Winter ISPO '08 features the well-meaning but largely uninspiring Volvo Eco Design Awards. I took a look at the contenders for this year's award in the apparel category.
Rather than giving a showcase of world saving designs, this year it's a line-up mainly consisting of products utilising green materials, many of which were first presented to the industry by manufacturers at last years winter ISPO - so little news.
In clothing we have a Merino and Modal t-shirt that allows people with hyper sensitive skin to wear Merino. Modal may be made of nature materials but this material has been so highly processed I seriously doubt it has good environmental credentials. I won't criticise Ortovox - I'm sure the product will easily be sold to many female customers given the Modal's very gentle hand - and it sounds like they've joined the 1% for the planet sceme which is a step in the right direction.
http://www.ispo-sportsdesign.com/award/product.Ortovox-Merino-Sensitive.465.html
With what initially appeared to be offering a new innovative fabric, Finisterre submitted their Storm Track jacket. They are a small Cornwall based surf brand who, as it happens, also donate 1% for the planet.
http://www.ispo-sportsdesign.com/award/product.Finisterre-Biomimetic-Waterproof---Storm-Track.457.html
Mentioning a lack of seam tapes in the text (yet claiming waterproofness) rang alarm bells, and further research (visiting their website: http://www.finisterreuk.com/) proved my suspicions right. Finisterre have obviously got a license for Paramo's "analogy" technology (well - a particular combination of fabrics). More-over most of the design seems to be lifted straight off a Paramo Design, so it seems like they have a license for that too - look at the video clip on the product web page for a step by step presentation - remind you of something you've seen before?
It features a hanging drop-tail - two drop-tail hems, the inner of which houses the cinch cord. This reduces water run-off running straight onto the user's outer leg-wear. The hood is helmet compatible (since when have surfer's worn helmets?) The volume minimisation mechanism is what I'd call a "neck cinch-cord" system - like that found on the Alpha SV jacket from Arcteryx. Unlike the SV and many other hood designs, it doesn't have a transverse cord (again - my own terminology) running around the head like a head band. I'll will write up a critique of such neck cinch-cord systems some time soon.
So it seems no major novelty here. Further research unveiled this academic-style text presentation by the jacket's designer, Thomas Podkolinski:
http://www.extra.rdg.ac.uk/eng/BIONIS/Meetings_Newsletters/Meetings/Successful%20biomimetics%202090907%20presentations/BIONIS%20-%20Designing%20Evolution.pdf
[Warning - PDF jump]
The news for me is that Podkolinski believes that gravity-enduced "internal" dranage is key to better performance in this type of "soft-shell". I quote; "directionality increased the rate of moisture movement away from the body and enabled us to achieve the same level of waterproofness but with less fibres and so less weight. The only payoff [sic] being that this waterproofness was only achieved in one direction of drainage."
The designer claims to be now experimenting with mapping the direction of the brushing of the inner fleece with fibres aligned to channel moisture down and out. This development will no doubt necessitate changes in design, such as using a set-in sleeve rather than their raglan sleeve and perhaps a modification to their interesting hanging drop-tail design.
Katie Stevens, a Masters graduate at the University of Leeds' Performance Textiles Working Group, did a study of different "soft shells" including a Paramo jacket (likewise featuring the Analogy fabrics). She came to the conclusion that, under the conditions she had tested the various jackets in, Paramo's jacket was slightly inferior to the Pertex and pile system used on a Buffalo jacket. But Buffalo's design is significantly warmer.
Her theory was that drop outer fabrics allowed air flow in wind that improved the time it takes to dry the inner fleece out. Paramo's design has no so called "differential cut" between outer and lining fabrics (obviously featuring a more voluminous outer shell than liner). The silhouette of the Finisterre design looks a little more tailored than the Paramo designs I've seen up close, and is definitely appears less roomy than a Buffalo design.
This would suggest that the analogy system may be under performing Buffalo designs by design (the implication of fabrics rather than the fabrics themselves) and may therefore more benefit from internal drainage measures than would otherwise be the case with loose designs like Buffalo's.
Mark Taylor (again at Leeds) explained to me that many shell garments with membranes benefit from water "run-off" on their inside of the garment, and that Keela's PU laminated or coated jackets specifically aims to do this (marketed as a “Dual Protection System”). Mark talked about an un- commercialised waterproof system (well - more a moisture transfer system) that totally relies on internal run-off - he'd nick-named SpinkTex after it's creator Andrew Spink. Here is a diagram of his patent filed in 2000:
About this patent Read this patentWaterproof/breatheable garment construction Andrew David Spink
[Warning PDF jump!]
Relying on condensation running off to keep humidity at bay will only efficiently work when the temperature gradient is high (cold outside & a warm user) and when it isn't very humid outside. Only in these conditions will condensation quickly form on the inside of the outer fabric before humidity gets to high in the microclimate around the user – a situation that would lead to perceptible sweating (beads of sweat on the skin) and likely subsequent overheating or chilling depending on the further exertions of the user. Perhaps more on this subject soon too.
Part two of the Volvo Eco Design Awards to come shortly...
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