Building on the successful introduction of the THERMIUM® insulation technology end of 2019, several customers of W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) have presented their collection for defence and law enforcement end-use. This innovative insulation technology THERMIUM® adds warmth and maintains the footwear’s agility and offers thermal comfort in an even broader range of temperatures. Built into winter, summer or all-season GORE-TEX footwear, it always delivers thermal protection without adding bulk, or compromising mobility and breathability. More information on https://www.goretexprofessional.com/uk/technologies/gore-tex-thermium

Tactical boots are worn for long periods outdoors and often in harsh conditions. They must therefore be durable waterproof and breathable. They also need excellent insulation to keep feet safe, warm, dry, and comfortable in cold environments. Gore´s technology features patented thermal mapping: The ultra-thin, noncompressible insulation is strategically placed in temperature-critical areas of the foot. The result is outstanding heat retention without the bulk and weight associated with insulation.

“The introduction of the newest generations of tactical boots by our partners HAIX, YDS, AKU and Altama/Original puts THERMIUM® insulation technology onto the market for combat GORE-TEX boots with a variety of brands, models, designs and specifications”, says Martin Pfister, Product Specialist at Gore Footwear for professional end-use. “What they all have in common is the high-performance technology for best user experience, comfort and functionality”.

A new boot with high-tech insulation

THERMIUM® insulation is built upon a unique combination of PTFE and silica aerogel, the world’s best solid thermal insulator. This revolutionary material offers thermal comfort on a new level, because it is ultra-thin, low bulk and noncompressible. THERMIUM® insulation which has a special composition, is the first insulation that can be used outside of the waterproof membrane and enables high insulation performance even in a wet environment. It is only 1.7 millimetres thick and integrates easily and seamlessly into existing designs without affecting the shape, agility, or breathability of the boot. Strategically placed in the boot, and combined with the GORE-TEX lining, results in durably waterproof and highly breathable boots that bring additional thermal comfort to defence personnel during their missions in temperate and cold conditions.

At a glance, THERMIUM® insulation technology delivers:

• Enhanced insulation technology that improves cold climate comfort 
• Enduring comfort and protection across an extended range of temperatures 
• Hydrophobic properties, enable consistent insulation in wet and dry conditions 
• Continuous versatility, enabling customization through various shapes, layers, and designs 
• Seamless integration into existing manufacturing processes

Gore revolutionized the outerwear industry with waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX fabric 40 years ago and remains a leading innovator of performance apparel. Gore fabrics products provide comfort and protection in challenging environments and in everyday life, enabling wearers to safely and confidently achieve and experience more. From hiking in downpours to military operations and fighting fires, Gore’s deep understanding of consumer and industry needs drives development of products with meaningful performance advantages. https://www.goretexprofessional.com/uk

Military missions can be rough. Soldiers must run, climb, crawl, or operate weapons in any weather and often with limited space. They must be able to rely on their equipment, including their clothing. Gore research found that lower thermal burden and greater freedom of movement are two of the top user requirements. So far, however, these where barely compatible with other key demands, such as maximum protection and durability.

Traditionally, a three-layer GORE-TEX product technology has delivered reliable protection from any weather and has provided resistance to contamination. Conventional stretch textiles, on the other hand, do give a lot of mobility and comfort, but they are too heavy and not as durable as they could be. They also tend to have high water pick-up.

Opposite to conventional stretch fabrics, where elastic components are placed in the face fabric, the new GORE-TEX stretch product technology, uses a completely different approach: elastic components are placed between a stretch PTFE membrane and robust polyamide face fabrics. The result is that the stretchability of up to 20% allows garment designs with a more tailored fit. Tighter fitting leads to reduced air gaps between the body and the outer shell and thus increased breathability by up to 25% as compared to current GORE-TEX rain suits.

“Our new stretch rain suit for use in defence is the first on the market to successfully deliver a unique and high-performance laminate combining the best of both textiles. Durable waterproofness and high breathability paired with more freedom of movement and a reduced thermal burden” says Oliver Opitz, Product Specialist for Defence at Gore. “Members of defence forces benefit from soft, elastic and noise-reduced clothing, while the new close fit of the fabric offers less restrictions in movement, and the high flexibility of the stretch material leads to reduced air gaps, which is why it allows a close fit for the combat clothing”.

Temperature compensation

No matter how long or intense the mission, the GORE-TEX stretch rain adapts quickly to all movements of the soldier. Besides the significant improvement in temperature compensation, the design allows for great comfort and easy combination with other ballistic protection without limiting mobility. Gore’s unique combination of innovative material technologies, modern, adaptive design, and focus on end-user needs has produced a new generation of clothing for defence forces that offers durable protection and comfort in extreme weather situations.

“With GORE-TEX Stretch rain suit, we are proud to offer soldiers a great wearing-experience,” says Oliver Opitz.

Gore revolutionized the outerwear industry with waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX fabric 40 years ago and remains a leading innovator of performance apparel. Gore fabrics products provide comfort and protection in challenging environments and in everyday life, enabling wearers to safely and confidently achieve and experience more. From hiking in downpours to military operations and fighting fires, Gore’s deep understanding of consumer and industry needs drives development of products with meaningful performance advantages. https://www.goretexprofessional.com/uk

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W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) has announced the launch of the first GORE-TEX stretch fabric technology for application in defence rain suits. The new product technology is a successful combination of a durable hardshell fabric with highly breathable stretch components. This technological breakthrough reduces thermal burden for the soldier and gives at the same time, maximum freedom of movement. Watch the video to learn more about GORE-TEX stretch fabric technology English or French

GORE-TEX products for professional use are valued globally for their high quality and durable performance. The design and manufacture of membranes, laminates and seam sealing tapes ensure that technical garments, footwear and gloves have the durability to survive the harshest working conditions and meet or exceed required standards for first responders, technical rescue, firefighters or defense personnel. To certify a product's functionality over time, rigorous scientific tests are performed in the GORE-TEX labs around the world. Now, for the first time in the brand’s history, visitors can walk virtually 24/7/365 through the company-own test labs physically located in the US and Germany and learn about the different test methods in a 360° view.

Next to the Biophysics Lab, the Environmental Chamber and the Gore Rain Tower, visitors can take a digital tour through the Heat & Flame lab, the Durability Testing & Analysis lab as well as the footwear, gloves and textile labs including the Garment Center. The virtual experience consists of 20 lab rooms and 97 highlighted test apparatus spanning from waterproofness and breathability to flame resistance and comfort science test methods. The virtual labs are accessible through the new GORE-TEX Professional website https://www.goretexprofessional.com/uk/about-us/quality-and-testing/virtual-lab-tour

“We’re excited to educate customers and end-users about how we test GORE-TEX products. Typically, we bring them to our labs in the US and Germany and give them a guided tour. Due to the pandemic situation, physical access to our labs is restricted and so we wanted to bring the labs to our guests virtually. They can now walk virtually from our labs located in Germany to those in the US within seconds, something impossible in real life”, comments Andreas Pollak, GORE-TEX Professional Global Marketing Leader.

FACTS & FIGURES ABOUT THE GORE-TEX VIRTUAL LAB

20 lab rooms accessible virtually, 97 highlighted test stations

• Footwear Lab: 7 test stations, incl. Footwear Breathability Test, Bottle Test, Wicking Test, Gore Centrifuge Test and Gore Walking Simulator
• Gloves Lab: 8 test stations incl. Liner Retention test, Water Vapour Permeability Test, Whole Glove Breathability and Whole Glove Leak Test
• Textile Lab: 19 test stations incl. Tensile and Tear Testing, IR-Spectrophotometer, Shrinkage Behavior, Weight measurement, Visual Colour Matching, Wicking Test and Oil Repellency Test
• Wet Lab: 5 test stations, incl. Water Repellency Bundesmann Test, Durability Test and Colour Fastness/Washing and Perspiration test
• Garment Center: 8 highlight stations, incl. concept garment, seam sealing, Waterproof vs. Non-waterproof construction, and construction folder
• Rain Room: 2 test stations, style approval and storm cube
• Durability Testing & Analysis Lab: 23 test stations, incl. Exeter Dynamic Shoe Flexibility Tester, Crumple flexer, Testex Circular Locus Tester, I-mass tester, Mace snag tester, Tear resistance Elmendorff, and Multi-finger Scratch tester
• Heat & Flame Lab: 8 test stations, incl. Cone Calorimeter, Pyrolysis Combustion Flow Calorimeter/Microscale Combustion Calorimeter, and Vertical Flame / Folded Flame
• Biophysics Lab: 17 test stations, incl. C-therm, K-Tester, Instron, Handikin, Gore Noise Analyzer (GNA) Kawabata, and Gore Environmental chamber

Gore revolutionized the outerwear industry with waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX fabric 40 years ago and remains a leading innovator of performance apparel. Gore fabrics products provide comfort and protection in challenging environments and in everyday life, enabling wearers to safely and confidently achieve and experience more. From hiking in downpours to military operations and fighting fires, Gore’s deep understanding of consumer and industry needs drives development of products with meaningful performance advantages. https://www.goretexprofessional.com/uk