I want to point something out to you guys, and these are things I learned from my years of being an avid backpacker, not a fly fisherman, but the idea applies to a lot of stuff across life.
Gore-Tex waders mean nothing. Gore-Tex is a brand name of material technology, and it used to mean something, but that patent expired in 1997, and when it expired, many companies began their own versions or ripoffs of "Gore-Tex." Now, in my opinion, the words "Gore-Tex" are used to charge more for something because the name carries weight with consumers, just like the brand names Simms and Orvis carry weight and can almost automatically get people to pay more for it.
This same concept happens all of the time in the outdoor world. We are spoon-fed some nonsense about "new and superior fabrics," but in reality, everything is still just polyester, nylon, rayon, wool, or a blend of those. Stika and other companies have capitalized on this, but most of their stuff is just polyester. Sure, maybe that polyester is weaved in a way or pattern that didn't exist before that, but it is still just polyester. There have been very few new materials actually designed and brought to market.
Now, I am not saying that there is no difference between brands and quality; there is. In fact, trusted brands can and will produce high quality garments that will last longer, but there is nothing special about "Gore-Tex" anymore. There is nothing that overly separates it and makes it far superior than other membrane-style water-resistant nylons and polyesters.
This is just my 0.2, but when I began backpacking in earnest, it really helped me see through all the commercial advertising BS in the world, and I would say I had an eye-opening revelation of what is worth the money and what's not. This is all only for us to figure out for ourselves, however, but the words "Gore-Tex" written on something do not make me any more likely to buy it. For me, this is true of almost all fancy marketing buzzwords and fabric technologies.
Gore-Tex waders mean nothing. Gore-Tex is a brand name of material technology, and it used to mean something, but that patent expired in 1997, and when it expired, many companies began their own versions or ripoffs of "Gore-Tex." Now, in my opinion, the words "Gore-Tex" are used to charge more for something because the name carries weight with consumers, just like the brand names Simms and Orvis carry weight and can almost automatically get people to pay more for it.
This same concept happens all of the time in the outdoor world. We are spoon-fed some nonsense about "new and superior fabrics," but in reality, everything is still just polyester, nylon, rayon, wool, or a blend of those. Stika and other companies have capitalized on this, but most of their stuff is just polyester. Sure, maybe that polyester is weaved in a way or pattern that didn't exist before that, but it is still just polyester. There have been very few new materials actually designed and brought to market.
Now, I am not saying that there is no difference between brands and quality; there is. In fact, trusted brands can and will produce high quality garments that will last longer, but there is nothing special about "Gore-Tex" anymore. There is nothing that overly separates it and makes it far superior than other membrane-style water-resistant nylons and polyesters.
This is just my 0.2, but when I began backpacking in earnest, it really helped me see through all the commercial advertising BS in the world, and I would say I had an eye-opening revelation of what is worth the money and what's not. This is all only for us to figure out for ourselves, however, but the words "Gore-Tex" written on something do not make me any more likely to buy it. For me, this is true of almost all fancy marketing buzzwords and fabric technologies.
