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Goretex is a breathable fabric made from Expanded Poly Tetra Fluoro Ethylene. (Plaumbers tape to you and me)

Goretex has very very small holes in it that allow vapour in the form of water molecules under low humidity conditions to pass through the inner side but dont allow water droplets to pass through the opposite side.

You will notice that in high humidity conditions, the ability of Goretex to breathe reduces radically and condensation will form on the inside.

This is only down to the fact that above 82% relative humidity in higher temps the fabrics ability to remove the condensated layer of water from the inside to the outside is completely reduced. (Because the body maintain a 36.9 C internal temp and under Goretex Humidity is high )

When at college back in the UK I did some gear testing on the, then new, Goretex called XCR (back in 99) This is the only reason I know how it works.

The NikWax products work best if you do the following:

1 Notice your Goretex "wets out" (Water no longer forms into drops on the outside)

2 Wash on cold. No soap with 1.5 cap fulls of Nik Wax.

3 Air dry by hanging.

4 Now you have followed the directions on the back of the can, but, Nikwax is a DWR replenishment system. Do the following: I know this works as I do it on my Mountain Hardwear Goretex and have had no delamination issues or damage to the face fabric.

5: Put your goretex or whatever on an ironing board when completely dry. Use a DAMP dish towel and place over the garment, with a medium temp iron, iron the garment using the dish towel as the "Buffer" so you dont damage your garment.

6 Allow your garment to cool and then put in the sink and get a cup of water, run the cup of water on an area of the fabric, you should see water droplets form and run off the fabric. If not, re wash using more Nikwax, and repeat the processes.

This has never damaged any of my GORETEX KIT.

It will not make things magically waterproof, as ThunderCactus has mentioned, but it will help to allow water to Bead and roll off therefore keeping the wearer dryer.

One thing to note Water proof Goretex is tested to something like 36 Hydrostatic head, This means that the garment is placed at the bottom of a tank which is slowly filled with water in cubic meter volumes until it fails and lets water through.

The action of your elbow on the ground should not let water through. If it does, send your goretex back.

Pete.