Walking around the large maze that is Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, I quickly came to realize that there’s a lot of backcountry specific apparel coming for 2015/2016. I was happy to find that many brands are releasing men’s and women’s kits together.
Arc’teryx Ceres Jacket — super comfy down jacket with box wall construction (read: better insulating) and strategically placed 850 fill down and synthetic insulation.
Arc’teryx — Arc’teryx has a fully revamped glove and mitten line for next winter, with improvements to fit, dexterity, warmth and longevity. Hands lose heat to water 24 times faster than to surrounding air. Over time most leather will eventually absorb water with use. Wet leather robs your hands of heat at a much faster rate than when dry. Arc’teryx’s solution is highly hydrophobic nylon fabric laminated to Gore-tex to leave your hands dryer and warmer. To improve durability thermoplastic polyurethane laminates are added on fingers and palm to enhance grip.
New Atom Glove Liner (right) is an insulated Primaloft liner glove with grip control for use within a shell glove or as a light duty standalone. Beta Shell glove (left) is a taped, waterproof shell built using burly, highly hydrophobic Gore-tex. Now you can layer your gloves like you do your jackets.
Black Diamond is adding versatility to AvaLung with the new AvaLung Ready pack. You can switch the Avalung element between compatible packs or take it off for four-season pack use. Also, the new BD touring specific pants will feature a padded Pieps Pocket on the right thigh to house your avalanche beacon.
BD’s Avalung Ready Pack.
Black Diamond snow lines–on and off piste wear. Men’s on the left, women’s on the right.
The Pieps Pocket gets your beacon out from underneath your chest layers and makes it more accessible while keeping it leashed and protected.
Mountain Equipment –- Mountain Equipment continues to offer three clothing fits: Alpine Fit, Mountain Fit, and Active Fit (more info available here. Likewise, their hoods come in three designs: Mountain (smaller over-crown measurement for those who do not expect to be wearing a climbing helmet), Mountain HC (all-around hood, designed to be worn with or without a helmet), Super Alpine HC (helmet compatible hood, has largest cranium volume with an increased over-crown measurement, higher front collar with internal silicone grip strips).
Internal silicone grip strips on Mountain Equipment’s Super Alpine HC hoods are designed to grip your helmet so the hood moves as you turn your head, eliminating the blinder effect.
The Epic Touring Pant is made of multiple thicknesses of softshell fabric. This is designed for a good balance of breathability, stretch, and durability. Instead of internal gaiters, they kept the bulk down with adjustable Velcro.
Check out what Mountain Equipment is doing for men’s insulated boot-crop pants on our Instagram page, @WildSnow.
Duckworth is a Montana wool company. Their open range sheep graze at 9,500 feet in the Rocky Mountains. Dry hot summers and freezing cold winters shape a soft, durable fiber with exceptional loft and breathability. Indeed, the goods we checked out felt exceptionally soft. 100% made in USA — the wool travels to the Carolinas for spinning, knitting and sewing.
Duckworth works with the Montana State Wool Lab and the American Wood Council to develop innovative processes for manufacturing easy care, environmentally sound wool products.
Big Agnes makes comfy sleeping bags and comfy jackets too. The baffles in their jackets are designed to contour to your body to provide a more comfortable and warmer fit. FlowGate is their proprietary technology — gates within the baffles that are staggered along the vertical channels to keep the insulation in place, eliminating cold spots.
Big Agnes men’s ultralight DownTek jacket with big inside skin pockets, and women’s Sunshine Hooded jacket with 850 fill DownTek.
Smartwool –- Snazzy new designs on men’s and women’s ski socks will be in stores next year. Insulated skirts are the rage and Smartwool is adding patterns and making them shorter.
More than just pretty skirts, these are made with wind-resistant nylon with DWR finish, merino lined and insulation fill of 75% wool, 25% polyester.
After trekking across the plains of ORWM, a climb up 25 Short in the Grand Tetons was a welcome breath of fresh air.
Recap of WildSnow posts, January 26 – January 30, 2015:
Splitting The Difference — More From Outdoor Retailer Winter Market
Improved and Updated Dynafit Bindings FAQ
Japan — Of Elusive Things — Like Passports, Luggage, And Bus Reservations
Wildsnow Japan: First Days Skiing And Culinary Explorations
Atomic Backland (Salomon MTN) Tech Binding — Old is New Again
AluBOOyah Backcountry Bike With Tech Toe Ski Carrier
WildSnow Girl, Rachel Bellamy, skis, snowboards and does just about everything else that’s fun. Rachel calls the Pacific Northwest home but is often romping around the mountains and crags of other states she loves. Whether on snow, rock, or in the sea, this WildSnow Girl will frequently have a camera in hand to capture the bliss of adventure through photography. See her beautiful images on Instagram: birdrachel.