November 1999
For Immediate Release

An Outdoor Enthusiast Needs to be Warm, Dry and Visible

3M Brands Provide Advanced Products For These Crucial Outdoor Needs

London.Three needs. Three brands. 3M. The company known for innovation has become a major force in providing high-tech solutions for the three most essential needs of the thriving outdoor sports market. Sports enthusiasts of every level constantly seek the latest in protective gear and apparel. And keeping those consumers state-of-the-art warm, dry and visible in this technology-driven market is the challenge that 3M - and its brands - continues to meet.

The success of the three brands - Thinsulate Insulation, Scotchgard protection and 3M Scotchlite reflective material - is based on their high consumer awareness and the continual offering of high-tech materials and up-to-date products. Each brand has been used in a range of apparel and accessories, bringing their warm, dry and visible benefits to hikers, fisherman, hunters, skiers, snowboarders, cyclists and campers.

STAY WARM: Snowboarders, ice climbers and hikers; no one enjoys an outdoor adventure when they are cold and confined. With today's technology, there's no need to be either. Thinsulate Flex Insulation answers the outdoor enthusiast's need to be both warm and mobile. It is the latest innovation in Thinsulate insulation product line. While conventional insulations can tear under extreme stretching and flexing conditions causing cold spots in the garment, Thinsulate Flex insulation is made with an entirely new construction that stretches and recovers. This construction, coupled with the addition of elasticized fibers, allows Thinsulate Flex insulation to elongate with today's high-tech, stretchable fabrics. Even under cold temperature the elasticized fibers remain tough and resilient.

KEEP DRY: As outdoor enthusiasts can attest, rain, mud and snow often accompany sporting activities. In order to stay dry and protect apparel and accessories from staining, 3M offers two types of protection that respond to the challenges of the great outdoors - Scotchgard protection for leather and Scotchgard protection for high performance outerwear. Both treatments create an invisible film around the fiber, lowering the surface energy of the fabric, and providing oil and water repellency and soil resistance. The finish provides two important features to the outdoor market - protection from rain, sleet and snow, since liquids bead up and roll off, and resistance to stains, including oil.

BE VISIBLE: Reflective material may be one of the most copied features of high-tech outerwear by streetwear tastemakers. Rightfully so, since this eye-catching feature stands out. 3M's high quality Scotchlite reflective materials, namely the new white fabric and yarns leave wanna be's in the dark. Scotchlite reflective materials have maximum versatility. The white fabric can be dyed and used as top-tech trim on outdoor apparel and accessories, while the yarn can be woven, braided or knit into fabrics. Scotchlite reflective material provides high brightness and maximum visibility. It reflects up to 1500 times brighter than white fabric at night.

Contact 3M Canada PR department.

3M, Thinsulate, Scotchlite, and Scotchgard are trademarks of 3M. Used under license in Canada.

Archive 2003
Archive 2002
Archive 2001
Archive 2000
Archive 1999
Archive 1998