There is a silent monster lurking in your closet that you probably didn't even know existed. It's likely resting on the outer layer of your ski jacket, on the edge of your gloves, or maybe it's on the bag you wore to work today. What is the monster, you ask? Enter PFAS chemicals.
Okay, but for real, not to be all doom and gloom, but if you're not familiar with PFAS chemicals (polyfluoroalkyl substances), they're essentially a spray-on coating that adds water resistance to consumer products like ski pants or rain jackets. The problem, though, is that this coating is known as a "forever chemical," meaning it will never break down. Instead, it accumulates in soil, water, wildlife, and even human bodies. This has caused heaps of health concerns. According to the FDA, PFAS has been linked to cancers, liver & Kidney problems, hormone disruption, reduced fertility, and can even cause developmental issues in children. Scary stuff indeed.
The good news is that the entire outdoors industry is waking up and is making a big push to move away from PFAS coatings. It is expected that in the next 3-5 years, most of the big brand names will be using an eco-friendly alternative.
So where does Boundary Supply stand with water-resistant coatings? Well, fortunately for us as a brand, our Barricade DWR coating has always been eco-friendly. More importantly, we are also proudly one of the early adopters of X-Pac Materials. Recently, as a brand, we voted to only use X-Pac or greater materials in future rounds of production. The reason for this is that X-Pac is a fabric that consists of 3 layers: the face fabric, which is what you see on the outside of our packs, an X-Ply aramid layer, which gives our bags the X grid look, and last, a clear water-resistant film layer.
Water-resistant coatings like PFAS create two problems; the first, as we've already mentioned, is that they are simply not safe, or sustainable. The second problem is that it wears off with time, leaving you exposed to the elements. Because the makers of X-Pac, Dimension Polyant, use a water-resistant backing as the last layer in their fabrics, there is actually no need for a PFAS coating. The waterproof layer is quite literally built into the textile. The use of this fabric is ultimately what sets our products apart from the competitors. X-Pac fabric is truly impenetrable by water due to the lamination process they use.
So the next time you are contemplating purchasing a new pack for outdoor use, take a moment to educate yourself on the brand and what methods they use to waterproof their fabrics. Is the bag you are buying water-resistant, or does it just have a coating that will wear off with time? Consider an X-Pac product by Boundary Supply. A lifetime warranty backs our new products against manufacturing defects, and they are built with time-tested methods and fabrics, ensuring they outlast the harshest of rainstorms while remaining sustainable and safe.
Discover Boundary’s waterproof bag collection