I got invited up to the Gore-tex headquarters for a few days in Delaware with some other gear experts and I landed not really knowing what to expect. Now that I’ve peeked under the microscope a bit, I see that this is more than just a brand label plunked on fabric that turns into a jacket from North Face or Marmot or ski gloves from Spyder. There is some serious research going into this stuff.

First of all, I realize now that I didn’t even understand the fabric itself. It’s made from woven polymers that are manipulated (under heat) to to provide different qualities depending on need. The Gore-tex outerwear division is just part of the business. This company makes medical stents, naval ropes, spacesuits, and parts for fuel cells—just for starters. There are some serious science geeks in the building. They’ve got parts on Mars from the first mission landing that are still functioning.

The photo at the top is just a random sampling of fibers in their different form—fibers whose main raw material ingredient is flouride. Who knew? They also developed Glide dental floss.

The shots at the bottom are just a few items that use material from Gore. Combat, space, mountain biking, whatever. This is not just fancy marketing. I’ll give the tried-out lowdown on some specific products later. Stay tuned by subscribing to our blog feed.