Printable View
Some Gortex fabric is available locally. Lookin at it, it does not look very substantial as far as being water-proof. It is from a U.S. manufacturer, and is unquestionably the real thing.
Is Gortex used as a single outer layer, or, is there another barrier layer which is required underneath the outer Gortex to make it completely water-proof?
It's weight seems like it would be a great tarp material.
Why would you need breathability in a tarp?
Gortex is more than twice as heavy as 30D silnylon and packs much larger.
You could make two silnylon tarps or three PU coated tarps for the price of a Gortex tarp.
Maybe I'm missing something though.
From my memory Gortex is a single layer system for waterproof breathability. I would be thinking under cover protecter or a pack cover.
I believe Gore-Tex is simply the membrane laminated to the fabric. You could have nylon, polyester, or whatever. I've never been a "believer" in that stuff. You can make water vapor pass through it in a lab but under real world conditions it just doesn't hold up. Pit zips or other ventilation in a waterproof garment are cheaper and more effective.
Gore-Tex is actually a multi-layer material, from my understanding (note that this may be wrong; I've not researched the material really in-depth).
There are a minimum of two layers: the facing fabric (usually polyester or nylon) and the membrane itself. Then, there is usually another layer on the "interior" of the material (the part that is used on the inside of clothing made with Gore-Tex); this is usually another piece of poly or nylon on "3-layer" Gore-Tex. If not (the "2-layer" stuff), you'll need to sew a lining fabric to the inside of the fabric to prevent abrasion deterioration of the fabric against your body in fabric applications. Not sure if that's true for a tarp, though.
That being said, tarps don't really have to be brethable. If you were going to make a waterproof sock, it might be worth looking at. However, a tarp doesn't really need to be breathable.
As MAD777 said above, sil-nylon is cheaper by the yard and lighter; it'll function perfectly as a tarp. But, if you've got your heart set on Gor-Tex, let us know how it goes!
Thanks, that's what I thought. The fabric is labeled as Gortex, but is the woodlands camo print, and is somewhat thin, sort of like a cotton weight. It is not wind-proof. But, a quanity of it would be very cheap. It will be a future project.Quote:
Originally Posted by FLRider
The gore-tex membrane can and will rub off if not protected. I wouldn't use it for a tarp or a sock because of that. I think stuffing it away time after time could destroy that very fragile membrane and make you tarp a shower head in a rain storm and your sock less than ideal. I have a bivy bag made from 3 layer gore Tex and it's not waterproof anymore after just 1 season (winter camping).
Thanks, very interesting.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pag
Gore tex is available in 3 different types. 2 layer, 2.5 layer and 3 layer. All of these use a WPB membrane where they differ is whither they have the inner protective layer and a outer layer of nylon or polyester.