For Spring 2019, Black Diamond Equipment teamed up with Portland-based Green Theme International (GTI) to use its PFC-free DWR in the brand’s windshell collection. The latest in a string of outdoor brands to go PFC-free, Black Diamond plans to expand the use of the new finish throughout their technical outerwear line in seasons to come.
GTI’s PFC-free DWR permanently bonds finishes to fibers without using a single drop of water or release of any hazardous discharge. GTI claims that the finish is superior in performance compared to any other C-6, C-8, or C-0 DWR.
GTI’s process uses a combination of heat and pressure to crosslink finishes with each individual fiber in a textile. Unlike other DWR finishes, they are not washing chemicals onto the surface of a fabric that can easily wash off. The GTI process actually becomes part of the fabric. The lasting wash and wear durability means that once it’s applied to a fabric, it won’t wash out or wear off, so there is no need to ever refresh the jacket with an additional spray or wash-in finish. Even after 20 washes it will outperform c
This technology will debut in Black Diamond’s Distance Wind Shell for Spring 2019 and grow in future seasons to be implemented into the brand’s proprietary BD.Dry ski, alpine, and rainwear collections. The Distance Wind Shell packs into its own chest pocket with minimal extras to bring the weight down to 96 grams.