Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

This new Patagonia jacket is the first GORE-TEX jacket to feature 100% recycled, pfc-free GORE-TEX fabrics

The newest addition to the Patagonia line features the latest in eco-tech from GORE-TEX

Tom Kilpatrick
By
The Patagonia Stormshadow jacket, featuring GORE-TEX laminates recycled from ocean plastic.
Patagonia/GORE-TEX

Since it hit the market in the ’70s, GORE-TEX has been the industry-leading waterproof membrane, and as industry standards in eco-tech advance, it has shown a renewed commitment to staying at the front of the pack. Along with the new ePe membrane made without PFC chemicals, GORE-TEX has begun making laminate layers from 100% recycled plastics, and this newest advancement is being debuted in the latest Patagonia jacket.

The Patagonia Stormshadow Parka is one of the warmest jackets in the Patagonia line, featuring 700-fill down — 100% reclaimed from down products — beneath the fully GORE-TEX membrane and PFC-free DWR finish. It’s not surprising that Patagonia was an early adopter and collaborator on technological advancements in ensuring that you not only get a great quality jacket but that it doesn’t cost the earth. Here’s how the newest eco-tech advancements from GORE-TEX and Patagonia keep you dry.

A close up of the laminating process of the new GORE-TEX ePE membrane.
GORE-TEX

GORE-TEX ePE membrane

GORE-TEX products first featured the new ePe membrane in 2022, but you’d be forgiven for missing it. While a notable host of companies adopted the latest technology, the list of GORE-TEX jackets, gloves, hiking boots, and other garments to feature the ePE membrane wasn’t extensive. As the rollout continues — with products like the Stormshadow Parka bringing the technology to everyday jackets — we expect to see increasing numbers of products featuring the ePE membrane.

Recommended Videos

This membrane is part of GORE-TEX’s continued efforts to become PFC-free. Previously, both the DWR coating and the GORE-TEX membrane contained PFC chemicals of environmental concern. These forever chemicals have been at the forefront of outdoor eco-tech discussions. PFC chemicals do not break down and impact the environment when they wash off or rub off the jacket. The effects of long-term exposure of hikers, campers, and outdoor retail employees to these chemicals and the potential health issues are equally of concern. Outdoor manufacturers — GORE-TEX included — have been looking to reduce the use of these chemicals in a way that doesn’t detrimentally affect the quality of their gear, and ePe appears to be GORE-TEX’s breakthrough.

A lorry load of plastic is loaded up on the beach as part of the GORE-TEX/BIONIC collaboration.
GORE-TEX

GORE-TEX Recycled BIONIC Textiles

Along with all this, GORE-TEX has made the environmental move to make its polyester face fabrics from 100% recycled plastics. To achieve this, it has joined forces with BIONIC, a grassroots program in Costa Rica focusing on local waste management and repurposing plastic waste. GORE-TEX has provided investment and material science to this program, but they’ve gone further and now use the collected plastic as part of their laminating process.

Related

The 100% recycled textile — debuted on the Patagonia Stormshadow Jacket — comprises 50% plastics collected through the BIONIC initiatives in coastal communities and 50% recycled from municipal collections. When bonded to the ePe membrane, you get the same quality waterproofing you expect from a GORE-TEX jacket, but with the knowledge that you’re part of the outdoor eco-tech revolution led by companies like Patagonia and GORE-TEX to maintain the outdoor spaces we’re so passionate about exploring.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Tom Kilpatrick
Tom Kilpatrick
Contributor
A London-born outdoor enthusiast, Tom took the first ticket out of suburban life. What followed was a twelve-year career as…
New Garmin tactix 7 AMOLED Edition may be the perfect smartwatch for deep-country camping and hiking
This outdoor watch should be on your radar
Garmin tactix 7 – AMOLED Edition

If you're in the market for a new tactical timepiece, look no further than Garmin's latest offering: the tactix 7 AMOLED. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill outdoor smartwatch. Garmin has once again raised the bar with the tactix 7 AMOLED Edition. Here's what makes it one of the greatest outdoor smartwatches of 2023.

One of the standout features of the tactix 7 AMOLED Edition is its bright and easy-to-read AMOLED display. Whether you're exploring during the day or in pitch-black darkness, this display can adapt to the situation, ensuring you have the information you need at your fingertips without straining your eyes. Plus, it can dim when the mission calls for stealth, keeping you concealed from prying eyes.

Read more
Why you need to be just as wary of moose as bear attacks (and what to do when you encounter one)
You know what to do when you encounter a bear, but how do you handle a moose?
Moose sitting in a field in an open clearing during the day

Moose are majestic and peaceful-looking animals that we're lucky to see in wild spaces. But are moose dangerous? Like bears, they are unpredictable creatures that may not take kindly to our presence. And if you're taking a long-distance hike or are in a remote area, you're likely to see one. So what do you do when a moose comes your way? Here are our thoughts, as well as some helpful tips to stay safe during a moose encounter.

Unforeseen moose attack in Colorado Springs
On September 12, two hikers alongside their three dogs encountered a distressed cow moose on the Craigs Trail in Colorado Springs. According to the report, they spotted the moose about 1 mile into their hike in a scenic opening. Although the three dogs were leashed and the hikers did their best to move along the trail at a safe distance, the moose began to close in on them. As the moose neared, the dogs barked in response to the moose’s presence. This didn't deter the moose, and the animal then trampled a hiker. Despite their efforts to escape the moose and flee, the persistent creature pursued them relentlessly along the trail.
After some time, they outran the moose and made it safely to their car. The injured individual was able to walk and the two then immediately headed to the hospital. Thankfully, their injuries were minor. The bull moose reportedly attacked because it was accompanied by a young calf. It's well understood that when a moose is threatened by a predator, such as the barking dogs, it will defend its young at all costs.
This story serves as a stern reminder that it's important to be aware of our surroundings when heading into wild spaces. Colorado Parks & Wildlife has responded to the incident by posting warning signs in areas with known moose activity, including the Craigs Trail.
But a moose encounter can happen anywhere, with their populations increasing by over one-third over the past decade. Here are a few tips for how to safely deal with a moose sighting if one of these creatures gets too close for comfort.

Read more
Time to wake up: Climate change gave us our hottest summer ever and the Earth is in meltdown, U.N. says
We're entering a whole new era of climate change. "Climate breakdown has begun," the U.N. warns
Wild bushfires burning in Tasmania, Australia.

If it seems like this summer, and 2023 in general, has been a wild one weather-wise, you’re not imagining things. In North America, Canada had its worst wildfire season ever, by far, and much of the U.S. continued to break high-temperature records in July and August, only to break them again a few days later. It’s not just happening here, of course, but worldwide. The bottom line: We’re entering a whole new era of climate change, folks.

Earlier this month, the United Nations weather agency confirmed that the last three months were indeed the hottest on record. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned, “The dog days of summer are not just barking; they are biting.” But his might be the most sobering warning we’ve seen from any expert on the matter: “Our planet has just endured a season of simmering — the hottest summer on record. Climate breakdown has begun.” The keyword is breakdown. There’s no denying the situation is dire, but it’s not irreversible — yet.

Read more