Goretex – how long would you expect it to stay waterproof?!

I’ve had my Gore Alp X jacket for about 3 years, have generally looked after it but not treated it with anything.

I was under the impression that the goretex should still remain waterproof even if water doesn’t bead off it as well?

A 25 min walk in the rain the other day confirms it’s quite leaky.
Should I be outraged?!

🙂 ta

In theory it should indeed remain waterproof even when not beading as its the membrane that’s the waterproof bit, not the outer fabric.
However when it stop beading, it’ll also stop breathing, so wetness from inside out is likely.

^^ thing is it wasn’t sweaty wetness more just a few random patches on my chest where the rain was seeping in…

3 years

more than likely needs washing!

They should last a while – I’ve got goretex jackets that are 10+ years old & my dad still sports one the thick end of 30years old…

The goretex membrane can be reinvigorated by a gentle spin in a low heat tumble dryer.

Goretex themselves used to guarantee their fabrics and were pretty good at repairing & replacing faulty goods using their fabric. From memory, of a company like Musto wanted to use goretex they had to send their products off to gore to be tested and certified. That was 15 + years ago when I sold high end jackets as a Saturday job. Things may have changed in the intervening years.

It has been washed and tumble dried a few times.

I doubt anyone at Gore will want to listen to my outrage though?!

more than likely needs washing!

Meant to have included this link:

https://www.gore-tex.com/support/restoring-water-repellency

of if a company like Musto wanted to use goretex they had to send their products off to gore to be tested and certified

Yes, from what I remember from working in the Outdoor Industry there were quite rigorous licencing agreements between Gore and Manufacturers who used their fabrics.

It has been washed and tumble dried a few times.

I doubt anyone at Gore will want to listen to my outrage though?!

See the link I posted!!

3 years? Blimey, you’ve done well.

I normally end up doing;

” apply a new water-repellent treatment available as a pump-spray product to the garment’s outer fabric”

within a few months on my winter cycling kit.

W L Gore are usually quite keen to hear from customers.

https://www.gore-tex.co.uk/professional/support/contact

http://outdoorindustriesassociation.co.uk/member_details.asp?member_id=118

3 years? Blimey, you’ve done well.

Exactly, I’d never expect 3 years out of a jacket, it’s generally ripped to buggery, washed to bits and just worn to death after 2 years tops*.

* I just buy Madison jackets now, and get them replaced every year or so when the stitching is damaged or zip is rough, whatever.

I have an Alp-X jacket and it’s washed pretty frequently (at least, by use, as I only wear it when the weather is truly grim). It’s about 3 years old now and still going strong. I have noticed that if I don’t wash it, it stops breathing and I get soaked on the inside from sweat, which is why I wash it quite often. Well, that and the wife refusing to have kit that is too filthy in the house… 🙂

Couple of tips: Wash it in pure soap (I use either Halo, or that proper Tech Wash stuff) and then line dry. Once dry, tumble it for 20 mins at a low heat. This reactivates the DWR coating so it will bead again.

I’ve just recently re-waterproofed it (just used the standard TX proof stuff) and then did the tumble drier process again. Good as new and still waterproof.

Well I normally destroy jackets so thought I’d try to look after this one.

It’s definitely leaking rather than not breathing. I can’t seem to find what the guarantee / warranty period is ..

Thread here (from a few years ago) talking about how Gore define the lifetime of a product. That said, they do mention a 5 year warranty, so perhaps worth a go:

https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?t=55971

…and probably start here:
http://www.goreapparel.co.uk/contact-gore

I can’t seem to find what the guarantee / warranty period is ..

A: from Gore site

Is it a lifetime guarantee?
No: It applies to waterproofness, windproofness and breathability for the useful life of the product

So ‘it depends on use, how light the fabric is, treatment and care’ etc…
3 years is good IMO for moderate use. I could trash a jacket in a year at the outdoor centre.

I’ve had a Paclite jacket for about 15 years (some years hardly used, some years full winters of MTBing or commuting), and it’s still fully waterproof just as it always was.

Couple of tips: Wash it in pure soap (I use either Halo, or that proper Tech Wash stuff) and then line dry. Once dry, tumble it for 20 mins at a low heat. This reactivates the DWR coating so it will bead again.

I sometimes wonder if this is part of a conspiracy to annoy poor schmucks like me. I do this with my jacket. Every few months. It makes water bead for about 2 uses and then it goes back to its mediocre usual self. (it was great for the first year or so)

(FWIW I’m talking about a North Face HyVent jacket, not actual Goretex)

It’s not even like it gets particularly hard use. 7-15 hours a week for about half the year, then shoved in a rucksack for the rest. Is it the rucksack?

I have never found breathable materials to last being waterproof for more than a short while and even new ones soak thru in extremis ie 10 hours of driving rain 2 folk “waterproof” trousers and jackets = soaked thru

I’m getting a little paranoid about the tumble drier advice also, I’ve always used the lowest setting on a given machine, but who defines low?

Either way, I’ve now got some localised patches of delamination on an otherwise really well looked after Arcteryx Beta AR jacket 🙁

Also agree w.r.t to DWRs, lucky to see out the length of a full day’s hiking in the rain before it goes back to just soaking in.

At the end of the day it’s all about what base layer stays comfiest when damp, and dries quickest in the bothy at the end of the day 8)

Triple post

Quadruple post 😳

I’m getting a little paranoid about the tumble drier advice also, I’ve always used the lowest setting on a given machine, but who defines low?

Well, on my dryer, the high element has burnt out, so the “low” setting is just “the setting” 🙂

No, I don’t think there’s any real official measure. On the other hand, it is only a coat and will probably be fine 🙂

I got a made to measure goretex about 25y ago and it’s still going strong. Not such an extravagance as it seemed at the time! It actually didn’t cost any more than a trendy berghaus etc but both fitted properly and had the features I wanted (like a decent hood).

They’re waterproof?!?

At the end of the day it’s all about what base layer stays comfiest when damp, and dries quickest in the bothy at the end of the day

This, so much this. Dress to get damp, that will wick and or dry out or stay warm while damp.

So many of our old trainee instructors would buy uber expensive jacket and trousers and then wear a t-shirt or cheapest, thick baselayer.

I also agree with TJ – a proper day of rain, nothing really works. I have found that some softshells under waterproofs can create a ‘damp layer – baselayers wick it out asap, outer of softshell keeps damp out and you can keep the damp out a bit longer.

When rain is truly biblical then even brand new Goretex isn’t up to the mark in my experience.

When rain is truly biblical then even brand new Goretex isn’t up to the mark in my experience.

In this case, it’s not usually the material that will let you down, or even the seams, but the holes in the material that are used to protrude legs, arms and heads. If you could ride in a GTX bag, you’d probably be ok 🙂

daern – nope – my experience is eventually the breathable material simply starts soaking thru. From the pattern of the wetness it was not just coming thru the holes and was far too much to be sweat.
I am pretty annoyed as you cannot buy high quality non breathable waterproofs anymore. I am reverting to builders oilskins so I can actually remain dry

I am reverting to builders oilskins so I can actually remain dry

and don’t forget a helmet to keep your head dry …. 🙂

Don’t need one – I have luxuriant hair!

^^^^^ 🙂 just don’t post ‘that picture’ ……