It’s a routine we are all familiar with. Go to the closet and choose a garment. Wear the garment for the day, and then throw it into the dirty clothes hamper. Gather all the dirty clothes in the hamper and sort them by color. Wash and dry the clothes. Hang them back up in the closet. Repeat the routine.

This routine is good for most clothes, but not for your Gore-Tex jacket or rain pants. Nor is this routine appropriate for hiking and backpacking clothes made of other technical fabrics. Here are some examples of technical fabrics that need special attention:

Gore-Tex,
eVent,
Wicking fabrics,
Wool,
Fleece,
Soft shell fabrics.

The instructions below apply not only to your Gore-Tex Jacket, but to all of the above technical fabrics.

TECHNICAL FABRICS TAKE SPECIAL CARE

Technical fabrics like Gore-Tex and wool require specialized washing care. To wash a particular garment made of a technical fabric, follow the specific instructions given on the labels and other information included with the purchase. That’s the best advice I can give. But in addition, here are some general principles that may help you keep your expensive rain gear and other specialized clothing in top working condition for a good long time:

What to Avoid:

Dry cleaning. It will damage the fabric.

Chlorine bleach. This too is not good for technical fabrics.

Regular detergents bought at Walmart or your grocery store. These leave residues that can clog the minute pores that give your fabric breathability. Instead, shell out the cash for one of these specialized cleaning products: Sport-Wash , Granger’s, Nikwax, ReviveX. Your immediate investment will give you savings in the future. If you do not have access to these products, buy and use a grocery-store detergent labeled with “clear” or “free”.

Dryer sheets or other fabric softeners. They, like regular detergents can diminish the breathability and wicking properties of your technical fabrics.

Steps in washing Your Gore-Tex Jacket:

1. Treat stains or oil spots with a prewash product, if the manufacturer’s instructions permit it. Shout or Spray ‘n’ Wash should be OK. Do this pretreatment as quickly as you can – especially with synthetic fabrics such as nylon or polyester.

2. Empty all pockets. Then, close all zippers and snaps, and batten down all flaps. Doing these things will help prevent damage to the fabric.

3. Turn your garment inside out.

4. Wash your garment in a front loading washing machine or by hand with warm water. Do not use a top loading machine. The agitator might snag the fabric and damage it. Wash heavily soiled garments separately from other garments.

5. Rinse twice. You want to restore breathability or wicking ability by making sure all of the cleaning product has been removed from the fabric.

6. Hang your garment out to dry. Do not use a dryer.

WASHING FREQUENCY

Most manufacturers recommend washing garments made of technical fabrics on a regular basis, at least once a year. You should be able to get several dozen washings before significantly losing breathability or moisture protection.

Buy quality and treat it right.

by Richard Davidian, Ph.D.

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Outdoors and Hiking Tips

It’s been a beautiful day in the high country. The sun is descending to the horizon. You’re pressing with a determined drive to your next campsite, racing the approaching darkness. Breezes cool your sweaty body – nice.

But, as minutes pass your pleasant cool sensation turns to a distressing chill, and you begin to shake. You’re at risk for hypothermia. You put on your windbreaker, but the shaking continues.

Are you wearing cotton next to your skin? Bad idea.

COTTON KILLS

You see, cotton absorbs the sweat that your struggling body has been producing, but instead of transporting it away, it retains the moisture dangerously against your skin. This is a recipe for potentially-deadly hypothermia.

THINK WICKING, THINK SYNTHETIC

When you light a candle, the wax at the top begins to melt and turn to liquid. The flame draws this liquid wax up through the wick to be burned and transformed to light.

Certain fabrics do the same with moisture produced by your body when strenuously hiking or backpacking. These wicking fabrics draw the moisture away from your skin and keep you dry.

Cotton is not one of these fabrics. Again, for this reason, don’t wear cotton next to your skin. Instead, wear synthetic fabrics or natural fabrics like merino wool next to your body when you hike. These fabrics have wicking properties and will, unlike cotton, keep your body dry and healthy.

Some fabrics to look for are polypropylene, nylon or polyester. Merino wool is also excellent for wicking away moisture from your skin.

Remember, cotton kills. Switch to synthetic or natural fabrics that wick away moisture.

Stay healthy. Hike safe.

by Richard Davidian, Ph.D.

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Good article. You are right in that many people I meet don’t put a lot of thoughts into their socks.

I have had better success with one layer of thin wool socks with occasional moleskin, than I have had with any two layers of socks, even though that’s the way I did it 25 years ago. That’s just me.

Everyone has something that works for them. I suggest trying different combinations on shorter hikes before ending up a day into a multi-day trip with blisters.

Derek (100 Peaks)

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