Long time king of the outdoor fabric world, Gore-Tex has a new competitor. In the past year, eVent has been making inroads in the US market with claims that it is more breathable than Gore-Tex Pro Shell. Now it seems a third player is emerging. Clothing maker Mountain Hardwear has announced that they are partnering with the Italian company Nextec, maker of OutDry.
OutDry is a laminate much like the now famous Gore-Tex. What makes OutDry different is that the breathable membrane is directly bonded to the external layer of fabric. According to the manufacturer, this prevents water from penetrating in to the fabric. The end result is that the fabric is more breathable and keeps you warmer. As an added bonus, OutDry is manufactured using environmentally friendly, non-toxic materials.
Currently, the only products available in the US that uses OutDry are boots by Kamik, but Mountain Hardwear is expected to release several gloves using OutDry in the fall. You can find some more information about OutDry here.
[...] SnowpassX are one of the first boots we’ve run into using the new competitor to Gore-Tex, OutDry. Here’s a brief description of the product from our previous [...]