It’s a cold October day in Banff, and I’m 200 feet above a scree field on the side of a cliff. Today, I’m rock climbing to test a prototype jacket made with a soon-to-launch fabric from W.L. Gore & Associates.

The jacket looks like any performance hardshell in my closet. But its fabric is a new iteration from the brand that decades ago launched a waterproof-breathable revolution.

A compound called polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is the core material in Gore waterproof-breathable membranes. Microscopic holes let water vapor escape, but precipitation can’t penetrate from the outside.

It’s been 7 years since the company released a major upgrade to its PRO fabric technology. Perhaps surprisingly, the ePTFE guts of GORE-TEX PRO see no dramatic change for next year. Neither does the durable water-repellent (DWR) finish that makes water bead.

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Instead, the 2020 release focuses on fabric stretch and ruggedness. The brand will also unleash more freedom for designers to create jackets and pants in GORE-TEX configurations not offered before.

Click here to read the full review.

Stephen Regenold writes about outdoors gear at http://www.gearjunkie.com.