the truth admitted by gore

The following two articles were published in 1998. I will be publishing additional articles from that period of time as well. Gore continues in business selling this bogus product even though it has never worked.

GORE ADMITS GORETEX DOESN’T WORK

Sporting Goods Business, December 15, 1997, issue has an article about W.L. Gore introducing a water-repellent treatment. A similar article came out in the January 1998 issue of Outfitter magazine, both industry publications. The article from SGB starts as follows: "Attempting to combat the `wetting out' that plagues DWR (Durable Water Repellency) garments from both Gore-Tex and its competitors--W.L. Gore is introducing Revivex this month, a DWR patent-pending water and stain repellent."

The term "wetting out" means that a fabric which has lost its water repellency will then be able to absorb water. Once a fabric absorbs water it is impenetrable by vapor. However, the water now absorbed by the shell fabric migrates through the microscopic holes to the inside. This is deleterious water action. The end result is, sweat stays inside the garment and rain- water gets inside the garment.

If what W.L. Gore company has been advertising for the past 20 years has been true, as well as for the other companies who market the same or similar products, why do these products suddenly need to be water-repellent treated?

Is it a statement of admission that the film does not keep water out? If so, why purchase a garment that has a film laminated to the shell fabric. If you are going to water-repel treat it after the initial water repellent has broken down, why pay the high price for what obviously does not work?

If you purchase a jacket that is made from non-laminated fabric, which has been water-repellent treated, you will have the best of both worlds: a vapor permeable garment that is water repellent. Now all you have to do is get a water repellent that works. However, do not expect it to last forever. Treating the garment every third wash would keep it water repellent.

As for the articles, "Gore is going to make efforts to educate and train how to best care for and maintain the performance features of Gore apparel products." It is a spray-on product? I doubt that it would work any better than the other spray own is presently available.

My final thought on this subject has to do with the many complaints Gore has received over the years. Instead of replacing the non-breathable, non-waterproof garment or refunding the money, which could be as much as $350.00, they will simply send you a water- repellent treatment to put on the garment yourself.

At least that is a scenario that could happen.

Now, is not this really a roundabout way of admitting that the stuff does not work, without really saying it? YES!

I have been observing the Gore Company promoting Gore-Tex material since its inception about 1976. As I have stated many times that it does not work as advertised. In recent years I have made known, through my newsletters, evidence why it does not work. I have received numerous responses supporting my statements. Now I am pleased to present further information from one of the largest users of Gore-Tex, showing that it is not what it seems: the U.S. Military, although they continue to use it.

One of my customers, having read in my last two newsletters about the fact that waterproof/breathable materials do not allow for a transfer of O2 and CO2, wrote to the U.S. Army Natick Labs. My customer is retired from the Army and worked at or with Natick at one time. His concern was that several of the members of his Boy Scout troop had been given military bivi bags by their parents who are military, and he observed that these kids simply stayed uncovered, whereas he rigged a coat hanger to keep the hood of his bivi propped up. The kids had learned quickly to not close the hoods. He wrote to Natick referencing his observations and the information I published. The response he received was as follows: "I can tell you that Gore-Tex is not as breathable as one might assume. It is better than a non-breathable fabric but overall, I would not suggest you attempt to breathe through it. It is only intended to add comfort to waterproof items like jackets, pants, etc."

EDITORS NOTE: I suspect the meaning of the last sentence is that it is waterproof, and therefore if worn over a jacket or pants they are protected. A second individual working for Natick made the following comment: "The Gore-Tex fabric, or any other waterproof or so-called breathable fabric, is not really 'breathable' the way consumers may like it to be, i.e., fabric that an individual can actually breath through.

"First, the term 'breathable' refers to microporous, membrane-based fabric because it is air-permeable, and air can be blown or forced through it. The Gore-Tex fabric is not air-permeable because its microporous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane has been coated with a thin layer of 'nonporous' polyurethane urea membrane, making it non-air-permeable. However, Gore-Tex and other nonporous semipermeable membranes are permeable to moisture vapor. This moisture vapor permeability aids the evaporative cooling of the body."

EDITORS NOTE: I believe there is ample evidence to prove that permeability in practical application does not happen. It may have occurred in a laboratory, hence the statement.

"As far as using a waterproof /moisture vapor permeable (WP/MVP) membrane-based sleeping bag, leaving a few inches to breathe while sleeping in a cold, high altitude environment is not such a good idea. As a matter of fact, the manufacturer would say that this is a misuse of their product. In high altitude, the user may consider a breathing device such as the microclimatic conditioning system for warm air and a re-breather for CO2 removal and O2 supply into their WP/MVP sleeping bag. Additionally, to keep warm, adequate insulation must be used. Moisture vapor from the body (sweat) will condense on the inner wall of the sleeping bag if there is no moisture vapor concentration-gradient from inside to outside. Especially if the individual body is in a high, cold altitude (10,500 feet +)."

EDITORS NOTE: Body sweat leaving the body during sleeping activity is so slow that any sleeping bag that has a Gore-Tex shell, regardless of its quality, will retain whatever moisture reaches it.

There is an unconfirmed report that the British military suffered two deaths by suffocation in bivi bags this past summer. I have made several inquiries myself without confirmation. Investigation is still going on and, if confirmed I will let you know. I would not be surprised if it were true. It should also be noted that I have no idea what type of fabrics the British use for their bivi bags. As we know, there are numerous brands today.

EDITORS NOTE: As I see it there are other problems associated with this bivi bag. We know from past evaluations of the "modular sleep system" which is a bastardization of my 'Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System" that it does not function below +15 degrees. When combined with the bivi bag, any person using the combination would most certainly close it as much as possible. Having done so, involuntary suffocation becomes possible. This is the system that is issued to our soldiers in all branches of service.

I read an article in the November 2000 issue of amc outdoors magazine (Appalachian Mountain Club). Three of the editors went on a winter camping trip for the first time. One of them, Jane Roy Brown, made the following comment: "'Yeah,' I murmured. Even at 32 degrees in warm sunlight, perspiration was already dampening the two layers of polypro under my (allegedly breathable) shell." I find the comment particularly interesting since I have read in several past issue’s advice from Annie Getchell, a member of their advisory board, that it is imperative to own Gore-Tex or some other brand of waterproof/breathable garment. Maybe Annie should go out with Jane and advise her as to what she did wrong so the waterproof/breathable jacket did not work.

Then she can learn why these materials do not work. I also appreciated Jane mentioning that her polypro underwear and a second layer of polypro were "dampening," I will bet she thought they would "wick" the moisture away from her skin surface. No such luck! She would have been a much more comfortable if her first layer was fishnets.

The three editors were only out for one night, and I am quite sure they felt that was a sufficient amount of time for winter camping.
The Gore Company is concentrating heavily on the footwear market. In the November 10, 2000, issue of Sporting Goods Business a Gore product specialist made the following comment: "As Gore continues to focus on developing versatile footwear technology, the company will gradually move beyond its winter-oriented 'warm and dry' story. We want to spread the word that Gore-Tex is about protection and comfort, in cold and warm seasons."

EDITORS NOTE: Do the Gore Company employees really believe that the film actually keeps people "warm and dry." It is apparent that Gore-Tex is not only not protection from the elements, but a detriment in those same elements as we are now learning. Don't they, the Gore Company employees, read any of the negative comments that contradict the "hype" they spew? They have made a concerted effort to evade the acquisition of knowledge.

I just read in an outdoor industry online magazine that the Gore Company will start an advertising campaign shortly on television promoting their non-existent product that they claim to be “waterproof and breathable”. They have said this claim so often that they actually believe it, I guess. It is now as it was in the past a claim that is false. It always has been and always will be. The only entities that are waterproof and breathe are living organisms, such as humans, as well as all other animals and plant species. Inanimate objects such as material can be made waterproof with various coatings and if not coated with any material, they are naturally VAPOR PERMEABLE! They the manmade materials do not breathe. The materials are not alive and only living entities are capable of BREATHING! Do they get this, probably yes, but they have to ignore reality in order to sell their bogus product?

[You do of course know that a class action law suit brought against gore would also name all of their customers who have sung the same erroneous information that gore has been spewing for 50 years. That would include all of the footwear companies as well as jacket, glove, etc. companies.]

AND A TESTIMONIAL

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