Re: [Paddlewise] Is Goretex damaged by salt?

In a message dated 98-09-01 20:50:48 EDT, rcline_at_onramp.net writes:

<< It was my understanding that salt did not damage Goretex.  Perhaps you
 woule be kind enough to disabuse us on the suitability of goretex and how
 well it stands up to salt.
  >>

Not sure who's quoting whom any more --- but, when I asked one of the Gortex
folks' lead engineers about this a year or so ago at a conference they
conceded that they'd initially --- like six years ago? --- had some problem
with salt water closing down the pores of the fabric. Today's fabric has none
of these problems, according to the same sources (this was a military survival
gear conference, but the fabric is the same --- just not as colorful).  But
it's probably a good idea to rinse gear off in clean, fresh water when it's
had some hard use, anyway --- just as you'd do with a PFD or your boat itself
--- to keep it functional.  There seems to be two issues here --- the
breathability issue in salt environments, which Goretex seems to have fixed,
and the functionality issue which is always improved by keeping gear clean.

Joq
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