torain® BY TORAY INTERNATIONAL INC.

combining fabrics, membrane, seam tape, and sewing technology for

wATERPROOF gear built to last

AKOVA is our newest brand, but we've been designing, testing, and producing award winning expedition & winter sports gear for 19 years. We have either field tested or made products with waterproof and breathable fabrics from every major supplier over the years. We are constantly monitoring for new waterproof and breathable fabric technologies, and testing them ourselves in the mountains as quickly as we can get our hands on them. We evaluated all of the waterproof and breathable fabric options on the market for this product development. We made our decision based off real world testing and the entire makeup of the product.

Our goal has been clear, develop the ultimate winter kit for Men & Women that would not only perform better for extremely high output athletes in the harshest conditions, but also last longer than other gear on the market. We were not restricted by price. We were free to chose whatever materials we believed would work the best for long lasting, top performing, winter sports gear.

The three most important things to us when selecting a waterproof & breathable fabric were:

1. Durability & Longevity - we want to build products that last and don’t have to be trashed every 2-3 seasons because they are no longer waterproof or breathable. Products that last longer can reduce waste and CO2 emissions caused by the production of new goods. Products that maintain their waterproof and breathable performance keeps gear out of landfills. Once the original owner is done with a product they can turn it into our renewal program for a discount on new gear. The old gear will be cleaned, repaired if necessary, and resold as used gear.
2. Real World Waterproofness & Breathability – We put our prototypes and samples through the ringer. We do not solely rely on lab testing results. We want the fabric that performs for us in the mountains, in all conditions.
3. Stretch – For elite athletes and everyone else to perform at their best our fabrics must provide full freedom of movement.

TESTED TO THE EXTREME BY OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS

DAVID WISE & JULIA MANCUSO

All the different waterproof and breathable fabric manufacturers provide varying waterproof and breathability ratings that are generated in labs. You are probably used to seeing these in product descriptions. However, through our 19 years of selecting and testing waterproof and breathable fabrics we have experienced that high lab ratings don't always translate to higher performance in the mountains. A fabric, for example, may do well at moving 20k grams of water vaper through a membrane during a 24-hour period in a controlled lab, but what happens to that performance when you add wet snow, driving rain, wind, abrasion, increased body heat, excessive sweat, body oils, dirt, etc. Not to mention the layers underneath the membrane need to be highly functional at moving sweat in a liquid form out through the layers and turn it into vapor form for it move through the membrane. None of these things are present or accounted for during lab testing, and they can cause the best performing waterproof and breathable membranes from a lab to utterly fail in real world use. Lab testing is not accounting for the type of membrane, the composition and how it performs the functions of waterproof and breathability. Lab testing does not account for variable temperatures and humidity levels inside and outside of the product. Labs are controlled and sterile. Our athletes while they are out pushing the limits in the mountains are not.

When you look at lab ratings of waterproof and breathable fabrics you aren’t getting these answers. Additionally, there is no governing body that is overseeing and regulating this waterproof & breathability testing. Conditions, testing equipment, and procedures vary and can be manipulated to create the desired results. A laboratory generated waterproof & breathability rating is just a small piece of the equation. It gives us a starting point for evaluating different fabrics, but for us, our decision on which waterproof and breathable fabric to use was not based on a lab number. It was based on what functions the best during our extended real-world testing conducted by Olympic Champions David Wise, Julia Mancuso, and members of our team.

picking the right partner

toray international INC

Toray International Inc., based out of Japan, has a vertically integrated structure that gives them a unique ability to design and produce custom textiles that solve specific real world issues. Like, creating a better waterproof & breathable layering system for winter sports. Torain is a garment concept created by Toray International Inc., that brings together a unique combination of fabric, membrane, seam tape, and sewing technology for elite performance in a wide range of conditions and exertion levels paired with unmatched durability and longevity. The goal was to create a windproof, waterproof & breathable product that can last for years.

After 1-2 seasons average waterproof and breathable gear begins to fail due to hydrolysis (the embrittlement of the resin film used for waterproofing). Someone may continue using it for another season or two after that, but the waterproof and breathable performance has been compromised. Once hydrolysis has occurred, the product is no longer waterproof, cannot be fixed, and must be discarded or preferably recycled (if possible). The short lifespan of these products, combined with the need to constantly produce more products, is bad for the environment, and it is expensive for consumers.

We’ve extensively field tested Torain over numerous years through every condition imaginable. Winter storms, cold winter rains, skiing, snowboarding, hiking, spring skiing, warmer spring rains, mountain biking, fly fishing, etc. AKOVA Co-Owners and Olympic Champions David Wise & Julia Mancuso have been testing prototypes of what ultimately became their signature product lines. David and Julia bring a combined 35 years of professional skiing experience and competing all over the world, in all conditions. During testing, we directed them to try to break every sample and prototype. Push it past the limits. Work as hard as you can to test the breathability. Go out in the worst storms to test the waterproofness. If it wasn’t the best feeling and performing gear that they had ever worn, then we would scrap it and start over. Not only did they test it free skiing, but David also wore his prototypes all year while training and competing at the highest level for superpipe skiing all over the world. Having David competing on the world stage, in prototypes, admittedly was stressful. We strove to improve his performance through the gear he was wearing. The thought of a prototype failing on him during competition was unimaginable. We are extremely proud that he wore his AKOVA prototypes onto the podium 3 times last season, including an X Games gold medal. The abuse he delivered to the gear throughout his training and competing is a testament to the durability and performance of the Torain technology.

A longevity test that made sense to us

THE "JUNGLE TEST"

Lab testing does not always replicate real world conditions. However, we were intrigued and impressed by the test Toray International Inc. used to determine the longevity of the Torain fabric.

The proprietary Torain technology is unique on the market and the first fabric specificically designed to withstand hydrolysis.

To verify the durability of TORAIN® fabric and seam tapes, TORAY conducted a deterioration acceleration test, referred to as the "Jungle Test", to measure the deterioration of the resin membrane.

• The sample is enclosed in a container with a high temperature (70°C / 158°F) and high humidity (95% RH) to artificially accelerate deterioration.
• One week of the Jungle Test is estimated to be equivalent to one year of wear. The test was conducted for 10 weeks.

For the standard outdoor shell, hydrolysis began to occur at the simulated 1.5 year mark, beginning to compromise waterproof and breathability performance. Year 3 exhibits compromised performance & by the simulated year 4 it is fully compromised and no longer functional as a waterproof and breathable layer.

After 10 weeks of the "Jungle Test" TORAIN's unique resistance to hydrolysis was on full display. Being able to use a waterproof and breathable product for significantly longer than the average life cycle of general outdoor gear is a win for the environment and your bank account.

Remarkably, the Torain version on the right withstood the test, resisted hydrolysis, and maintained waterproof and breathable performance.

As you can see from the image below, the conventional water protection on the left suffered massively during this test, seam tape delaminated and hydrolysis compromised the waterproofing & breathability.

push it to the limits | David Wise & Julia Mancuso

videos | real life testing by olympians