Most people know WL Gore & Assoc for their flagship product, the ePTFE membrane used in Gore-Tex. Over the past few years, we’ve seen them introduce the ePTFE technology into other areas including chemical warfare protective suits, woven fabrics for jungle uniforms and even insulation layers.
This is a reversible, lightweight loft insulation concept jacket, Gore is showing at Modern Day Marine.
Because we’re at Quantico, this version reverses from Woodland to Desert MARPAT, but other versions can be manufactured, based on user needs.
The low-loft insulation is paired with a nylon face fabric. One of the “sides” of the jacket also incorporates a Windstopper membrane to help shed wind, adding to the insulation value.
Essentially, it’s a fleece replacement. While fleece is comfy and warm, it has several drawbacks. First, it doesn’t compact well, meaning it takes up a lot of space in a rucksack. Considering fleece retains water, takes a long time to dry, and doesn’t do a great job of keeping you warm when it is wet, the case for carrying fleece as an insulation layer isn’t very good.
What’s more, fleece retains dirt, grease and microbes that makes you sick. That means you’ve got to wash it often, and when you do, fleece sheds thousands of plastic micro fibers into the water. It’s just not good for the environment.
Continuous filament insulation on the other hand is water resistant, and with the Gore Windstopper membrane, wind resistant. It also takes up less room when stored. Additionally, Gore’s Quick Pack technology allows air to quickly vent out of the jacket when stowing it.
This concept not only performs better than the fleece it replaces, but it’s a two-for-one item, pulling duty in more than one environments.
