Patagonia Technical Terms

Ever wonder what Capilene is?  How about H2No?  Here are some definitions from Patagonia Clothing and Monod Sports to help you out!  Monod Sports would like to thank Patagonia Clothing company for the definitions!  (Note:  The definitions all appear in alphabetical order according to name.)

Capilene®: Capilene is the clothing company Patagonia's name for polyester with a hydrophilic (water bonding) surface finish. Capilene's core remains hydrophobic (water repellent). Originally used in Patagonia-brand thermal underwear and in stretch versions where it has been blended with Lycra, it is now available from Patagonia in everything from base layers to outerwear.

     Capilene 1 Silkweight -  Stay dry and cool in this silky baselayer is ideal for high-exertion, hot-weather pursuits.

     Capilene 2 Lightweight - Stay dry and cool this highly breathable baselayer designed for use in a range of activity levels and temperatures.

     Capilene 3 Midweight - Stay dry and warm in this versatile baselayer for moderate exertion in cool to cold weather.

     Capilene 3 Expedition Weight - Stay dry and warm in this stretch baselayer designed for high-output, stop-and-go activities in cold weather.

Deluge® DWR- a proprietary durable water repellent fabric finished produced by the clothing company Patagonia; durable water repellency is what makes water bead up and run off the outer layer of rain shells and winter outerwear.  Although all durable water repellencies eventually wear off (due to wear and tear, as well as washing the garment repeatedly), Deluge DWR lasts much longer than standard durable water repellencies.

Down: insulation used in technical sportswear garments employs highly compressible 800 and 600 fill power European goose down for superior warmth. The shell fabric's quilted construction stabilizes the down to provide optimal loft. The shell fabrics are lightweight and treated with Deluge DWR finish.

E-Fibers: Indicates those products made with any of the fallowing: organic cotton, hemp, non-chlorine treated wool, recycled polyester, recycled nylon and Tencel lyocell.

• Recycled Poylester - Polyester fabric made of recycled content. Patagonia uses scraps from the cutting room floor and even old Capilene to close the loop.
• Recycled Nylon - Nylon fabric made of recycled content. Patagonia reprocess post-industrial fiber and yarn waste into recycled nylon fiber.

Flex and Support for Patagonia Shoes:

• Soft Support/Flex - Patagonia's lightest weight and most flexible shoes allows for the foot to move as naturally as possible, while still providing essential cushioning and protection.
• Medium Support/Flex - The middle path is more structured and supportive. The reinforced midsole is designed to help guide the foot from heel strike to toe off.
• Firm Support/Flex- For those who require the most structure in their shoes, these styles have the firmest support available within out present line.

Gladiodor®  from the clothing company Patagonia is used in their Capilene baselayer category and is natural odor control that is a safe, durable, nonpolluting and effective alternative to silver ions. It comprises naturally derived amino acid chains that kill odor-causing bacteria.

GORE-TEXproducts provide durability waterproof/windproof and breathable protection in a wide range of outdoor activities. Construction techniques vary depending on the intended use:

• 2-layer construction features a GORE-TEX membrane bonded to the outer shell material and protected on the inside by a separate lining, which heightens wearing comfort versatility.
• 3-layer construction features a GORE-TEX membrane bonded between the tough outer shell and a robust inner lining. The benefit: no movement between the layers, for less wear and tear and greater durability.
• Paclite Product Technology features a Gore-Tex membrane with a protective inside layer that renders a seprate lining unnecessar, the resulting shell is exceptionally light and compressible.
• Gore-Tex Active Products combine a lighter and thinner Gore-Tex membrane with streamlined 3-layer construction. The technology is durably, waterproof and windproof, extremly breathable and provides next-to-skin comfort.  

Gusseted Crotch: Diamond shaped panel for flexibility.

H2No® Technology: shells with H2No technology from the company Patagonia utilize a range of laminates and coatings made from varying applications of polyester and/or polyurethane to achieve a standard of waterproofness and breathability best suited for a specified performance range.

Merino Wool: 100% merino wool is the ideal natural fiber for performance that helps regulate your body temperature by controlling the rate of evaporative cooling. This fabric is soft next to your skin and does not itch, it is naturally odor resistant and is machine washable.

     Merino 1 - designed for high-output activities in warmer temperatures, it's also an ideal first-layer in cooler temperatures.

     Merino 2 - for a wide range of exertion levels and temperatures

     Merino 3 - for variable activity levels in cool to cold weather.

     Merino 4 - designed for stop-and-go activities in cold to very cold weather.

Organic cotton:  In 1996, Patagonia switched over to organic cotton after conducting an internal audit of its own environmental footprint.  Read more at: Patagonia's Organic Cotton.

Polartec Hardface Technology: An application that's used on outerwear to increase abrasion resistance and enhance water repellency for greater performance.

Polartec Wind Pro: Warm lightweight technical fleece that's four times more wind resistant than traditional fleece. It's also highly breathable and water repellent.

Polartec Power Dry: This versatile fabric technology keeps you warm, dry and comfortable.

Polartec Power Dry High Efficiency: Baselayer fabrics made with an open-knit grid structure that are more breathable, exceptionally warm without bulk and dry incredibly fast.

Polartec Power Shield Pro: Highly breathable, abrasion resistant soft shell fabric with great weather resistant protection.

Polartec Thermal Pro: stretchy, warm breathable, compressible and fast-drying fabric.

PrimaLoft One, PrimaLoft Sport and PrimaLoftEco insulation:are compressible, breathable and offer superior water repellency so you remain dry, warm and comfortable even under the most extreme conditions.

Regulator Insulation:  Produced by the clothing company Patagonia, Regulator insulation is a highly compressible synthetic fleece, offers lightweight warmth and wicks moisture and can be used alone or together as a layering system. 

Recycled Rubber: Patagonia recycles rubber off the factory room floor that was cut away from a molded piece (flashing). Flashing is the excess rubber that squeezes out between the parts of the mold when compressed. Patagonia's 20% recycled

Stretchcoat: rubberized coated fabric that keeps wind and water out.

Tencel Lycocell:Tencel is a branded lyocell fiber similar to rayon that comes from the pulp of eucalyptus trees. The benefits of using Tencel include the traceable and sustainable origin of the wood pulp, and the use of non-toxic chemicals and solvents in the fiber processing. In addition, Tencel is a high-tenacity cellulosic fiber, which gives high strength properties to the fabric.

Vibram: rubber compounds that deliver superior grip, traction and durability wheather on earthen trails or rock and mixed terrain.

• Ecostep Vibram - During the shoe manufacturing process, scrap rubber is left of the cutting room floor, but that doesn't mean it has to end up in the landfill. A number of Patagonia's are made with Ecostep, a Vibram -formulated compund that uses up to 30% recycled scrap rubber that would other wise be thrown away.
• Ecostep Plus - contains up to 50% recycled scrap rubber while still offering the kind of high quality compound for which Vibram is known.

Windstopper: Insulated shell provides lightweight warmth in cold and windy conditions. Windstopper Insulated Shell combines total windproof and water-resistant protection, with maximum breathability in technical garment. The shell garments are designed to keep the warm air in and the cold air out, which allows perspiration to easily escape.

Y-Joint Sleeves -  Pattern work under the arms so the garment doesn't bind at the wrists or rise at the waist when the arms are extended.

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