Originally Posted by
Seattle Forrest
If a goretex jacket loses its waterproofness, send it back, because it's defective.
Hey
SF, not to disagree with you, but I am going to disagree with you
Here is what the Goretex website says on the topic:
To prevent wet out, all GORE-TEX® shell fabrics are treated with an ultra-thin treatment called DWR, a durable water repellent polymer that is applied to the outermost fabric layer. DWR penetrates the fibers and lowers the surface tension of the fabric, causing water to bead up and roll off this outer layer of fabric, instead of being absorbed.
DWR is not permanent, though. Regular wear and tear, plus exposure to dirt, detergents, insect repellent, and other impurities can shorten its lifespan. The good news is that restoring the water repellency of your GORE-TEX® shell is extremely easy.
All these fancy fabrics need to be cleaned and retreated at some point in order to maintain their "new" performance.