Nina Reeves

About

Nina is a textile engineer who spent four years in Patagonia's R&D lab developing next-generation waterproof breathable fabrics before deciding she'd rather tell consumers the truth about DWR treatments and membrane technologies than help brands market them. She can read a fabric spec sheet the way a sommelier reads a wine list, and her material analysis explains in plain English why your 'waterproof' jacket wets out after two hours and what the hydrostatic head rating actually means for real-world performance. Her durability testing involves an abrasion rig she built in her garage that simulates pack rub, rock contact, and the specific wear pattern of someone who bushwhacks through Pacific Northwest salal. She's published in the Journal of Textile Research and maintains a materials database tracking 200+ outdoor fabrics across 15 performance metrics.

7 years of experience in outdoor gear.