Those of you who followed the recent thread on care of GoreTex fabrics on Wave~Length may find this to be of interest. At the national outdoor industry trade show which just ended in Salt Lake City, W.L. Gore & Assoc., the manufacturer of GoreTex, introduced a new DWR treatment for their fabrics. Utilizing a fluorocarbon component, similar to that used in high-end ski waxes, it supposedly will provide a more durable treatment, which will require setting with the heat of an iron or drier to activate. At about $20 a bottle, it will do approximately four garments, or can touch up individual spots. Nikwax USA will be introducing a competing product, slightly less expensive, by late spring or summer. Thus the "wetting out" issue with waterproof-breatheable fabrics is receiving lots of attention, and we can expect to see more technological improvements- at a price- in the future. Keeping up with the latest in technical outdoor gear is now about like keeping up with the latest in computer technology. -Andy Knapp (retail buyer and outdoor writer) Minneapolis, MN *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net ***************************************************************************
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