Tech Tuesday: Dermizax- EV

At KJUS we often say that the best part about our garments are invisible, and one of the more difficult to understand is the waterproof, breathable technology we use- Entrant Dermizax- EV from Toray. At recent clinics we had lots of questions about Dermizax and it was apparent that it's a somewhat mis-understood technology.

Dermizax-EV is a hydrophilic non-porous membrane- or in terms that are understandable it's a water loving film with no holes in it. The reason that technologies like Dermizax are hard to understand is that it "operates" at a molecular level and not physical.

Kenny at Toray USA put it like this "It breathes by moving water molecules through molecular openings in the membrane.

Basically it breathes by "absorbing" vapor molecules on one side and releasing it on the other side. The benefit of this structure is that in very high activity it is able to reduce condensation and feel more comfortable because of the hydrophilic membrane ability to effectively deal with the high level of humidity inside the garment."

The question we get most often is how is it different from Gore-Tex and why don't you use a Gore product? As stated above, Dermizax is a non-porous film, while Gore-Tex is a porous technology- has holes. The holes are large enough for water vapor to pass, but too small for water in a liquid state to pass through.

As for the second half of the question, in our tests Dermizax EV had better results and it is highly elastic and so it pairs very well with the stretch fabrics that we use, as well as being very lightweight, waterproof, and breathable.

You can learn more about Dermizax EV and Gore-Tex at their respective websites. For more detailed information on all waterproof technologies here is a great resource: https://www2.hcmut.edu.vn/~ptquan/congnghegiacongsoihh/handbookoftechnicaltextile/25F3A0ABA9AC8264FED602081E1ECA3.pdf

Tech Tuesday (a day late): PrimaLoft

It's the time of season when all our sales reps are out visiting each of our KJUS dealers and conducting clinics to better educate the sales staffs on our brand, products, and partners. Last season, Dermizax, waterproof breathable technology used in KJUS jackets and pants was the hot topic and one of our most viewed posts is on the topic. This season it seems to be PrimaLoft. Yesterday, we conducted a clinic in Wellesley, MA at St. Moritz ski shop and before the clinic even began, one of the associates there began asking me about PrimaLoft.

PrimaLoft was developed by Albany International in the 80's for the US Army. The Army needed an insulation that was effective in cold wet environments for outerwear and sleeping bags. Since then PrimaLoft has become the insulation of choice for numerous outdoor and ski companies for gloves, sleeping bags, jackets, boots, vests, etc. Additionally, PrimaLoft has a burgeoning business in the bedding market, due to its soft feel and hypoallergenic properties.



KJUS uses PrimaLoft in many of its pieces. PrimaLoft is a great insulation because it has a nice loft like down, is as warm as down, but retains its insulation properties when wet and dries quickly unlike down. PrimaLoft also is very compressible and is windproof. The combination of these properties allows us to develop garments with exceptional warmth, but with little bulk.

One of the highlights of our clinics is the "PrimaLoft Challenge". In this demonstration we ask a sales associate to come up front and hold out both hands and close their eyes. We then place a swatch of PrimaLoft in their hand. Without fail, the only way the associate can differentiate which hand the swatch has been placed in is by a warming sensation in that hand. The test demonstrates how lightweight the insulation is and how warm it is. You can take the test yourself or try it on friends by requesting a Challenge Kit from PrimaLoft.

It is very easy to tell if a jacket is made with PrimaLoft. Just grab the fabric of jacket and you'll notice that in a garment with PrimaLoft the fibers have a silky and almost oily feel as they easily slide between your fingers. It's sometimes faster than checking for a hang tag.

Recently, PrimaLoft introduced a new product, PrimaLoft Yarn, to be used in sweaters, socks, scarves, and blankets. PrimaLoft Yarn fibers are half the size of Cashmere and 40% smaller than Merino for a super soft yarns with performance properties.

This season, we introduced the Ladies Arolid sweater using the Merino wool blend PrimaLoft Yarn. It's a 50/50 blend of PrimaLoft and Merino that dries faster and wicks better than pure Merino. Today, PrimaLoft announced the launch of a website dedicated to PrimaLoft Yarn. One of the coolest aspects of the site is the video demonstrations of the manufacturing of the yarn.

Besides the Arolid sweater (pictured) some of the popular pieces in this season's KJUS Collection with PrimaLoft include the Ladies ELVES, VIPER, and FORMULA jackets, BARROW and FORCE insulators, and SEQUENCE pants. The STAR, EXCEL, and PIKES jackets and BARROW and FORCE insulators are the more popular KJUS men's pieces with PrimaLoft insulation.

You can view all the KJUS pieces with PrimaLoft and all the colors they are available in at www.kjus.com.

When will it be in stores?

It's been some time since our last post. It's summer time and we're a winter sports brand, so we enjoy the warm weather the best we can before our busy fall season. This is not to say that we've been sitting on our hands. We've been busy preparing for the season- creating marketing materials,developing ads, and readying the warehouse.

You know the season is not far away when the phone calls, emails, and wall posts start inquiring about when the new collection will be available. The first shipments of jackets and pants recently arrived in our warehouse and we anticipate to have all our goods in by the end of the month. This means that our dealers should have KJUS in stock by mid September or early October.

The first pieces to come in were some that we ordered early because we knew there would be great demand for them. For the men this is the Pikes jacket and for the ladies it's the Viper.

These are the top two jackets in our Authentic line for 08/09 and both feature stretch fabrics, waterproof zippers, Dermizax EV waterproof breathable technology, Schoeller PCM climate control, and PrimaLoft insulation.

The Pikes also happens to be the jacket of choice for Bode Miller and Team America for the 08/09 World Cup Season. This season you will be able to purchase the team uniform from our retail partners like Gorsuch Ltd.

Speaking of Bode, he was recently the focus of a cover story in New Hampshire Magazine: Being Bode: Young Man of the Mountain. In the story they mention his upcoming BodeBash that will take place at his homestead in Franconia, NH, August 23-24. The weekend event consists of an afternoon of tennis, an evening "growers dinner", and a day of golf. Register here

If you happen to be closest to the pin you might win a KJUS Pikes jacket.

Tech Tuesday- Ultrasonic Welding

Our ski jackets and pants are waterproof thanks in part to Dermizax. Another ingredient to the waterproof recipe is seam sealing. Where ever stitches are made they need to be seam sealed to ensure that the jacket does not leak.

Instead of stitching, on some of our jackets we use a method called ultrasonic welding. Essentially, a high velocity wheel bonds the pieces of the jackets together with out any stitches. It creates a very strong, clean, and waterproof seam. We also use it in the collar of a number of our jackets for design detail. Below is an example of an ultrasonic welder in action.

For our men's and ladies PRIME jacket- a 4-way stretch, 800 fill down waterproof jacket- we used ultrasonic welding to form the baffles of the jacket. On the jacket these baffles are curved, which is technically very difficult to keep the seams flat.

MEN'S FORMULA featured in Outside Buyer's Guide

Today we picked up the annual Outside Buyer's Guide. Held by many as the holy grail of gear reviews, the Buyer's Guide is filled with latest and best outdoor tools and toys for the coming season. Doug Schnitzspahn reviewed all the men's outerwear for the magazine including the KJUS FORMULA Jacket (page 36).

If any of you ever wonder if these jackets are actually tested, wonder no longer. Doug visited over a dozen resorts and numerous days in the backcountry for the review and actually posted some videos from some review days on YouTube. As you can see in the video Doug was out on a few warm days. He told us afterwards that he was a little nervouse wearing the Formula on one warm day, but was really surprised and impressed at how well the FORMULA breathed. This is thanks to its Dermizax EV waterproof breathable membrane- learn more here.

Here is what Doug had to say in the Buyer's Guide:

The Formula is the Porsche of this test- damned pricey, just as flashy, but worth every cent. KJUS's designers tossed in everything from an integrated balaclava to a dedicated cell-phone pocket with a keeper leash. So plentiful are the hidden accessories that the goggle wipe features a graphic to help you find them all. Most important, though, the jacket performed along with the best in class. Stretchy Thinsulate insulation (enough for cold lift rides) and soft, four-way stretch fabric allowed free movement, while the waterproof-breathable membrane rivaled that of any hard shell we tested. Just maybe find a job that pays in euros to save some cheese.