IonMask is the outdoor 'Holy grail' says Regatta

Gear news

17 July 2008 08:40

Lightweight, completely breathable, completely waterproof and eco-friendly (at least compared to the competition): that's a pretty hot combination if Regatta's claims for the IonMask technology it's using in a new line of boots are true. (Reporting from Friedrichshafen in Germany at the 2008 OutDoor show.)

IonMask is a waterproofing treatment developed by British government to protect troops from chemical weapons, which often carry their venom in clouds of water or oil vapour. It's a chemical treatment applied to finished boots in a vacuum and which completely penetrates every fibre, leaving them utterly (and permanently) hydrophobic. Treating the boots in this way saves around 70g a waterproof membrane like Gore-Tex or eVent adds to a pair, and doesn't harm the fabric's inherent breathability at all - in striking contrast to any membrane. There's no wastage and since the treatment is applied at room temperature, it's more ec´-friendly than membrane manufacture. Regatta is launching three boots with IonMask - the traditional 3-season leather Masquerade at around seventy pounds and the Fastback Mid and lower-cut Fastback fabric and suede boots at around sixty and fifty respectively from late January.

Sounds like it would be brilliant in a soft-shell too doesn't it? Regatta say IonMask clothing is still a way off but confirm they've treated a soft-shell just to see what it was like. "Awesome, in a word. We carried water in it like a bucket, but it hadn't lost any of its breathability." A new dawn for the shell? Could be...