H2Off fabric, anyone know of a source

[bluewombat]

Hi all
just keen to know if anyone has come across an Australian supplier of a fabric called H2Off. It is made by the Japanese company Toray and has some nifty properties. It has been around for quite a while but these days the only things I see made of it are golf clothes and I am not tromping around the bogs in pastels. I am not looking for reams of the stuff just enough to make a few pairs of scrub pants
cheers
bw

[Mark F]

Having a quick read, it sounds like a microporous pu coating - lots of them about and they sit under Goretex, Event in the constellation of wpb technologies. Being developed in 1979 with only a 500mm HH rating I would suggest that it is only minimally "waterproof" and there is no breathability measure provided. You can buy plenty of these types of fabrics from the US DIY suppliers but it is always a bit of a gamble on how it will perform. Many manufacturers use their own name for this type of fabric to try to differentiate their products.

Don't feel that the fabric (type) is not worth using. I have a Marmot jacket using this type of fabric and I am quite happy with it. Toray is a well known weaver of fabrics.

[bluewombat]

Hi Mark
thanks for taking some time on this. I agree the material is not particularly waterproof, I have some comfy pants made of the stuff which I have worn for at least 10 years. I think the interesting thing about the material is that it is its structure that makes it water repellent not any laminate or coat http://www.torayentrant.com/h2off/index.html and my experience is that it seems to have retained its soft feel and some degree of water repellence after many years of abuse, hence my interest.
cheers
David