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Challenge Sailcloth has been taking the industry by storm with polarizing materials like ULTRA Weave, ECOPAK, ULTRA TNT and others. We sit down with Wes Hatcher (Director of Challenge Outdoor Sales and Development) and talk about what went wrong, what's going well, and what it's like designing outdoor materials for a living.

Wes is a fascinating guy who has been in the outdoor textiles industry for a long time. His career has taken a series of exciting turns. Starting with DSM when they owned the Dyneema® Group, working in design, and now working with Challenge Outdoor he has a unique knowledge set that no one can replicate.

Listen to this episode to hear: 

• Seam elongation on ULTRA materials 
• The challenges they are facing with organizational change 
• How Wes worked at Dyneema® 
• What to expect with film wear on the material backing 

 

Products Mentioned: 

• ECOPAK
• ULTRA 
• DTRS75

Timeline:

00:00- Introduction and Wes Hatcher's Background
01:29- Life at Challenge and the Benefits of Remote Work
04:52- Working with Global Teams and Customers
08:18- Wes Hatcher's Non-Traditional Career Path
17:27- Following in Hale Wolokoff's Footsteps
21:02- The Art of Color Selection in Fabric Production
25:35- The Secret to Choosing Great Colors
33:49- Understanding Ultra TNT Fabric
40:25- Repairing Outdoor Gear with Tenacious Tape
43:45- The Potential of Ultra TNT Fabric
49:53- Understanding the Performance of Tents and Shelters
55:09- The Correct Way to Use Tape
01:02:41- Coating Ultra and Other Materials
01:08:40- Is Ultra Overkill?
01:11:12- Future Advancements in Fabric Technology

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