OLD Gortex

[Mr. Sparky]

I have a 3o-year old Columbia rain jacket made with Gortex. I have taken care of it over the years, and it has served me very well for many miles and for in-town use with only worn velcro as a visible issue. The last time I wore it before packing it away, in heavy rain, the fabric appeared to have soaked through, but I previously never had that problem even in heavy rain. I am thinking the Gortex may finally be kaput and am going to test it to see if that is correct.

I am not one to chase the latest gear or fashions, and am on a budget. The jacket is in good shape except for this possible leak. If testing shows the Gortex is worn out, what are your thoughts on scotch-guarding it to offer some protection from drizzle and sprinkles?

Many thanks!

[Offshore]

It may not be the Gore-Tex. Most Gore-Tex garments are made with an outer DWR (durable water repellent) finish that eventually wears out, causing the garment to "wet-out". Its worth washing and drying the jacket and reapplying a DWR to see if it improves the performance. I've had luck on a North Face jacket of similar vintage washing with Nikwax Techwash followed by Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In. REI has the combo pack for $21 (http://www.rei.com/product/783563/ni...ofing-duo-pack) so worth a shot.

Washing instructions: http://www.gore-tex.com/en-us/suppor...g-instructions
Restoring DWR: http://www.gore-tex.com/en-us/suppor...ter-repellency

[Mr. Sparky]

That is helpful, thanks. I wonder how this product's function differs from scotch-guard. Seems to be the same principle, but they make work very differently. I will check it out.

[Offshore]

I'd stick with the Nikwax products designed specifically for what you want to do. I'm not sure if the Scotchguard would "seal" the fabric and not let the water vapor passing through the Gore-tex membrane (located under the outer layer) pass through the outer layer - making your Gore-tex jacket effectively the same as a rubber raincoat. Besides, Scotchguard is nasty stuff - noting I'd want to be inhaling as I was spraying a garment.

[lonehiker]

How to Restore Water Repellency





GORE-TEX® outerwear:
• Machine wash your garment as described in the wash instructions. Line dry your garment, or tumble dry it on a warm, gentle cycle.
• Once it is dry, tumble dry your garment for 20 minutes to reactivate the durable water-repellent (DWR) treatment on the outer fabric.
• If unable to tumble dry, iron the dry garment on gentle setting (warm, no steam) by placing a towel or cloth between the garment and the iron. This will help reactivate the DWR treatment on your garment’s outer fabric.
• When the factory applied treatment can no longer be reactivated, apply a new water-repellent treatment available as a pump-spray or wash-in product to the garment's outer fabric.

From the Gore-Tex website. I was going to recommend ironing the item.

[rafe]

I have some very old Goretex that I still keep around. It stopped being waterproof ages ago, but it's still somewhat useful as a windproof outer shell, on day hikes.

[Mr. Sparky]

How to Restore Water Repellency

GORE-TEX® outerwear:
• Machine wash your garment as described in the wash instructions. Line dry your garment, or tumble dry it on a warm, gentle cycle.
• Once it is dry, tumble dry your garment for 20 minutes to reactivate the durable water-repellent (DWR) treatment on the outer fabric.
• If unable to tumble dry, iron the dry garment on gentle setting (warm, no steam) by placing a towel or cloth between the garment and the iron. This will help reactivate the DWR treatment on your garment’s outer fabric.
• When the factory applied treatment can no longer be reactivated, apply a new water-repellent treatment available as a pump-spray or wash-in product to the garment's outer fabric.

From the Gore-Tex website. I was going to recommend ironing the item.

Interesting instructions from the website. Mine says to wash warm with mild soap, do not allow to spin, and hang dry. There is nothing about reactivating with dryer or iron.

[Mr. Sparky]

I'd stick with the Nikwax products designed specifically for what you want to do. I'm not sure if the Scotchguard would "seal" the fabric and not let the water vapor passing through the Gore-tex membrane (located under the outer layer) pass through the outer layer - making your Gore-tex jacket effectively the same as a rubber raincoat. Besides, Scotchguard is nasty stuff - noting I'd want to be inhaling as I was spraying a garment.

I completely understand your point. But the Nikwax has more than one bad review from people who swear they followed the directions exactly and did not get water repellency back.

[sliverstorm]

Sparky, was the inside of the jacket wet? It's normal for older Gore-Tex garments to lose the DWR and absorb water on the outside, and as you guys have discussed DWR can be restored. However, before you spend the money on DWR treatment, note that if the inside of the jacket was soaking (and not just clammy from the cold) the Gore-Tex has failed and no amount of DWR will make it waterproof again.

[Mr. Sparky]

Sparky, was the inside of the jacket wet?

I am not sure -- it was a while ago and I recall it being wet on inside, but it could have been due to the way I was using it in a torrential downpour. It will need to be tested. I have washed and dried it, and then the exterior soaked up water on the outside. Your point is a good one.

[Venchka]

Rainy Pass in Seattle (online-mail your stuff to/from their shop) specializes in all sorts of fabric gear. Talk to them about bringing your Gore gear up to specs. they do sleeping bags too.

Wayne

[RockDoc]

It's probably a lost cause. You're better off with Frogg Toggs, for a fraction of the price...
Goretex has been through many generations. The early stuff was notorious for leaking.