Modern gore Tex (and similar) shell jackets often are marketed as being 2 or sometimes 3 layer construction with the Gore Tex membrane being one of the layers. Often the outer layer isn’t actually waterproof and can soak through. If gore Tex is the main functional layer why does there have to be extra material layers facing the elements?
In: Engineering
Same reason why you can’t use a fork on a nonstick pan.
Goretex is actually teflon, the same stuff they use on nonstick pans. Teflon isn’t that strong of a material so they layer it to protect it.
Also fun fact: the goretex patent expired decades ago, a lot of other stuff is made of PFTE (Teflon) these days and goretex isn’t particularly special anymore.
Second fun fact: PFTE is pretty bad for the environment, goretex themselves are trying to move away from it and some of their newer products labeled goretex don’t actually contain it.
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