More Bogus Insulation

One More Hyped Insulation

“Under Armour’s UA Coldgear Reactor Hooded Jacket, is “the most active insulation ever,” according to the brand. UA touts that it adapts to activity level. When you’re at rest, it slows heat loss so you stay warm. When you’re working, it increases ventilation, so you’re not over-heating. It does this, according to the brand, with insulation that “mimics clusters of down strung together in rows.” Quote from Under Armour information on the page from OR web site.

I was reviewing the new products that companies are showing today at the Outdoor Retailer Show taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of the first items to appear on my computer screen was a quilted nylon jacket from Under Armour Corporation. Below the pictures was the above noted quote. Since the late 1970’s when 3-M Corporation introduced Thinsulate a variety of companies have advertised their insulation in many ways offering to the public winter jackets that were feather light even if they were filled with synthetic that were going to keep you warm under the most outrageously cold conditions. And the facts speak for themselves not a one of these materials used for insulation has ever performed for the task at hand. That is except one and that is continuous filament fiberfill. It was originally trade marked as Polar Guard and today it is trademarked Climashield. In both cases I have used these products to make my Lamilite which I contend has demonstrated for over 40 years to outperform every other material that has ever been introduced into the market. The proof of my contention is the simple fact that today Wiggy’s sleeping bags are widely known as the best in the world. Wiggy’s outerwear is also recognized as the most efficient in the world. Actually there is not one product made by Wiggy’s that contains Lamilite that doesn’t outperform every product of its type made in the world.

The Under Armour Corporation in my opinion has some very creative writers in their advertising department. What stands out to me an expert in the field of insulation is how little they know about insulation as it pertains to outerwear garments. Just reread their literature carefully. “The most active insulation ever” this suggests that the insulating medium may be alive. If it is not alive how can it be active? If you were to ask them, the answer would be;”blank”. How can it “adapt” if it is not alive? What would it adapt too anyway? How does it know when you are at rest versus say jumping off of a building? When you are at rest the heat that your body is giving off is automatically less than it would be if you were active; duh. “When you are working, it increases ventilation, so you are not over heating”, yes because the insulation is not adequate to retain the heat that you are generating which means that you will get a chill when you do slow the activity.

This is a perfect example of one more multi-billion dollar corporation that I think believes they can put anything on the market and sell it and they are right. For years 3-M sold Thinsulate and now it is not used as far as I know in outerwear, but they are still trying with their featherless down, something I have sold my entire life in the world of business. I have yet to see any takers; i.e. outerwear companies using it.

Then of course there is Gore with their newest product “a durable water repellent” treatment (DWR). What I find interesting is the use of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) program that comes directly from the United Nations Environment Programme. I looked it up on the internet, this LCA to find out what it was and there it is a UN program. Its purpose as far as I can understand is to follow every product made from components to finished product to observe the impact of all of these things I guess on the environment. Gore is attempting to make or is making a DWR that has no adverse effect on the environment. This LCA program has been going on for quite a while; Gore has been involved since 1992.

What I wonder about is why Gore is working with DWR treatments when they made their name with waterproof breathable treatment of fabric which negated the need for DWR. As we now know they do need to apply DWR to their treated fabrics, so if that is the case why laminate the ptfe film to the fabric in the first place. If you ask them, you might want to be wearing waders and have a shovel when you get the answer.

My opinion as to why they are getting into the DWR business is because so many of their customers have left them for their own non-functioning waterproof-breathable materials they now want them to specify the Gore DWR. But what do I know.

How about Polartec launching a “cooling solution”. I quote from the Sportsonesource web site; “Polartec created its first cooling fabric to maximize the effectiveness of the body’s natural sweat response. Delta (that is its name for this fabric) carries sweat and holds it next to skin where it most closely replicates the human body’s natural cooling process while still allowing the fabric to dry quickly”. This is astounding to read. Very creative writer at Polartec. The writer is stating exactly what happens when a person is sweating while wearing any covering over their body. The sweat stays on the skin surface and goes nowhere regardless of what the material is made of. The only exception would be if you are wearing fishnet clothing.

All I can say is if you happen to like the style of the garments made with the materials I have highlighted buy it, but do not expect it will perform in anyway shape of form as the companies making these products advertise them to work.

It all comes down to slick advertising slogans and promises.

After I finished this article I received an email about day 2 of the Outdoor Retailer show and they had even more insulations that I have never heard of in a variety of jackets all quilted. That tells me the insulations are made from chopped staple polyester fiberfill which by the way is what Under Armour is using. Being quilted means every stitch is a cold spot in every one of these garments which further means poor insulation.