Re: [Paddlewise] Goretex: More than You Wanted to Know

I worl for a chemical company that makes liquid soap feedstock that is sold to
Dial, Palmolive, etc, etc.  The one problem we have noticed in testing it in
the laboratory is the difficulty in rinseing laboratory glassware completely
"soap free"  It is tenacious as hell!

This is just a supposition, but one based on observation.  The problem with
washing Gore Tex with liquid soapproducts probably lies in the fact stated
that a thin film of surface tension reducing soap remains on the Gore Tex ahe
thusly aids in almost "sucking" liquid water through the pores.

My personal experience with Gore Texis that I have never had this happen.  I
bought GT gloves and a hat when it forst came out to try it out before I spent
big $$$$$$$ on a parka and pants.  I found that after working up a pretty
swetty head adn wet hands after putting out goose decoys for over an hour and
then having to sit still in the cold wind and sometimes rainy rice fields,
wassimply "it worked".

I could put on the hat and gloves over a pretty wet body adn within 30
minutes, was dry adn toasty inside.

I then bought the pants asn parka in gore tex and have found the same thing.
Thirty minutes after being pretty wet with seeat and I was dry and toasty.
The body heat engine vaporized the sweat adn "pushed" it through the membrane.

I have noticed that when hiking I do have to "open up" or the sweat produced
will overwhelm the ability to get rid of it and though not as much as with
coated nylon rain suits, I do get clammy inside.

I have never waashed any of these garmets other than to hose them off on the
driveway and a light sponging of soft brush to dislodge mud.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  I have no reason to machine wash any of
these items.

Hope this helps.  It works for me.

John LeBlanc



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