Polartec-Gore-Schoeller: who,which

hi all! I'm Carlo from Italy,
in this period I'm really posting a lot of messages, and I always find ready and kind answers. Thank to all of you.
So...why not continue asking.....
I'd like to know from you (ones that have a bit of experience about and want to answer me)the main differences between GoreWindStopper, Polartec PowerShield, and Schoeller similar tissues (maybe wb400, dryskin, so the windproof/water-resistant ones).
I found a Pamir windstopper byTNF in a store, and I'm trying to understand what's really worth. It seems the the polartec fleeces and softshells are more advanced, while few usa brands use the schoeller technology. But as I told you, I'm quite ignorant about it, and I'd like to know really what I buy.

PowerShield and the Schoeller fabrics are supposedly a bit more stretchy than the WindStopper, but I don't have any personal basis for comparison. But from what I've seen I think you're analysis is about right.

Carlo -

There are several US brands (all made in China or other SE Asia countries, of course) that use Schoeller. I have Schoeller gear from Cloudveil, GoLite, OR, and (believe it or not!) REI. I have seen others in catalogs. There are also Schoeller imitations (claimed to be better, of course, by the advertising writers).

I also have some gear in WindStopper and WindBloc. My impression in use is that the WindStopper and WindBloc are pretty stiff (hence don't stuff well) and don't insulate as well as plain old fleece for the same weight garment (you have to use a wind shell with the fleece, naturally, but then you end up with something that to me is much warmer). They also don't breathe well (Schoeller and similar fabrics breathe much better, for me anyway, and are almost as windproof). Another thing about the WindStopper and WindBloc in headgear (like "peruvian" hats and balaclavas) is that they do cut down on hearing. My wife has some DriClime jacket and pants that she says work almost as well as her Schoeller (much older technology, but sometimes the older gear works as well or better.

You mention water resistance - I find that my Schoeller jacket is fairly resistant to light drizzle and to snow, but not to a heavy downpour. I found my WindStopper and WindBloc jackets to be no more water-resistant than plain fleece. Softshells in general are not really intended to be more than slightly water resistant, so in any heavy precip, you still need a waterproof shell (used to use Goretex, but nowdays, I am using an eVent jacket from Integral Designs - Canadian company).

Hope this helps somewhat. I am not familiar with the Pamir, so I can't comment there. The Schoeller gear I have is almost all the "3X Dry" (which just means it dries faster when you do get it wet, not that it is 3 times drier than some other fabric).

Thank you very much.
I'm not going to buy the Pamir jkt, because it seemed to me, and you confirm my thoughts, that it's just a bit better than a normal fleece.
I'll wait.
There's an Italian company, "Montura" - I don't work for it, I'm a university student- , that passes unknown on this community, but here in europe, and expecially in Austria, Switzerland and Germany is making a great success among Alpinist Skiers. It uses Schoeller's technology for the softshells, and keeps a lot of attention to the little details. I'll try a wind fleece in wb400, and I'll report some info. Anyway, thank you a lot again.
email me whenever you want.