>From an article in the February issue of Armed Forces Journal International (unfortunately not one of the features available on their web site) --- The Army's Natick (MA) Labs has been developing material for a drysuit for swimmers that adds a new dimension to "breathability" --- essentially acting as thermostatically controlled breathability and thermal regulator. There's a membrane in the fabric that senses the heat delta between the user and the ambient environment, and controls the amount of heat the fabric will allow to release. When you're hot, and the ambient is warm, both water vapor and heat will be allowed to out-gas, similar to the breathability feature in today's GoreTex suits from Kokatat (also the contractor on this Army contract, by the way). But the added feature is that body heat will also be vented when exertion is high and heat is not desired, but retained when it's needed --- like during a swim, or when walking around after a paddle, when there is some evaporative cooling going on with the suit. The system is being developed for the Navy's SEALS --- the Sea-Air-Land commando unit of the Navy --- to allow these folks to swim into a target, take care of their assignments on land, and return to the sea to swim back to wherever they came from (we won't go there), all in the same clothing. In the past, they had to carry ground clothing in with them, swimming in and out in conventional wetsuits, for the most part. It cost them needed time and logistics problems. The new suit eliminates both drawbacks. I saw this material and the prototypes at Natick two or three years ago when I visited the Lab while doing research for a Chesapeake Paddler Association cold water clinic, so the system has been in development for a while. Since Kotatat is the Army's design contractor --- I believe the Army has rights-in-data on the material itself --- there may be some future applications for systems of this sort in paddling wear. But don't wait to buy a GoreTex suit --- it's the military. We take a little time in getting stuff done! Jack Martin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Feb 23 2001 - 05:08:03 PST
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