one more w/p entry into the market place

WHEN WILL IF EVER COMPANIES THAT MAKE RAINWEAR IN THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY EVER LEARN?

Just when I thought all of the companies that have been selling the so called “water-proof and breathable” concept in rainwear a new one appears.

I was informed today by a “loyal” customer as he put it (which I very much appreciate) about Outdoor Research selling a garment which is probably made in Asia that is called the “Realm Jacket”.

It utilizes a fabric called “AscentShell” which is a nylon rip-stop possibly a 20 denier thickness yarn that has been laminated to a membrane of some sort and them further laminated to a 12 denier backing, which I suspect is a tricot made from polyester.

In their literature they claim the following and I quote; “water-proof and incredibly breathable weather protection”. The next sentence is as follows and I quote; “ Built with water-proof, breathable, and air permeable AscentShell”.

Don’t they know that a fabric that is air permeable to begin with has been otherwise referred to as breathable; I do not think it matters to them.They further state that the garment is “laminated construction” and I believe they are referring to the fabrics, all three of them being laminated together. That being the case there must be an adhesive used to hold the materials together. If the Gore Company and every other company that makes this same form of composition have adhesive that clogs the holes that exist in all three materials why is theirs different (?) well it isn’t.

They further claim that their jacket is “revolutionary” in the hard shell category, whatever that means.

Unfortunately for any person who happens to purchase one of these garments because they believe it defies reality will be very disappointed.

Retail stores that offer these jackets should have stationary bicycles in the store so people could put on the jacket and then work up a sweat so they could find out if the perspiration they generate actually migrates through the material or not. If the store did do that provide a bike they would not sell a one. Of course the store buyers might try that approach before they bought the garments. Had store owners done that 40 years ago nobody would know the Gore Company name?

Maybe when this fabric fails as it will Outdoor Research will go into the chemical business and make water repellent chemicals to be applied to the non-functioning water-proof breathable garments just like Gore and several other companies who believed that they made such a fabric.

Isn’t imagination great, there is no end to it in the outdoor industry? No they will not learn ever.