Gortex question.

MacDoc

MacDoc

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It's getting too hot to ride in my Scott Eclipse II Gortex jacket. It also needed a wash which we we did according to instructions and it came out very well. We sun dry everything as well we are in the tropics and it works really well. Any gear really needs washing and thorough drying before getting stored for the season....even my cameras are prone to mold.

The last instruction says to run the jacket in a dryer for 20 min to "activate" the rain protection.

The Scott jackets my son and I bought for Cross Canada in 2015 really kept us warm any dry.....even in pouring rain...the only jacket I had that kept me totally dry when done up properly. Wearing it brings fond memories...but it is just too warm above 28 degrees which is a very large portion of the year.

Now I don't ride in the rain tho I might get caught in the rain from time to time.
The jacket is perfectly dry and I'm just wondering do I really need to do that dryer activation??
 
My Klim gear goes in the wash and while still wet sprayed thoroughly with nikwax and then air dried. No drier. Still works better than any plastic rain gear.
 
Wingboy said:
My Klim gear goes in the wash and while still wet sprayed thoroughly with nikwax and then air dried. No drier. Still works better than any plastic rain gear.
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^This right here.

Magic stuff.

It's the secret to how Caramilk gets the caramel in the caramilk bar and is also one of KFCs secret blend of 11 herbs and spices.
 
MacDoc said:
It's getting too hot to ride in my Scott Eclipse II Gortex jacket. It also needed a wash which we we did according to instructions and it came out very well. We sun dry everything as well we are in the tropics and it works really well. Any gear really needs washing and thorough drying before getting stored for the season....even my cameras are prone to mold.

The last instruction says to run the jacket in a dryer for 20 min to "activate" the rain protection.

The Scott jackets my son and I bought for Cross Canada in 2015 really kept us warm any dry.....even in pouring rain...the only jacket I had that kept me totally dry when done up properly. Wearing it brings fond memories...but it is just too warm above 28 degrees which is a very large portion of the year.

Now I don't ride in the rain tho I might get caught in the rain from time to time.
The jacket is perfectly dry and I'm just wondering do I really need to do that dryer activation??
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If the garment tag recommends a 20-minute heat-dry cycle, it's been treated with Teflon DWR. After washing this type of garment there is plenty of DWR in the fabric, but it's not disbursed evenly. A dryer heat cycle reorganizes the residual DWR to restore water repellency. This works about 3 times before you need to do a surface treatment.

Recently most barrier fabric mills, including GoreTex, have moved to silicone and polyurethane water-based DWR as they are safer and more environmentally friendly. The tag will not likely recommend heat treating, newer DWR gear needs top coating to restore waterproofness.

DWR sprays like Scotchguard, and Revivex are silicone based, they will last a couple of years. Niwax is great too, but the low VOC enviro-friendly formulation trades off durability -- expect 12 months between applications.

To answer the original question, do I really need to do that dryer activation? The answer is Yes if you want to restore the garment's waterproofness.
 
Okay thanks for that ....can I do the heat cycle when I get the jacket out of storage?
The jacket right now is clean and very dry.
 
Damn...looks like I'll need to see what my Olympia jacket needs for cleaning as I just wipe it down when I'm worried about damaging it.
 
I generally don't wash my jackets or riding pants unless I've been in the mud.
It's the mold here in the tropics that causes issues.
Zippers lock up solid with mold.
 
MacDoc said:
Okay thanks for that ....can I do the heat cycle when I get the jacket out of storage?
The jacket right now is clean and very dry.
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You can do the heat cycle whenever you want.

If the jacket doesn't have wet spots in the rain, I'd hold off. It only works a couple of times, you only need to do it when you see the outer fabric wetting out, it will usually start in blotches near the fold points (elbows, under arms, and where a pot belly meets a ribcage).
 
Was new to me as well. But then it's only Gortex jacket I've owned.
I rode with mesh jackets and truly rain proof PVC over jackets.
Down side with those .....they don't breathe. Upside...they are inexpensive and very durable. They pack down very small.
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This jacket built with room to be worn over a motorcycle jacket.
The Compact rain jacket is designed to provide you with improved protection in wet weather. The design of the jacket takes into account the size of the clothes worn underneath. The product leaves you with plenty of room and freedom of movement
Features
  • Very practical : compressible in its dedicated pocket Elasticated cuffs
  • Opening on back of jackets for airflow 100% waterproof
  • Polyester with polyurethane coating
  • Opening on back for airflow Reflective prints on back and shoulders
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MacDoc said:
Was new to me as well. But then it's only Gortex jacket I've owned.
I rode with mesh jackets and truly rain proof PVC over jackets.
Down side with those .....they don't breathe. Upside...they are inexpensive and very durable. They pack down very small.
View attachment 70104
This jacket built with room to be worn over a motorcycle jacket.
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That jacket won't breathe. Looking at the construction I can tell right now it's not Goretex. I don't recall ever seeing GoreTex jacket with elastic arm cuffs -- near impossible. Same with the neck, a small will have a 17" neck, large will be around 22" - they will always be big and loose.

Goretex jackets don't breathe the way they lead you to believe. The fabric allows vapor to pass thru, but not much. While technically breathable, GoreTex garment breathability is nearly 100% due to the garment's ventilation design, not the fabric. GoreTex was clever, they have always required approval over any garment displaying a GoreTex label -- that's their secret sauce -- all GoreTex garments have well-designed venting.
 
I was told that Gortex is waterproof or breathable, never both at the same time.

For the most part, I wear something breathable, and carry a waterproof jacket.
I did notice this year, that the jacket and pants are good on a motorcycle, but poor off of one.
Rain was going down my neck, and ending in my boots.
 
MacDoc said:
Was new to me as well. But then it's only Gortex jacket I've owned.
I rode with mesh jackets and truly rain proof PVC over jackets.
Down side with those .....they don't breathe. Upside...they are inexpensive and very durable. They pack down very small.
View attachment 70104
This jacket built with room to be worn over a motorcycle jacket.
Click to expand...

This is the rain jacket it seems.

What I meant was that I never heard of dryer activation for a Goretex product. I own a Klim Kodiak pant which has a Goretex pro shell; came back from two days of riding in heavy downpour, and my legs were bone dry.

There were no dryer activation instructions.
 
You get what you pay for.
 
kurtrules said:
This is the rain jacket it seems.

What I meant was that I never heard of dryer activation for a Goretex product. I own a Klim Kodiak pant which has a Goretex pro shell; came back from two days of riding in heavy downpour, and my legs were bone dry.

There were no dryer activation instructions.
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Activation is a bit misleading. The garment cones ready to go - no activation required.

Over time, the DWR coating on the surface degrades. When small wet blotches appear, a 20 minute heat cycle in a dryer will rejuvenate the DWR. This can be done 2 or 3 times over the life of the garment.

If your care label does not mention the heat cycle, you have a later version of the fabric that cannot be rejuvenated with heat.
 
Umm Mike my post says they don't breathe
I rode with mesh jackets and truly rain proof PVC over jackets.
Down side with those .....they don't breathe. Upside...they are inexpensive and very durable. They pack down very small.
View attachment 70104
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I also don't think dollars alone guarantees quality or durability.
My Airglide 3 mesh have worn wonderfully over many years and many thousands of kilometers. The more expensive Rev'it mesh busted in 6 months ( promptly replaced ). My original Joe Rocket shortie mesh jacket going on 4 decades old has stood up extremely well over the years. I did change the armour.
 
MacDoc said:
Umm Mike my post says they don't breathe
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My bad, I read that the yellow pic was your first Goretex.
MacDoc said:
I also don't think dollars alone guarantees quality or durability.
My Airglide 3 mesh have worn wonderfully over many years and many thousands of kilometers. The more expensive Rev'it mesh busted in 6 months ( promptly replaced ). My original Joe Rocket shortie mesh jacket going on 4 decades old has stood up extremely well over the years. I did change the armour.
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Brand is usually a good measure… but not always, big brands make big mistakes too.

I remember back in 2015 Klims high-end Badlands jackets changed to hi-vis. The material had worked fine on Klims snowmobile jackets, so they used it on summer motorcycle jackets. They overlooked UV stabilization (not needed for winter wear) so the summer sun UV faded the jackets badly. Blacks went grey and the yellow high viz lost its brilliance -- 1 year old jackets looked 10 years old.

After 2 years they learned and began to use UV protectant on their motorcycle jackets.

Kinda sad if you bought an $800 Badlands jacket in 2015 .
 
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MacDoc said:
The jacket is perfectly dry and I'm just wondering do I really need to do that dryer activation??
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I read about that but I never used that recommendation.

I coat my KLIM Latitude jacket using Shout which is much cheaper than using those ultra-expensive "specialty" products and let it sit for a half hour. Then I soak it and agitate it in the laundry tub, rinse several times and spin it in the washer. While wet, I spray it with Revivex (recommneded by Gore Tex).

I've been in heavy monsoon rain for well over an hour and I am dry.
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