when using that product, whether I am around water or not. I too have been puzzled by the claims that have been made all these years. I much prefer an un-insulated boot for temperatures above about -10 F., and certainly without Gor-Tex. Wet feet can kill you in cold weather, and something more breathable is better with some decent socks. Gor-Tex will stay wet for days when afield, and it has caused problems with my feet. Now almost every pair of casual low top hiking shoes touts Gor-Tex. I avoid them! I believe you have uncorked my bottle on this subject, thank you. I am not sure that Charlie will see this, but I will make sure the right people do, including our product developers.

Charlie is the name of the person mentioned in the article so I addressed my note to him. The fact that the fellow who responded to me is going to forward my comments my get Orvis to think about continuing to sell goretex lined products in general.

Rick

What follows I have reprinted from the Orvis website.

“Danner and Orvis have come together to develop a special Orvis version of the Light II, one of Danner's most popular boots. The proven design has been updated with durable Cordura® upper insets in traditional Orvis green. Premium waterproof full grain leather upper sports the Orvis logo on the tongue. Vibram® Megagrip outsole is very tacky, providing unparalleled grip on slippery and wet surfaces. It's extremely durable for walking hard surfaces. Boots have a GORE-TEX® lining for 100% waterproof and breathable comfort”.

I did tell Mike the person who responded to suggest that Orvis at the least buy my Lamilite socks. Will see what if anything happens.

NOW FOR TWO TESTIMONIALS

Hunter Antarctic, Hunter Super Light w/ Hood and a Nautilus FTRSS Overbag with hood.

Dear Gerry, I have had my Wiggy's bags for almost 20 years now and wanted to tell you how much I love your sleeping bags. This last winter I was in Glacier National Park and it got to be about -40 F and I slept outside on a Wiggy's pad and after I had cinched the Hoods down on my Hunter Super Light (With Hood) › Rectangular Sleeping Bag FTRSS system I slept all night with no problem at all. But I will say one thing when getting up in the morning and getting out of that bag was sure an eye opener, but that did not last long as put on my Wiggy's Alaska Range Parka Shell (which is a beast of a jacket especially when you order the (L12) layer for Arctic use. What a jacket!!!! Wow is the only real word I could use for this jacket. I bought a size larger than I usually wear so that I could wear my fishnet underwear with a wool shirt for when indoors for visiting and or dining. I had a gentleman ask me about my jacket and I explained the features and all of the pros you get with this material. He had bought a (Mountain Hardwear Absolute Zero Down Parka - Men's State Orange color) He was told "rest assured you'll never get cold in this! Well, we traded coats for about an hour outside especially since the wind was blowing and I was getting cold and damp inside that puffy down jacket which had already collected moister from him wearing it earlier. So I finally asked him for my coat back and then he said that he would pay me more than I had paid for it! I asked him what he had paid for his jacket and it was $850.00 and then I completely shocked him when I told him that I paid $220.00 he almost hyperventilated. He was more than impressed with your jacket. He said that he wishes he had known before his purchase. I then told him about your sleeping bags and he was sure he was going to buy the Hunter Antarctic › Rectangular Sleeping Bag $355.00 $284.00 Temperature Rating: -60º / -80º F (FTRSS) I have found another Wiggy's Customer. Wearing my Extremely Warm Wiggy's Alaska Range Parka Shell!!!!!! Everything from Wiggy's is the REAL DEAL.

– John Edwards

John  thank you for your testimonial and promoting Wiggy's.

I’ll let you know if I ever get a call from the guy John was with.

21 year product test.

This was the first Wiggy product that I owned, fortunately introduced to me by an independent camping gear dealer in the mid 90's. Of such accidents are happy campers made. I barely remember thinking that i would miss the feel of flannel lining. Got over that fast. The next year I added an insulated bivy, modified locally with extra material Jerry provided, to fit the rectangular bag.
In 2000 I collected a lady friend and paired the over bag to a Ultra-light. "Blue or black up tonight?" "Are the stars out? Make it blue."
A decade ago I started her son out with a Superlight. Then got an Ultima Thule to keep in the car for blizzard safety or winter camping. Today I will be ordering a Superlight (no hood) to extend season/elevation for our double set. I aspire to one of Wiggy's new hammock systems. It would not occur to me to buy anywhere else for something as tricky as insulation for a hammock.
You could say that I'm a believer. I have awakened partially immersed, gone back to sleep warm until morning. I hung the bag on a bush so the water could run out, Run it did, and I was packing a three pound sleeping bag twenty minutes later. No fooling when he says that the water doesn't absorb into the fiber. This over bag has been washed 30+ times, spent two decades in a stuff bag, 100k+ miles in a saddlebag, several winters in the back of a pickup, and is air drying on the cloths line as I type this, having just collected another three weeks on the road. It doesn't even look used. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat if I could divine any reason to replace it. Jerry, how about offering it in another color?

– Bruce Halleran, with IBMC

Bruce thank you for your kind words. As for color black is the best color for sleeping bags and all cold weather bags are only made in black.

UPDATE OF NATHAN THE TECHNICAL DESIGNER AT O.R.

One reader wrote to me who lives in Seattle that he looked up Nathan and found he has been in the employ of O.R. for 14 years as a technical designer. I guess his job description should read technical copy cat. Regardless maybe he is responsible for the products they sell that they call sleeping bags. What the do not know is that when one gets into a sleeping bag it is so they can sleep, but since that does not occur with these products they sell as sleeping bags they change the name to big bag to hold groceries.