High Performance Fabrics
Mountaineering poses a lot of challenges for you to surmount. Steep slopes, uneven terrains are just some of them. In such situations, you need to stay cool, both physically and mentally. The mental aspect depends on how you deal with the situation given to you. For the physical ones, there are High Performance Fabrics.
When buying your sport wear, it is often labeled with the name of the Fabric the clothing is made of. For example Goretex®, CoolMax®, Polartec® Power Dry® etc. All these type of Fabrics have different specifications and it is very useful if you know some about it, in order for you to buy the right piece of clothing for yourself.
In this section, we have outlined the biggest patented Fabrics to help you to make the right choice.
Base Layer Fabrics
CoolMax®
CoolMax®, made by Dupont, is a High-Performance Fabric that can help the athletic Performance of the people who wear it. CoolMax® moves sweat away from the body to the outer layer of the Fabric, where it dries faster than any other Fabric. In moisture management tests, garments made with CoolMax ® dried almost completely in 30 minutes. Cotton, by comparison, remained wet by nearly 50%.
Sweat saps your strength. Better evaporation means you spend less energy to cool your body, which increases your Performance and endurance. And because CoolMax® has better breathability, nothing's more comfortable to wear. Look for CoolMax® in shirts, socks, running tights, bodywear, sports bras, even career apparel. Not to mention, in the wardrobes of some of the world's premier athletes.
Polartec® Power Dry®
Polartec® Power Dry® keeps skin dry. Dries quickly. Very breathable base layer for all activities.
Polartec® Power Dry® Fabrics are designed to keep your skin dry when you sweat. All Fabrics in this series feature a patented bi-component knit construction that uses different yarns on either side of the Fabric. This creates two different surfaces: one that is optimized to move moisture away from the skin, the other to dry quickly.
How does it work? Moisture and high relative humidity next to the skin cause discomfort. Polartec® Power Dry® keeps the skin dry through three complementary mechanisms:
- The Fabric is very breathable and does not restrict the movement of moisture vapor.
- The brushed inner surface creates many "touch points" that feel good on the skin and draw off the sweat. Sweat is wicked off the skin to the outside of the Fabric, where it spreads rapidly for evaporation. Polartec® Power Dry® Fabrics move at least 30% more moisture away from the skin than all other Fabrics.
- When the sweat reaches the outside of the Fabric, it spreads out to many times its original surface area, enabling it to dry at least 2 times faster than cotton. This minimizes conductive heat loss in cold weather and provides a cooling effect when exercising in warmer weather.
A high sun protection factor is available on most Fabrics in this series. Polartec® Power Dry® Fabrics are 100% polyester, highly breathable, and are ideal as the base layer for all outdoor sports, either as underwear or technical shirting.
Technical Highlights
- Patented bi-component construction keeps your skin dry when you sweat
- Very breathable to provide comfort in all activities; does not restrict the movement of moisture vapor
- Dries quickly to minimize heat loss
- Provides very good sun protection (UPF 15)* even when wet
- Soft surface next to skin provides all-day comfort
- Machine washable
Patagonia Capilene®
The beauty of Capilene® Fabric is that it's made of polar opposites: water-hating and water-loving fibers. This unlikely combination is why Capilene provides superior wicking and quick-drying Performance.
Since the water-loving surface area of the Capilene® fiber draws moisture away from your skin, you stay dry and comfortable. The core of the fiber, however, repels water, so moisture is forced to disperse (rather than be absorbed). This spreading out of moisture increases the speed and effectiveness of its eventual evaporation, allowing the moisture to dissipate into the surrounding air or into outer layers. The result is dry comfort in a wide range of temperatures and activities.
Helly Hansen LIFA
LIFA is a base layer that transports moisture away from the body. It uses polypropylene yarn which is hydrophobic so, as well as moving moisture, it maintains a dry layer next to the skin. To be most efficient, LIFA should be worn next to the skin as part of the Layering System.
Unlike cotton or wool, polypropylene does not absorb moisture. Polypropylene is more efficient than other synthetic fibres at transporting moisture. The result? You stay drier.
LIFA:
- has elastic knit constructions for unrestricted freedom of movement
- has a close to body fit, retains its shape and will not pill, even after repeated washing
- dries quickly, so your body stays dry and comfortable
- is soft to touch, and soft on the skin
- is resistant to bacteria so it does not retain odour
- is available in three different weights - Sport, Active, Prowool - to meet different Performance needs, in different climates
Insulation Fabrics
Polartec Classics™
Polartec® Classic 100™, Classic 200™, and Classic 300™ Fabrics are the reference standard for lightweight warmth and breathability. These Fabrics have been the primary insulation layer of choice among experienced outdoor enthusiasts for nearly two decades.
The 100% polyester velour construction creates air pockets that trap air and retain body heat. Unlike less expensive fleece Fabrics, Polartec® Classics maintain their insulating ability and non-pilling appearance after repeated laundering.
These Fabrics are available in a range of weights to provide the right level of insulation for most outdoor activities. Polartec® Classic 100™ Fabrics are the lightest weight and are excellent for a warm first layer or lightweight sweater. Polartec® Classic 300™ Fabrics are the heaviest and provide a warm thermal layer for very cold outdoor activities. Halfway in between are Polartec® Classic 200™ Fabrics, providing outstanding warmth and versatility.
Polartec® Classics include over 90 styles of Fabrics available in hundreds of colors, patterns, and prints. Many styles are also available with a water-repellent surface that sheds rain and snow. The Polartec® Classics™ provide not only outstanding warmth without weight, but are breathable and durable, dry quickly, and are great styling options for virtually every end use.
Technical Highlights
- Provides warmth without the weight and bulk of traditional insulating Fabrics
- Very breathable to provide comfort in all activities; does not restrict the movement of moisture vapor
- For water-repellent styles, surface sheds rain and snow
- Dries quickly to minimize heat loss
- Durable; will outlast other fleece Fabrics
- Machine washable
- Versatile; appropriate for a broad range of activities
- Available in light, mid, and heavy weight constructions to provide a choice of insulation level
Berber™ Pile
Berber™ Fabric is made from a special blend of technical fibres each chosen for specific end results. The fibres are knitted, sheared, tumbled and by varying these processes the different textures are created.
This allows the individual fibres to retain their technical advantages - their softness, moisture transfer, resilience and their ability to trap warm air.
Windstopper®
The WINDSTOPPER® membrane is an ultra light ePTFE membrane.
The complex structure of the expanded membrane is windproof without negatively affecting breathability and comfort.
The result are truly comfortable WINDSTOPPER® garments for outdoors and indoors.
Shell Fabrics
Gore-Tex®
In 1978 Gore released the 100% waterproof membrane. The biocomponent GORE-TEX® membrane consists of is a composite of two unique materials unsurpassed in mechanical and chemical stability.
One of the two components is pure expanded PTFE which is a hydrophobic or waterproof material. Integrated in the ePTFE structure is an oleophobic, or a substance that allows moisture vapour to pass through, but is a physical barrier that prevents the penetration of contaminating substances such as oils, cosmetics etc which could affect the waterproof Performance.
Here we end our detailed discussion on the different High Performance Fabrics. In sum, you would be needing clothing made of the materials mentioned above to ensure you of maximum breathability and of superior moisture-wicking capability. Otherwise, it could lead to Hypothermia which is common in very cold regions. So shop for clothing made of High Performance Fabrics the next time you plan on embarking on a Mountaineering trip.
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