Black Packing Light
  • Sections
  • Today’s Features
  • Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • Home
  • Email Newsletter
  • Membership Info
  • Articles
    • Recent Features
    • Gear Reviews
    • State of the Market Reports
    • Gear Guides
    • Gear Lists
    • Skills & Techniques
    • MYOG
    • Science, Technology & Testing
    • Stories
    • Calendar
  • Education
    • Podcast
    • Webinars
    • Masterclasses
    • Online Courses
    • Guided Treks
    • Education Portal
  • Forums
    • Forum Index
    • Recent Forum Posts
    • Gear Forums
    • Gear Swap (Buy/Sell)
  • Gear Recommendations
  • Gear Deals

Backpacking Light

Pack less. Be more.

You are here: Home / Gear Reviews / Performance Gear Reviews / Pertex/Pile History and Products

Pertex/Pile History and Products

by Chris Townsend on September 30, 2008 Performance Gear Reviews

Enjoy this free preview of Members-only content.
Login or Subscribe to see it all.

Pertex/Pile products were born in the wet cold of the British hills, way back in the late 1970s. Mountaineer and gear designer Hamish Hamilton, famous in the British camping world for creating the distinctive orange double-A pole Vango Force 10 tents that took tent design to a new level in the 1960s, became intrigued by the possibilities of a nylon fabric. Moisture was drawn along the fibers of the nylon by capillary action, so it could spread out and evaporate quickly. Hamilton worked with Perseverance Mills in Northern England to develop such a nylon, which was named Pertex. (Since 2005, Pertex has been owned by Japanese company Mitsui.) Initially, Hamilton used Pertex as a shell fabric for sleeping bags made from a shaggy fabric called fiber-pile, making them windproof and water-resistant. He soon realized, though, that the combination of Pertex and pile could be used for shell clothing.

Unlike other designers, Hamilton was looking at shells from the point of view of comfort rather than waterproofing, on the basis that in heavy rain, nothing will keep you totally dry, and thought that Pertex/pile clothing would wick moisture rapidly, insulate well, keep wind out, shed all but the heaviest rain, and dry fast. The result was the first Pertex/Pile garment, the Mountain Shirt, made and marketed by Hamilton's company Buffalo Systems (http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk). At the time, Hamilton's approach was off the wall and radical. Every outdoor clothing designer assumed that the main purpose of shell clothing was to keep all rain out with the escape of moisture vapor as an important but secondary consideration. Concentrating on removing moisture vapor and putting breathability above waterproofness was a startling idea. Unsurprisingly, it took some time to be accepted at all, and it has never become mainstream. Sealed barrier rain clothing is still the norm. However, soft shell clothing adopts the same approach as that worked out by Hamish Hamilton thirty years ago. Indeed, Buffalo Pertex/Pile clothing can be seen as the original soft shell, developed long before that term first appeared. In Britain, the system was soon being used by many mountaineers for winter climbing both in the UK hills and abroad in the Alps, Himalayas, and other ranges. Since then, it has caught on for a variety of activities from mountain biking to yachting and is used by mountain rescue teams and other emergency services.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

  • BACKGROUND & HISTORY
  • THE THEORY
  • THE FABRICS
  • THE PRODUCTS & DESIGNS
  • Sleeping Bags
  • Clothing
  • The Performance
  • What's Good
  • What's Not-so-Good
  • Conclusion

# WORDS: 3060
# PHOTOS: 8

--- end of free preview ---

To read the rest of the article, please Login or Subscribe.

Access to the rest of the content on this page
requires either a Premium or Unlimited Membership.

Subscribe

Your membership fees have helped sustain the creation and curation of quality information, education, and community at backpackinglight.com since 2001.


Get ultralight backpacking skills, gear info, philosophy, news, and more.


Want outdoor gear and skills info you can really trust?

Get our Handbook - the resource you need to make intelligent decisions about gear, safety, comfort, and pack weight.


Today's Gear Deals

Guide’s Gear Recommendations

Find out what gear our guides recommend if you want lightweight gear that is durable and versatile.

guide's gear logo

Gear Recommendations

  • Publisher’s Gear Guide
  • Staff Picks
  • Guide’s Gear Recommendations
  • Our Lightweight Gear Recommendations for REI Members
  • Today’s Gear Deals
  • Search for Gear on Sale

Subscribe Right Now

Receive new Members-only content, gain access to 2,000+ articles in the archives, and become a part of the most passionate community of backpacking experts in the world.
Subscribe Now
  • Backpacking Gear Reviews
  • Backpacking Skills
  • Backpacking Trips
  • Backpacking & Outdoor News
  • Outdoor Recreation Science & Technology
  • Backpacking Courses, Webinars & Other Events

Follow Us

Get outdoor skills and gear info you can trust.

Download the Backpacking Light Handbook to help you make intelligent decisions about gear, skills, ultralight philosophy, and reducing your pack weight.

Join Now: Support fair and objective product reviews.

Something for everyone: Basic, Premium, and Unlimited Membership options available.

View Subscription Options

More @ Backpacking Light

  • About Us
  • Jobs
  • Advertise with Us
  • Write for Us
  • Submit a Product for Review
  • Diversity Grants
  • Help / Support / Contact
  • Terms & Policies

Call Us

Membership Sales & Support: 406-640-HIKE (406-640-4453) | About

© Copyright 2001-2021 BEARTOOTH MEDIA GROUP, INC. | U.S. Library of Congress Serial Registration ISSN 1537-0364
BACKPACKING LIGHT® and the FEATHER/MOUNTAIN icon are registered trademarks granted for exclusive use to Beartooth Media Group, Inc. Subscribe here.

  • Subscribe
  • Log In
  • My Account
  • Forum Profile
  • Private Messages
  • Newsletters
  • My Course Enrollments
  • Unlimited Membership Portal
  • Help / Support / Contact