Tips and advice for maintenance and purchase
When you fish, camp or ride a motorcycle, you place high demands on your clothing. Comfort and waterproofing are of great importance. That's a tricky combination, because a lot of waterproof gear has poor breathability and becomes sweltering. Therefore choose Gore-Tex. This material is completely waterproof and breathes well. In this article we will tell you more about its uses and how to treat it, so that you can enjoy your clothing or equipment for a long time.
Gore-Tex clothing and materials are often pricey. That makes it all the more important to ensure maximum service life.
In itself, the material does not require intensive maintenance, but by cleaning and impregnating it periodically, you can enjoy it for longer. To do that well, some special attention is needed.
We therefore take you step-by-step through what Gore Tex is, how to maintain it and what you can do to keep it in excellent condition for a long time.
What is Gore-Tex?
In short: a special type of plastic that allows water to pass through in gaseous form and not in liquid form. That is a valuable property, because with the heat coming from your body comes water vapor.
Does your clothes not breathe well? Then the water vapor condenses on the inside and it becomes sweltering. That is of course not comfortable. Gore-Tex allows water vapor to escape to the outside, while liquid water does not penetrate. That's because even the smallest water droplet is much larger than water vapor particles.
An additional advantage: it is also completely windproof. It has no insulating properties itself, but it does prevent you from being cooled by wind. This makes the material very popular for many outdoor activities and winter sports.
A Gore-Tex jacket is usually of a good brand and you will recognize the Gore-Tex tape, which also seals the seams at the zippers. This guarantees that the jacket is really waterproof. This means that Gore-Tex has a very high water column. So high that one can actually speak of watertightness.
Just about any good outdoor sports equipment is available with Gore-Tex. We also distinguish Gore-Tex Pro and Gore-Tex Active.
The first is significantly more wear-resistant than regular equipment. This is important, for example, in mountaineering and some other very active sports.
The Active version, on the other hand, is particularly light and therefore suitable for endurance sports and activities.
How long does Gore-Tex last?
In principle, as long as the material itself can last. We are usually talking about clothing and equipment from the better brands here. So in theory that's a very long time.
Good maintenance and economical washing also contribute to the lifespan of Gore-Tex jackets, shoes and other equipment. We will give several tips for this below, so that you can ensure that you really get the maximum life out of it.
Gore Tex impregnation
Because the watertightness is basically a property of the material, Gore-Tex also remains waterproof. Nevertheless, impregnation is an important part of Gore-Tex maintenance.
Gore Tex Waterproofing is not necessary, but impregnation also offers other advantages. You can also make Gore Tex water-repellent by impregnating.
As a result, water and dirt adhere less well to the Gore-Tex membrane of jackets and other clothing. In this way impregnation does indeed contribute to the lifespan.
Over the years, the chance that small holes will still appear. However, by impregnating properly, you will not notice this in practice. This way you can (again) make a Gore-Tex jacket waterproof.
Impregnant with Outdoor Gear Protector. This high-quality Gore-Tex impregnation spray is suitable for all types of equipment and clothing, including:
- Gore-Tex raincoat;
- Gore-Tex gloves;
- Arzen with Gore Tex motors;
- Gore Tex sneakers;
- Gore-Tex cycling jackets.
Waterproofing of Gore Tex is in principle not necessary, but with impregnation you prevent the adhesion of dirt and thus wear.
In the long term, wear and tear will ensure that equipment is no longer (completely) waterproof.
We recommend Outdoor Gear Protector for this, which is very suitable as a Gore-Tex spray. Another means is also possible, but always check whether the impregnating spray is suitable for Gore Tex.
Treating Gore Tex with the wrong agent can lead to stains, discoloration and affect the breathability. This makes your clothes less comfortable and that is a shame.
Fix Gore Tex
The material is durable and strong and mainly processed in material and clothing of the better brands. So it won't break anytime soon. Yet something can always happen. Getting caught up in something, for example.
Use special patches to seal holes and tears. Thanks to such adhesives, the material remains completely waterproof.
How to treat Gore-Tex shoes?
It will not surprise you that Gore-Tex is often used in shoes. It is precisely here that both moisture resistance and breathability are extra important.
What to do if Gore-Tex shoes are not waterproof? That is actually not possible. If such shoes are not waterproof, then a hole or tear has formed somewhere.
Making Gore-Tex shoes waterproof in the event of a tear or hole can be solved with tape or by professional repair.
With regard to treatment and maintenance, we recommend the following:
- Scrub shoes dry with a stiff brush first.
- Remove the laces from the shoes.
- Pull the tongue forward.
- Treat the Gore-Tex shoes with impregnation spray, preferably Outdoor Gear Protector.
- After impregnation, dry the shoes slowly and certainly not near a heat source.
- Solve the shoe on time, also for your own comfort and health.
Which socks in Gore-Tex shoes are best?
In principle, it should not matter what kind of socks you wear in such shoes, precisely because the material itself breathes optimally. This is of course much less useful if the socks do not do that themselves. That is why you should wear socks from Gore Tex that also breathe well. It is best to avoid cotton during exertion and activity. Why? This absorbs a lot of moisture and reduces comfort. Opt for synthetics or, better yet, merino wool.
Gore Tex motor testing
Logically, Gore-Tex is widely used in motorcycle clothing. It can therefore be combined well with an insulating lining and a protective outer layer, such as in Gore-Tex motorcycle gloves. You naturally prefer to keep such motorcycle clothing in top condition. Always follow the instructions provided with the equipment itself. In addition, we give you the following tips when maintaining your motorcycle equipment:
- Impregnate regularly with a good quality spray.
- Remove liner and protectors and wash thermal liner separately.
- Dry your motorcycle jacket and motorcycle boots at room temperature.
- Wash a Gore-Tex motorcycle jacket by hand, otherwise at a maximum temperature of 40 degrees.
- Always impregnate the equipment again after drying.
Clean Gore-Tex
Whether products with Gore-Tex technology can be washed in the washing machine depends primarily on the product itself. This is usually possible, although there is often an adapted washing instructions. It is important to follow this. This keeps the quality of the product good.
Sometimes a jacket has a removable lining or thermal layer. Washing without this liner is best.
You can also wash a Gore-Tex jacket with impregnating agent. This contributes to a longer life. However, you should not wash such equipment too often. Frequent washing of Gore-Tex causes wear and decreases the lifespan.
Also, choose your detergent carefully. There are special detergents for Gore-Tex and outdoor gear. It is always preferable to use this. It is often also wise to rinse a few more times. Please follow the washing instructions of the product itself.
Tips
Waterproof and breathable. Gore-Tex is a fantastic material that lasts a long time and in principle always remains waterproof. It is high-quality material that you usually find in the equipment and clothing of the better brands, so you also expect quality. You also expect the material to last a long time. That's usually not a problem, especially if you keep the following tips in mind:
- There is not one magic solution to Gore-Tex. Therefore, always follow the care instructions for the garment or equipment.
- Cleaning is very important, but do it with care. In particular, try to keep washing in the washing machine to a minimum.
- One impregnation is rarely enough. Repeat the process a few times, allowing the equipment or clothing to dry thoroughly in between.
- With impregnation, more often is better than more. So do not use too much spray, but rather repeat the process one more time.
- Combine top quality equipment and clothing. A breathable outer layer is of no use if the clothing underneath does not breathe well.
