An advanced inspection is a complete disassembly-level evaluation: gear arrives, gets cleaned, comes apart, and every layer faces trained eyes and — where indicated — test equipment, before a documented verdict goes back with the garment. Here is the step-by-step.
Step 1: intake and identification
Serials verified against your manifest, history pulled, wearer-reported issues flagged for the bench. The inspection starts with knowing exactly which garment this is.
Step 2: cleaning first
Inspection follows cleaning — contamination hides defects and fouls test results. A garment can’t be honestly evaluated dirty.
Step 3: separation
Liners out of shells, layers apart. Most of what an advanced inspection exists to find lives between the layers where wearer checks cannot see.
Step 4: layer-by-layer evaluation
- Outer shell: UV degradation, abrasion, char, seam integrity, hardware
- Moisture barrier: the critical pass — seam tape, pinholes, delamination
- Thermal liner: loft, quilting, wear patterns
- Interfaces and trim: wristlets, collars, visibility elements
Step 5: testing where indicated
Liner integrity testing per the standard’s cadence and wherever the visual raises questions — the instrumented answer to “is this barrier still a barrier?”
Step 6: disposition and documentation
Cleared, repaired-and-cleared, or condemned — each with a per-garment report that becomes your compliance record. Book the annual and the paperwork builds itself.
FAQ
How long does the process take per garment?
Bench time is under an hour for a clean pass; findings add time. Batch logistics dominate the calendar more than bench time does.
Can wearers do any of this?
Wearers own the routine checks between annuals — the layered evaluation and testing require the training and equipment. Both matter; neither substitutes.