Gear Review

Does GoreTex really work?

I’ll admit to some nerdy tendencies and let it be known that I keep a pretty detailed training and “fun log”. It keeps me informed about my training while providing some motivation to fill in each day’s square with what I did, training time, intensity, etc…  Things have seemed pretty busy this year in terms of being out, so I looked. Sure enough, of our 243 days this year, I have been in the mountains for 220 of them. This is consistent with the last 20 years of my life. LOTS of time in the mountains.

This seems a good foundation for figuring out what gear really work and what does not. Our Gear Reviews have been tremendously popular and the traffic I see on these posts inspires me to keep the Gear Review momentum going. So, in the coming entries I will be randomly choosing items we use that function perfectly, or little things I have discovered that make life working/playing in the mountains run smoothly. Gear is obviously really important for my work and comfort so careful thought needs to go into decisions about what to use.

Pouring rain and high exertion. Gore-Tex works.

1st up, GoreTex.

If you would have asked me, “What sort of rain jacket do you use?” three years ago, I would have mentioned whatever soft shell, water resistant, alpine jacket I was using at the time. I am from California, rain was something I either didn’t experience much of or I quickly passed through on my way to higher elevations to where it was snowing. “Crunchy” shells were not something I needed, I was spoiled.

But now, living in Europe, I get to experience rain. And after having just spent two weeks in Iceland I came to realize Gore-Tex works and it works quite well. We were actually doing a photo shoot for Gore and were provided with numerous pairs of boots and jackets from all the different companies they partner with; from Mammut to Adidas to Scott to La Sportiva.

When it rains in Iceland it is often a fine spray which is far more soaking than a downpour. We were in it each day, wrapped in GoreTex from head to toe, hiking steep peaks and exerting energy within the material. Bone dry is a safe assessment of what we found inside our shells. In fact it worked so well that being in the rain was a non-issue, it was just what we did. Ironically, this was the point of the photos and it turned out to be true.

What one wears underneath the GoreTex membrane is very important – don’t wear too much and do wear the right materials. For us, we all wore thin, synthetic base layers with a mid-weight fleece of our choice on top. We stayed warm and dry. For socks, wool seems superior and the consensus is that Smartwool makes the best. It is amazing that Smartwool socks do not smell.

Back home now in the Dolomites, I have incorporated a thin Gore Bike Wear jacket into my wardrobe, it goes on every outing, both running and mountain biking. With zip off sleeves to turn it into a vest, it is undoubtedly one of the best pieces I own.

Another small item I have found to be fantastic is the Gore windstopper headband. I have long been a fan of headbands as they seem to regulate the body temp best. But the windstop material’s overlooked feature is the quiet that it provides. It dampens the sound of the aggravating wind, put it on and enjoy quiet much like noise dampening headphones on an airplane. Also available in beanie hats  - must haves in my opinion.

Finally, footwear. For me, GoreTex on my feet is a mixed blessing. I have hot feet, really hot. So, unless it is cold out, my feet don’t want to be wrapped in any additional membrane. In the cold and wet of Iceland, GoreTex boots worked absolutely perfectly and we trudged through mud, ankle deep creeks and had water pouring off our legs onto the tops of the boots. “Bone dry” is the right description for inside the boot.

Gaiters and Gore-Tex running shoes - good combo

I have also done a running tour in Iceland where we ran through the  same conditions. I used GoreTex shoes for this as well and found that they worked fine. But being low top, if it is seriously wet, water still gets in and they end up being soaked. To me, running shoes are the exception, if it is pouring rain and you are charging through puddles, you’ll get soaked regardless. They are like GoreTex shorts – why? If you need running shoes to stay dry in mildly wet weather and mud, then GoreTex is going to do the job. But for boots in the wet – definitely go GoreTex.

As photographers we are lucky to be given a lot of clothing to shoot photos of. Gore gave us a lot of their running and cycling stuff under the brand name Gore but not made with GoreTex. Gore Bike Wear and Gore Running Wear are a bit confusing – they are made with GoreTex, right? WRONG. It is absolutely beautifully designed performance clothing. I would consider it to be some of the best pure sport clothing I have used. The name is a bit confusing, we associate Gore with GoreTex, but in the case of the clothing lines it is not all made with the GoreTex material itself.

To summarize… I have had to learn how to work in the rain without it affecting me. The fact that I must always carry camera gear means I have a heavy pack, which forces me to figure out what gear is lightest yet still works. Gore has proven to be a great product to rely on so I can work, train and enjoy being in the mountains no matter what the weather is doing.

Gore is a company I am impressed with, not only for what they make, but for how happy their employees are and for their corporate philosophies. Malcom Gladwell’s best seller, “The Tipping Point” revealed why they make for an interesting company. PatitucciPhoto and DolomiteSport are in no way working with Gore, we simply appreciate quality – when we find it, we’ll promote it and review it.