By The Numbers: Testing the Performance of Mountain Hardwear AirMesh Garments

[Bill Budney]

Scott, Stephen: Thanks.

It would be great if we could all contribute useful data to a common collection point. Finding tests that can be reproduced reliably seems to be the tricky part. Still, it makes some sense to try.

[Scott Emmens]

Thanks Stephen, this is great info.

I did wonder about wearing the sensor against my skin. Surely the pressure just inside the WPB fabric needs to be higher than the outside too, not just at skin level?

I will use a HR monitor in the future for sure. This was just a quick tester, as I mentioned the weather has been way too hot to be wearing anything but a tee recently.

I’ll be sure to report back once the weather changes sufficiently .

Thanks again, Scott

 

[Stephen Seeber]

Hi Scott:

And YES I am saying that climate plays a role in WPB performance. 

That is correct.  Climate absolutely plays a role.  As the ambient temperature and humidity approach the temperature and humidity next to your skin, the pressure to move vapor from your skin through your clothes to the ambient diminishes until the vapor does not move at all.  When the resistance to vapor transfer of your clothing system is more than the vapor pressure difference between your skin and the ambient, no vapor will move to the ambient.  Your skin and clothes will get even wetter.  That is what is happening to your customers.  The higher the garment MVTR, the lower the resistance to vapor transfer, but there will always be a set of conditions where the vapor won’t escape.  You cannot guarantee your customers that your product will always keep them dry.  You can guarantee that it will outperform garments with lower MVTR.  You can stress using ventilation such as the main zip, pit zips, and other ventilation methods.  But your buyers must understand that at some point, they must reduce their activity or modify their layers.  Even when naked, environmental conditions can prevent the evaporation of sweat if the temperature and humidity are high enough.

High MVTR can increase your comfort range but cannot guarantee you will always be dry, no matter what Gore claims.  What are Gore’s claims.  Here they are:

I am not an attorney, but to my reading, this guarantee does not promise you will be dry.  It promises that your purchase price will be refunded for performance that does not satisfy you, such as poor breathability.  I wonder what would happen if I sent in any of my extensive collection of Gore products that have let me down due to poor breathability?  Actually, the answer is nothing.  The guarantee requires submitting the original purchase receipt, so I don’t qualify. I did not save them. If you purchase a Gore product, be sure to save your receipt for use after a rainstorm on a warm, steamy day or even a cold day when you are working too hard.

[Scott Emmens]

Thanks for that Stephen.

For me my comment about the Gore promise is less about the actual guarantee and more about the words “Guaranteed to keep you Dry” I believe most consumers take that at face value so when they experience any moisture on the inside they are no longer dry so think the product is faulty or has failed. Very few people take the time to read long winded guarantees.

When I worked for Kathmandu in 2005/6 and was the buyer for Gore products they were a pedantic nightmare to deal with BUT they had very high standards which I think changed how all WPB garments were constructed, for the better. BUT those words now taunt all WPB fabric garments. I also believe they have a role to play in the ongoing attitude that it is bad, even detrimental, to clean WPB garments. Of course I am only speaking of my experience here in New Zealand, perhaps consumers in the States are better educated when it comes to laundering their garments?

 

Cheers, Scott

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