Wicking (or moisture-wicking) is a fabric's ability to draw sweat away from the skin and spread it across the fabric's surface, where it evaporates more quickly. By moving moisture off your body, wicking fabrics keep your skin drier — which keeps you warmer in the cold and cooler when working hard. It is the defining property of a good base layer and the reason to avoid cotton outdoors.
Pertex Equilibrium is a line of lightweight, breathable, wind- and water-resistant fabrics from Pertex, designed for active outdoor use where high breathability and moisture management matter more than full waterproofing. Often using a dual-density construction that actively pulls moisture from the inside to the outer surface to evaporate, Equilibrium suits softshells, windshirts, and active layers, keeping you protected from wind and light weather while breathing well during exertion.
Pertex Diamond Fuse is a lightweight nylon fabric from Pertex that uses a distinctive diamond-grid weave construction to dramatically improve tear and abrasion resistance without adding much weight. By interlocking yarns in a diamond pattern that distributes stress, Diamond Fuse makes light fabrics far more durable than their weight suggests, addressing the usual fragility of ultralight materials. It's used in lightweight insulated jackets, wind layers, and shells where durability matters.
Pertex Quantum is a lightweight, tightly woven nylon fabric from Pertex, used primarily as the shell and lining of down and synthetic insulated jackets and sleeping bags. Its dense weave is downproof (keeping insulation from leaking out), wind-resistant, and lightly water-resistant, while staying soft, light, and packable. It balances low weight with enough durability to protect insulation, making it a common premium face fabric.
Pertex is a brand of lightweight, high-performance nylon fabrics used in outdoor gear, particularly as the shell and lining fabrics of insulated jackets, sleeping bags, and windproof layers. Different Pertex lines target different jobs — windproof and breathable shells, ultralight downproof linings that contain insulation, and water-resistant fabrics — making it a common component brand that signals a quality lightweight face fabric.
Spectra is a brand of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber — the same class of ultra-strong, ultralight fiber as Dyneema — known for being stronger than steel by weight, low-stretch, and highly resistant to abrasion and moisture. In outdoor gear it's used in high-strength cord, slings, reinforced fabrics, and cut-resistant applications, where extreme strength-to-weight is needed. It's made by Honeywell, paralleling Dyneema.
Dyneema is a brand of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber renowned for being stronger than steel by weight while being extremely light and floating on water. In outdoor gear, Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF, formerly Cuben Fiber) laminates these fibers into an ultralight, highly waterproof, non-stretch material used in premium tents, packs, and stuff sacks.
Denier (D) is a unit measuring the linear mass density of fibers — essentially how thick and heavy the threads of a fabric are. In outdoor gear, denier is used as a quick indicator of a fabric's durability and weight: higher-denier fabrics (e.g., 1000D) are thicker, tougher, and more abrasion-resistant but heavier, while lower-denier fabrics (e.g., 10D) are lighter and more packable but more delicate.
Cordura is a brand of durable, abrasion- and tear-resistant nylon fabrics used widely in backpacks, luggage, and outdoor gear. Known for its toughness and longevity, Cordura comes in various weights measured in denier (e.g., 500D, 1000D), trading higher abrasion resistance for more weight. It is a benchmark for rugged gear fabric, prioritizing durability over minimal weight.
Ripstop is a fabric (most commonly nylon, but also polyester) woven with a grid of thicker reinforcement threads at regular intervals, which stop small tears and punctures from spreading. This crosshatch structure gives ripstop a high strength- and tear-resistance-to-weight ratio, making it a staple for lightweight outdoor gear like tents, sleeping bags, jackets, and packs. It's measured in denier, indicating fiber thickness.
