Wash your garment as often as you need to. In fact, washing and tumble-drying will actually help restore the water-repellency performance of a GORE-TEX? garment. See our Care Center for more information. UP

Yes. GORE-TEX? fabric is windproof, so it blocks cold air and wind that can disturb your body heat and cause windchill. However, GORE-TEX? fabric itself doesn't have any special insulating qualities, so in really cold conditions, wearing extra layers underneath your outerwear will ensure that you stay warm and comfortable. UP See similar questions...

It really depends on you. The GORE-TEX? membrane won't deteriorate with time, and our garments are guaranteed to be durably waterproof and breathable. Just use common sense and wear your garment for its intended use; i.e, don't wear a lightweight cycling jacket on a backcountry camping trip. And obviously, a ski instructor who wears his or her garment every day will need to buy a new one sooner than a skier who takes his or her garment out twice a year will. See similar questions...

Minor punctures and tears can be fixed with a GORE-TEX? Fabric Repair Kit, available at specialty outdoor retail stores. The special adhesive patches allow you to make instant repairs to preserve the waterproof integrity of your outerwear. You can also visit or ship your GORE-TEX? garment to an authorized Gore Repair Center. See our Care Center for more information about both these options. UP See similar questions...

No. Salt water does not contaminate, clog the pores of, decrease the breathability of, alter, or harm GORE-TEX? fabric in any way. So go ahead and enjoy that ocean fishing or boating trip. UP See similar questions...

There's no mystery here. Just toss your GORE-TEX? garment in the washing machine in warm (104? F/40? C) water. Use powder or liquid detergent, but skip the fabric softener and chlorine bleach, please. Then tumble-dry on a normal warm setting and you're ready to go. That's it. Be sure to read the manufacturer's care tag in your garment for specific instructions. See our Care Center for more information. UP See similar questions...

First introduced in 1978, GORE-TEX? fabric is created when we laminate our patented GORE-TEX? membrane to high-performance textiles, which are then used by authorized garment manufacturers to make outerwear, accessories, and footwear. UP See similar questions...

Only a limited number of specialist apparel manufacturers are licensed to use our fabric in accordance with our strict quality standards. We test every product design before it is approved for production and sell GORE-TEX? fabric only for the production of approved designs. Plus we guarantee the performance of all finished GORE-TEX? apparel, footwear, and accessories - not just the fabric from which the finished product is made. See similar questions...

GORE-TEX? fabric is available only to our licensed manufacturers, who create garments and footwear to our exacting standards. UP See similar questions...

Gore, we manufacture GORE-TEX? and WINDSTOPPER? fabrics - not the finished garments you find in stores. To see products made with Gore fabrics, you have several options: contact us to learn which of your favorite brands contain our fabrics; contact your favorite retailers to request their catalogs; or use our Store Finder to locate stores near you selling GORE??? products. UP See similar questions...

GORE-TEX? fabric will last for many years. It's incredibly durable, and unlike other "waterproof/breathable" fabrics that can lose waterproofness after repeated laundering, flexing, abrasion, or exposure to body oils or insect spray, the waterproofness and breathability of GORE-TEX? fabric is guaranteed under any conditions you may encounter. UP See similar questions...

Yes, absolutely - and that's an important detail. Your feet stay drier from the inside out, because your perspiration is evaporating out of the footwear, not staying inside to make your feet feel clammy and uncomfortable. Especially in colder weather, breathability is crucial for keeping your feet dry and warm. UP See similar questions...

For insulated garments, prior to washing: zip all zippers, close all Velcro, remove any fur or faux-fur trim, and turn the garment inside out. We recommend always using cold water and powder detergent to avoid staining. For Down-insulated items, we recommend drying the garment individually at a high temperature setting for long period of time. It is critical for all the down feathers inside the garment to be thoroughly dried before hanging and wearing the jacket again. See similar questions...

ALL our GORE-TEX? fabrics are waterproof, windproof, and breathable. However, there are many different outer fabrics and fabric constructions available so that you can choose what's most important to you: weight, texture, abrasion resistance, and so on. UP See similar questions...

The GORE-TEX? membrane has 9 billion pores per square inch, with each pore 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet. These tiny holes are too small for water and wind to pass through from the outside, which is how we can guarantee you'll stay dry and warm in a garment made with GORE-TEX? fabric. But these same pores are large enough for moisture vapor to pass through, so your body's perspiration is able to escape and you don't get clammy and uncomfortable. See similar questions...

Dry-cleaning does not harm the GORE-TEX? membrane. However, follow the manufacturer's care instructions on your particular garment to make sure they recommend dry cleaning for it. If you do go the professional dry-cleaning route, request clear, distilled solvent rinse and spray repellent. UP See similar questions...

No matter which manufacturer makes the product, our label with the GORE-TEX? or WINDSTOPPER? trademark is sewn into an inside or outside seam. You can't miss it. In newer products, it might also be embroidered on the sleeve or chest of a garment, or you might find it on a small metal tag on the outside. Remember: If it doesn't say GORE-TEX?, it's not. UP See similar questions...

The holes made by needles in seams may be small, but they can cause leaks. That's why even the most waterproof, breathable, windproof fabric won't keep you dry and comfortable if the seams are not completely sealed. For absolute weatherproofness, GORE-TEX? garments rely on the Micro GORE-SEAM? tape technology. Seam tape is used to completely seal every tiny hole created by sewing machine needles when GORE-TEX? fabric is made into garments. See similar questions...

Just that: No liquid from the outside will get to you on the inside. Water from a driving rain you're caught in, a damp bench that you happen to sit on, or wet grass that you kneel in can't penetrate GORE-TEX? fabric. To be totally waterproof, a fabric must be able to withstand water entry in all active conditions. UP See similar questions...

Yes. No leather is inherently waterproof, and most "waterproof" footwear requires applications of special waxes or greases to stay that way. Not only is this inconvenient, but it severely compromises the breathability of the footwear. And it's not guaranteed to keep you dry. With GORE-TEX? footwear, the waterproofness and breathability are never in doubt. UP See similar questions...