Inside Outdoor Fall 2017

According to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, that exercise – which ran from August 21 to August 31 – focused on preparing U.S. forces to defend South Korea and allies in that region. This event involved about 17,500 U.S. service members supported by United Nations Command forces from seven nations – Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. That’s a lot of personnel, and the uniforms worn in that type of environment must breathe and be durably water resistant as well as mil- dew resistant, and quick dry, in addition to no-melt, no-drip and antimicrobial. About three years ago the U.S. DoD determined the standard uniform cur- rently worn by U.S. soldiers around the globe as not suitable for operations in the tropics. Made from a typical nylon/ cotton blend, the current standard mili- tary uniform fabric is durable but doesn’t dry quickly or breathe particularly well. Given these limitations, the DOD is- sued a development request for a new uniform fabric suitable for hot, humid tropical climates that has the same performance characteristics an athlete would look for in a similar setting. W. L. Gore & Associates responded by developing a new ePTFE-based fiber that is now being incorpated into a new uniform material called GORE Katana Fabric. But that is just one of hundreds of such requests from the military for performance-enhancing textiles that Gore and other well-known performance brands have answered. Today, the search for the next, best battlefield material is fueling a vibrant product development crossover from sportswear to military fabrics, as evi- denced by brands such as Polartec, Pa- tagonia, Arc’teryx, Mammut and Outdoor Research introducing military issue. This can be seen at major sports industry shows such as Outdoor Retailer. Twice a year, this massive performance industry showcase at- tracts hundreds of military officials from around the globe looking for the next best thing designed to enhance athletic and battlefield performance. Many sportswear brands have begun offering entirely new lines of military apparel. While some brands are new to this arena, Gore has been at the forefront of this crossover since the early 1980s. War under any conditions can be brutal. But in 1982 during the Falklands War between the UK and Argentina, the conditions were espe- cially harsh. It was the dead of winter, cold and the 74-day conflict, which was fought in part over stormy seas, involved an amphibious assault and a sea battle that destroyed an Argentin- ian ship and led to the death of nearly 200 Argentinian sailors at sea. In the end, it turned out to be a vic- tory for Great Britain. But in addition to securing British sovereignty over the Falklands against an Argentinian inva- sion, the conflict ushered in a new era for military outerwear. It was the first time GORE-TEX fabric – which was then a revolutionary, new, lightweight waterproof, windproof, breathable fabric – was used in battle. In preparation for the invasion, British war fighters were outfitted with GORE- TEX rain jackets, parkas, trousers, biv- ouac bags and gators, worn over boots. Gear designed with the GORE- TEX fabric used during the Falklands replaced the traditional heavy, coated rain slickers that had been worn up to that point in similar conditions. It was so effective, the British soldiers who fought in that conflict quickly spread the word about GORE-TEX and its supportive capabilities in battle. From there, a vibrant new business unit at Gore took off. FALL 2017 | Inside Outdoor 21