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Discover our selection of outdoor materials for making, repairing, or customizing your gear. Durable and lightweight, they meet the demands of DIY and MYOG projects.

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Polartec Alpha Direct fabric for ultralight technical hiking apparel

ALPHA DIRECT ®

30,00 €

Our Technical Materials

Polartec® Alpha Direct

Polartec® Alpha Direct

Polartec® Alpha Direct is an active insulation fabric designed to offer an excellent balance between warmth, breathability, and lightness. Available in 60 g/m² and 90 g/m², it allows you to adjust the level of insulation to suit the conditions you encounter and the intensity of your activity.

Originally designed for demanding activities, it has now become a benchmark in the world of ultralight hiking thanks to its ability to naturally regulate body temperature during physical exertion.

Its unique construction, consisting of lofted fibers directly attached to a mesh backing, promotes constant airflow. Excess heat is wicked away before it causes discomfort, while maintaining effective insulation when activity slows down.

Naturally water-repellent, Polartec® Alpha Direct dries very quickly and maintains its performance even in wet conditions. Its excellent warmth-to-weight ratio makes it a particularly popular fabric for mid-layers designed for hiking, camping, and mountaineering.

Country of origin: United States (Polartec® technology)

Key Benefits

✔ High-performance active insulation

✔ Natural heat regulation

✔ Advanced breathability

✔ Dries very quickly

✔ Water-repellent material

✔ Very lightweight

✔ Compressible

✔ Excellent durability

Unlike traditional insulation materials, which are primarily designed to retain heat, Alpha Direct® is designed to adapt to fluctuations in exercise intensity.

Its open structure helps wick away moisture and heat generated while walking, thereby minimizing condensation inside the garment.

This adaptability helps maintain excellent thermal comfort both during periods of exertion and during breaks.

Two versions are available, depending on the desired level of insulation:

Alpha Direct® 60: approximately 60 g/m², ideal when lightness, breathability, and dynamic activities are the top priorities.

Alpha Direct® 90: approximately 90 g/m², offering superior thermal insulation while maintaining the breathability and quick-drying properties characteristic of Alpha Direct technology.

The weight may vary by ±10% depending on the manufacturing process.

This fabric is particularly well-suited for making ultralight technical clothing, beanies, midlayers, or liners.

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Tecnocore® Wool

Tecnocore® Wool

Tecnocore™ Wool is a next-generation technical fabric that combines recycled polyester, merino wool, and nylon to offer an excellent balance of warmth, breathability, comfort, and durability.

French Light Outdoor is the first European brand to offer this technology in handcrafted clothing.

Designed to support both strenuous activities and evenings at camp, Tecnocore™ Wool stands out for its soft feel, its ability to naturally reduce odors, and its excellent moisture management.

This material offers a particularly attractive alternative to traditional synthetic fabrics thanks to the combination of the natural properties of merino wool and the performance of modern technical fibers.

Country of origin: ITALY

Key Benefits

✔ Natural thermoregulation

✔ Effective humidity control

✔ Excellent heat retention

✔ Odor-resistant thanks to merino wool

✔ Highly breathable

✔ Soft and stretchy

✔ Recycled polyester

✔ High durability

Tecnocore™ Wool has quickly become one of French Light Outdoor's favorite materials.

The addition of merino wool improves thermal comfort and naturally reduces odors, while the nylon reinforces the fabric's structure and increases its durability.

This combination results in a fabric that is softer, less see-through, and particularly comfortable to wear during a multi-day hike.

Composition:
57% recycled polyester
32% merino wool
11% nylon

Weight:
, approximately 90 g/m²

Polyester is made from recycled plastic.

Merino wool comes from New Zealand farms that practice ethical sheep farming without mulesing.

Bluesign®

OEKO-TEX®

Octa®

Octa®

Octa® is a technical fabric developed using a polyester fiber with a unique structure that combines warmth, breathability, and lightness in a single fabric.

Its eight-branched hollow fiber structure allows it to effectively trap air while keeping its weight down. This design also improves moisture wicking and speeds up drying.

French Light Outdoor is the first European brand to offer this fabric in handmade clothing.

Origin: Japan (Octa® technology)

Key Benefits

✔ Excellent heat-to-weight ratio

✔ Quick-drying

✔ Highly breathable

✔ Active insulation

✔ Very lightweight

✔ Durable

✔ Soft texture

✔ Excellent moisture wicking

What makes Octa® unique is its structure. Each fiber has eight fins arranged around a hollow core.

This design traps more warm air while using less material than traditional polyester yarn.

The result is effective thermal insulation combined with a particularly low weight.

100% polyester
Octa® 80
, approximately 80 g/m²

The fabric combines:
a durable mesh outer layer;
a very soft inner layer that enhances thermal comfort.

This design promotes excellent breathability while minimizing the risk of overheating during exercise.

There are currently no products available in this category.

Polartec® Delta

Polartec® Delta

Polartec® Delta™ is a technical fabric designed to enhance comfort during activities in warm weather.

Its construction combines hydrophobic and hydrophilic fibers to effectively distribute sweat over a larger surface area. This gradual evaporation promotes the body’s natural cooling process while minimizing the feeling of dampness.

Designed for summer clothing, Delta™ is perfect for long days of hiking, mountaineering, or trekking, offering excellent breathability and quick-drying performance.

Country of origin: United States (Polartec® technology)

Key Benefits

✔ Active cooling

✔ Quick-drying

✔ Highly breathable

✔ Advanced moisture management

✔ Odor reduction

✔ Stretch fabric

✔ Cool to the touch

✔ UPF 15 sun protection

Unlike traditional fabrics, which are designed solely to wick away sweat, Delta™ harnesses the body's natural cooling mechanism.

Moisture is distributed across the entire surface of the fabric to promote gradual evaporation, which enhances the feeling of coolness during exercise.

To enhance this effect, the garment can also be deliberately dampened on particularly hot days.

Composition: 70% polyester (
)
, 30% Tencel™

Weight:
, approximately 100 g/m²

OEKO-TEX®

Coolmax®

Coolmax®

Coolmax® is a technical fabric developed to enhance comfort during activities in hot weather.

Its design promotes rapid moisture wicking to keep the fabric dry, lightweight, and comfortable to wear during exercise.

French Light Outdoor uses it for clothing designed for summer activities where breathability and thermal comfort are top priorities.

Key Benefits

✔ Quick-drying

✔ Highly breathable

✔ Refreshing effect

✔ Excellent moisture wicking

✔ Lightweight

✔ Durable

✔ Long-lasting comfort

✔ Great for summer activities

Coolmax® accelerates the transfer of moisture to the outside of the garment to promote evaporation.

This effective moisture-wicking technology minimizes the feeling of damp fabric during exercise and helps maintain better thermal comfort during summer hikes.

To enhance this effect, the garment can also be deliberately dampened on particularly hot days.

It is particularly well-suited for clothing designed for physical activities in hot weather.

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