April Showers Better Bring Those Damn May Flowers!!!
When it's cold outside, and the rain turn to ice
Spring is in full swing and the drizzle looms above. We whipped up a guide to keep you dry until May’s flowers (hopefully) emerge along with sunshine and happiness.
We dive into the history of GORE-TEX® and some cracking garms using the king of textiles. We also give you a couple alternative forms of weather protection in the form of Pertex and waxed cotton.
With all these banging waterproof garms, what self respecting Soldier would be caught Outside wielding an umbrella? Don’t Do It.
💥TUESDAY MEANS WAR💥
GARM OF THE WEEK
GORE-TEX®
They say April showers bring May flowers. That’s a good excuse to cop a new rain jacket. And Real Soldiers know the only way to properly stay dry while stunting is in some GORE-TEX®.
Mad scientist Bob Gore was fucking around in his lab one fateful night in 1969 when he inadvertently created one of the most important textiles in the history of huManity: GORE-TEX®. GORE-TEX® material is made by quickly stretching heated polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a chemical used in Teflon coating, lubricants, and other applications, which results in a microporous structure that blocks liquid water to keep you dry but allows water vapor to pass through to manage your body temperature. 57 years later and you’ll find GORE-TEX® on everything from sick ass rain jackets to underwear and many a Soldier who simply won’t leave home without it!
Bob got his start when he figured out a way to help his pops, Bill, use PTFE to wrap and insulate electrical wire. This discovery allowed Bill’s parents to start W. L. Gore and associates a year later to fully focus on novel uses for PTFE. Bob finished up his PhD in chemical engineering and joined the company in 1963. He stretched that shit a few years later and the rest is history.
A Seattle brand called Early Winters used GORE-TEX® on a tent in 1976, the first commercial use of the new waterproof material, and the following year they used it to enhance their raingear. The North Face and Marmot were some of the next to experiment with GORE-TEX® and certainly can be credited with pioneering and popularizing its use on a variety of items. Danner, a Portland icon, was early to use GORE-TEX® in footwear, and gloves came along in the early 80s.
It seems like just about everything Cool emerged from the 90s cultural melting pot of NYC: hip hop, streetwear, graffiti, and skateboarding. In a shocking twist, these same Youths also made GORE-TEX® cool! Graffiti writers rocked technical outerwear to combat the elements of the streets but also to make a statement. They usually boosted the pricey garms, allowing them to flex some Hot Shit while simultaneously being Hot Shit. The 90s also saw Wu Tang rocking North Face Shit, Big L and Nas name-checking GORE-TEX® in songs, and a whole episode of Seinfeld about George’s giant GORE-TEX® jacket.
GORE-TEX® Rain Cap by Snow Peak
It’s not just for jackets! Waterproof headwear is a must for dry climates. Snow Peak has this sleek waterproof camp cap in tan or black to go with any fit and any inclement weather a Soldier may encounter. It’s an elegant mashup of street style and technical design as Snow Peak has come to be known for nearly 80 years. Japan’s Niigata Prefecture continues to inspire their distinct take on outdoor equipment and garms.
GORE-TEX® Shell Jacket by Dancer and 66°North
Hjalte Halberg, Anton Juul, and Kevin Walter founded Dancer in Copenhagen in 2019. They’ve been operating squarely on the radar of Real Fashion Soldiers, with a detailed program of graphic tees, everyday basics, and unique designs. While the ultra-tasteful Soldiers are well versed, the wider ranks are not tapped-in to the degree one would expect for a company fronted by the one and only Hjalte. They keep collaborations to a minimum, but when they collab, Oh Baby! If you’ve ever been to Scandinavia, you’ll be acquainted with 66°North because it’s all over the fuckin’ place. They’ve been outfitting some of the world’s most treacherous climates for 100 years and originally started out making burly outerwear for Icelandic fisherman. Dancer and 66°North linked up to create a Danish take on the Icelandic classic rain jacket, using deadstock GORE-TEX® across a multi-paneled stunner. This slapper is sold out, but the standard version is available here. Not as Cool but just as functional.
GORE-TEX® 2L Hiking Pant by thisisneverthat
thisisneverthat is doing some of the more interesting stuff with GORE-TEX® amongst the wide spectrum of makers. They recently dropped a collection of Windstopper jackets and pants that stopped us in our tracks. Their latest offering is a classic hiking pant made from 2L GORE-TEX® with sealed seams and zippers for ultimate protection from the elements. There’s simply no excuse to stay inside when you can step out in some waterproof Shit like this!
OTHER GOOD GARMS
Firewall Mountain Waterproof Jacket by Rab
Believe it or not, there actually are alternatives to GORE-TEX®, who remains the market leader. Pertex Shield is one of those “competitors” seen across technical outfitters and Fashion brands alike. They were founded two decades after Gore and sometimes offers better value (*ahem* manufacturing cost) but performs comparably to GORE-TEX®. Rab is one of the most respected outdoor brands with Soldiers who are Really Climbing and Shit. They use Pertex Shield in their marquee waterproof jacket. Must be pretty good stuff!
Heavy Duty Raincoat by Dehen 1920
Waxed Cotton was here before GORE-TEX® and it’ll be here long after it’s gone (not really, since waxed cotton is biodegradable and GORE-TEX® is just plastic, but go with us). This is how Real OGs stayed dry back before ArcTeryx and Shit. Dehen 1920 is a Portland-based specialist in US-made cotton garms, so they’re in an exclusive echelon of Ball Knowers when it comes to winterizing cotton. Their Heavy Duty Raincoat is absolutely body slamming the competition in Darkwood Camouflage. It uses 12 oz. cotton coated with a dry wax finish, milled in the U.K. by Halley Stevensons and cut and sewn in Portland, Oregon. An environmentally sound choice.
SOLDIER OF THE WEEK
Robert W. Gore
TWR salutes the Gorefather, without whom we wouldn’t have Gorpcore, Arcys, Steep Tech, and so many historically Banging fits. Big Bob had a PhD in chemical engineering and spent decades revolutionizing the PTFE industry, creating applications for the material in electrical, medical, and textile fields. In his life he was honored with countless scientific awards for his achievements and was a prolific philanthropist. Thank You Based Gore.
ENEMY OF THE WEEK
Umbrellas
Do you look cool with an umbrella? Fuck no. Nobody looks cool with an umbrella. In fact, the entire Pacific Northwest region of the United States will shun your ass if you use one. They’ve been around for millennia but been surpassed in every way thanks to modern technology. The advent of waterproof garms made umbrellas obsolete. Why hold something in one hand when you can free it up with a hood or cap? There’s no need to shield your whole frame when waterproof pants and shoes keep you dry with ease. You can’t bash your umbrella into innocent bystanders if you don’t use one. In fact, a world without umbrellas means a world without metal wires to the eye or umbrella downpours on your head when some DipShit tips theirs the wrong way. The final, and biggest, knock on umbrellas is that they’re fucking useless in the wind unless you like chasing one down the street or struggling to get the wires going back the proper direction after a big gust. Enough is enough!
You’re now up to speed on the latest from the battlefield. Use this intel wisely and pass it on to others who may need our guidance. We can’t win the war unless we’re in it together. $5 TWR sticker packs available here.