Fahrenheit · Fabrics & technologies
Start with the fabric. Everything a garment does — how warm it is, how it moves, how long it lasts — is decided before it is cut.
The system
We select only the highest-performing materials for every layer of the clothing system. Whether it is the base layer that sits next to the skin, the insulation layer that traps warmth, or the outer shell that protects against wind, rain and abrasion, each fabric is chosen for its specific role. The result is a coherent three-layer system that delivers maximum comfort, moisture management and protection in real operational conditions.
The two-component fabric built for the base layer.
The inner surface pulls moisture away from the skin by capillary action; the outer surface spreads it for rapid evaporation. It dries twice as fast as cotton and offers excellent breathability, with UPF 50+ protection and Odor Resistant® technology.
100% Polyester·125 g/m²·UPF 50+·ECWCS L1
The base layer for cooler weather and high-intensity activity.
A bi-component grid-structure fabric. Special channels on the inner face retain heat while keeping the skin dry and maximising moisture transfer. Lightweight and highly breathable, with Odor Resistant® technology.
93% Polyester + 7% Spandex·231 g/m²·ECWCS L2
Merino against the skin, synthetic durability on the outside.
A hybrid knit that combines a soft merino-wool core — natural odour resistance and moisture control — with a durable synthetic outer yarn. It eliminates the traditional drawbacks of pure wool, from slow drying to shrinkage and limited durability, while retaining its best properties. A technical base layer in the full sense.
51% Polyester / 43% Merino wool / 6% Spandex
Four-way stretch that does not deform.
A bi-component fabric. The durable nylon outer face increases abrasion resistance; the soft velour inner face wicks moisture and provides insulation. Excellent freedom of movement, with Odor Resistant® protection.
52% Polyester / 38% Nylon / 10% Elastane·247 g/m²
Light insulation for high-output activity.
A lightweight dual-sided fleece. Warm, elastic and highly breathable, it moves excess moisture away from the body. Anti-pilling treatment and Odor Resistant® technology.
100% Polyester·159 g/m²
Outstanding warmth-to-weight in a high-quality dual-sided fleece.
Roughly twice as warm per gram as sheep's wool, and more than three times warmer than cotton. Breathable, durable and anti-pilling.
100% Polyester·251 g/m²
High-loft dual-sided fleece that also handles the weather.
The abrasion-resistant outer face offers light wind and rain protection; the soft inner face maximises insulation. An excellent warmth-to-weight balance, and it retains its insulating properties after repeated washing. Fast-drying.
100% Polyester·327 g/m² as used in the Thermal Pro sweater
Advanced long-pile fleece that mimics animal fur.
Exceptional warmth-to-weight and packability, highly elastic, abrasion-resistant and breathable. It wicks moisture and dries quickly, and carries Odor Resistant® technology.
100% Polyester·237 g/m²·ECWCS L3
Premium microfibre insulation, developed for the U.S. Army as a high-performance alternative to goose down.
Its thermal resistance is almost identical to down, and it retains nearly all of its insulating power even when wet. Highly compressible, breathable and durable.
100% Polyester·100 / 133 / 200 g/m²
Insulating fleece and a polyurethane membrane in one layer.
It blocks around 98% of wind, tested at 60 km/h, and resists moisture penetration while remaining breathable — all while providing thermal insulation. Light, durable and anti-pilling.
100% Polyester·251 g/m²·Blocks ~98% of wind at 60 km/h
High-performance nylon with a non-porous membrane, from Toyota Tsusho in Japan.
Excellent abrasion resistance and breathable moisture management, with an integrated sixth-generation S-DWR water-repellent finish — built into the fibre structure rather than applied as a surface coating. In its laminated hard-shell form it is rated 20,000 mm water column and 20,000 g/m²/24h, with sealed seams.
100% Nylon·69 / 113 g/m²·20,000 mm H₂O / 20,000 g/m²/24h·ECWCS L6–L7
Lightweight, highly durable nylon-cotton rip-stop for hot-weather use.
Developed by Milliken — a principal supplier of fabrics to the US armed forces — specifically for hot climates. A similar fabric is used in the U.S. Army Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform. Abrasion-resistant, and comfortable in high temperatures.
57% Nylon / 43% Cotton·Rip-stop weave
Technologies
Jade, crushed to dust and embedded in the fibre before the fabric is made — a green technology, not a finish applied to the surface, so there is nothing to wash out. It lowers the temperature at the skin by 1–2 °C, which matters most where there is no way to cool down. It also slows the bacteria that cause odour, dries fast and carries UPF 50+.
Antibacterial protection built into the fibre. Odor Resistant® technology permanently keeps odour-causing bacteria at bay — so the garment stays fresh longer, even during the most demanding use.
A construction used where the problem is heat rather than cold. Ventilation is engineered into the fabric so air moves continuously across the skin, carrying moisture off the surface as fast as the body produces it.
Near-infrared reflectance treatment. It lowers how visible the garment is to night-vision optics and similar equipment — a property that matters in the field and is invisible everywhere else. Currently on the ALFA Light jacket and vest, the NYCO MultiCam® cap and the UBACS combat shirt.
Care
The cooling, the odour control and the water repellency are built into the fibre, not applied over the top. They perform the same in the fiftieth wash as in the first, and every fabric on this page goes in a machine.
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