Winter OR Round-Up: Black Diamond Introduces New Apparel Line

www.blackdiamondequipment.com

SLC-based Black Diamond has been on the outdoor scene since 1957, and their products have won the loyalty of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts and a long slew of awards for gear innovation and design. From hard goods like magnetic carabiners and backcountry skis to soft goods like cold-weather gloves and the Avalung backpack, which has saved countless lives during avalanches, BD has stepped up its game each season. And this continues as we look into fall 2013 with an all-new line of apparel.

The first in a three-year plan of…let’s call it “focused domination,” Black Diamond will deliver a line of men’s soft shells, base layers, and insulated fleece next fall, working with a variety of textiles including Schoeller, Primaloft, and Polartech. We got a sneak peak…

The Dawn Patrol Hybrid Jacket ($349, pictured left) employs a Schoeller stretch-woven nylon shell with body-mapped, three-layer waterproof laminate and NanoSphere Technology, which encourages dirt and water to run off the fabric much like the self-cleaning effect of certain plants. The jacket boasts backcountry- and climbing-friendly features like two massive chest pockets, zippered hand pockets, and an adjustable, helmet-compatible hood. The Access Hybrid Hoody ($249, pictured center), meanwhile, melds a nylon shell with Primaloft insulation and Schoeller stretch nylon side panels to insulate on ice and rock, and will be built for movement and warmth. It’s got a chest pocket, stretch-gusset cuffs, a drawcord hem, and internal drop pockets, and is part of their Primaloft-centric Stance and Access line. Pieces like the Coefficient Hoody ($159, pictured right) fill the need for base- and mid-layers, described as the Crag, Solution, and Coefficient line. This zip-up layer uses Polartec Power Dry fleece (80% poly, 12% elastine) to provide athletic stretch, fast drying, warmth, and breathability. It has a single chest pocket, stretch cuffs, a smooth-to-the-touch feel, and an under-the-helmet, clean-fitting hood.

At first blush the color patterns and overall designs are impressive—it’s clear that Black Diamond spent a lot of time considering every detail, rather than rushing these 24 style to the market. (Creds for this go to former Patagonia clotheshorse, Tim Bantle and an A-list design team culled from other apparel powerhouses). Some decisions, like the tight elastic cuffs on the fleece, may relegate the product to solely to the field, as the feature doesn’t lend itself wearing it around around town as much as it does to hanging at the crag. This single focus may make the also A-list price points somewhat dear. But the designers’ inventive use of multiple fabrics could be a smart collaboration in creating truly high-performance pieces that could easily find a place in an already-crowded market.

In spring 2014, Black Diamond will introduce men’s alpine and climbing products, with the first women’s outwear coming in fall 2014. Ski wear will follow in fall 2015.

We have a few prototypes in our testers’ hands right now, and will report back as we approach the official release of the new product to the masses.

Prices vary.

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REI Flash 18 Day Pack

www.rei.com, 11 ounces
The REI Flash 18L takes simplicity to the limit at a great price, without sacrificing too much functionality. While REI introduced the original Flash 18 more than a year ago, a couple of upgrades make this pack worth a second glance. A zippered mesh pocket inside the pack is roomy enough for a headlamp, sunglasses, wallet, keys, and electronics. Also inside is a hydration bladder pocket that now includes a connection loop at the top, so there’s no sagging. For people unfamiliar with the ultra-light Flash 18, it’s a simple, lightweight bag with lots of well-considered features. The framesheet is a piece of dense foam that can be removed and used for a seat on snowy or wet days. Or turn the pack inside out and use it as a stuff sack (the ripstop nylon coating repels water, but the drawstring, lidless closure is definitely not designed for wet conditions). We carried the bag to the climbing gym, library, and on day hikes—the 18-liter capacity easily swallows a lunch and water bottle, or climbing shoes, chalk bag, and harness, but not much more. The hip belt and sternum strap are easily removable, but they are so lightweight, we don’t see why anyone would ditch ‘em. The shoulder straps are an airy cut-out foam and mesh that breathe well and didn’t pinch on a day hike up Tumalo Mountain with about ten pounds of food and rain gear. This sub-one-pound pack is ideal for short day hikes in the front country, carrying as a stuff sack and day pack while backpacking, or loading up with your kit for a day of gym climbing or outdoor bouldering.
-Chris Boyle

$34.50

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Helly Hansen H2Flow Jacket

www.hellyhansen.com, 15.6 ounces
This unique variation on the venerable shelled fleece jacket design truly impressed us during recent tests, with its excellent insulation-to-weight ratio, easy venting, and fast moisture transfer in sweaty situations. At first glance the H2Flow looks like a standard hoodless zip-front jacket with a taffeta outer shell, fleece inner, and twin zip pockets. However, the shell fabric isn’t nylon, it’s tougher polyester, which resists UV degradation and doesn’t stretch or absorb water when wet. Beneath that is a 200g Polartec brushed fleece with yet another difference, a Swiss cheese pattern of circular cut-outs that trap air to increase insulation, while also helping to disperse sweat vapor. The cut-outs are body-mapped, with larger holes and closer spacing in high-sweat areas like the central back, while smaller, widely spaced holes cover the chest and midriff.

The side panels and sleeves are lined only with a lightweight brushed nylon, while the fleece torso is further lined with a loose open mesh for slippery layering and free air flow. As if that weren’t enough, two foot-long zippered vents run down the chest, and the pockets are all mesh, forming de facto vents as well.

The overall effect is a jacket that’s nearly as warm as a puffy when zipped up, but resists rain showers, transfers sweat better, and vents far more than either puffies or standard shelled fleece. The weather resistance and wide temperature range made it perfect for humid, chilly camp evenings and soggy autumn trail runs on damp, cold, 11,000-foot Boulder Mountain. It’s already become one of our key layering staples, as fall progresses into winter.
- Steve Howe

$200

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Petzl NAO Headlamp

www.petzl.com, 6 ounces
“Throw away all your old flashlights and headlamps,” said our tester after taking the NAO on a three-week road trip. “The reactive-lighting NAO is the only headlamp you’ll need, or want to use.” We don’t take the word “revolutionary” lightly, but the new NAO headlamp is worth getting excited about. In contrast to other lamps, the 400-lumen NAO has a beam that automatically adjusts to focus on your target. If you’re pouring over topo maps, the light adjusts to a wide beam with low output. When you look out the tent fly to see if it’s a raccoon or bear rustling by the picnic table, the beam focuses, with greater light intensity for—drum roll please—a distance of 300 feet. Other advantages include fewer manual adjustments and a better burn time than any other headlamp we’ve tested. The NAO comes with a single rechargeable lithium battery that’s guaranteed for 300-plus charges—we didn’t do the math, but that’s a lot of alkaline batteries you won’ t need to buy. Each charge provides nearly five hours of use in high Reactive mode (the auto-adjust) or eight hours in low Reactive. You can set the lamp on a constant function, which disables the sensor, but cuts significantly into the battery life, as the Reactive power setting really does make power use more efficient. The rechargeable battery can be replaced with 2 AAA batteries, but our testers swear that the rechargeable battery ups the lamp’s performance. We were leery of the downloadable battery management program that allows you to adjust the light intensity, burn time, and beam distance on a computer, but are happy to report that even techno-troglodytes found it easy (and fun) to customize the lamp’s performance. The easiest option is using the custom profiles pre-programmed to enhance performance for specific activities like climbing, running, trail running, and hiking. Two features worth noting: a big off-on knob that’s easy to manipulate with gloves or in the dark and a water-resistant shell that never leaked, even during a monster Texas monsoon that one tester encountered while night hiking up a mesa near Lajitas.

$175

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Evolv Cruzer Approach Shoe

www.evolvsports.com,7.7 ounces
People outside of the climbing scene may not know what an approach shoe is, exactly. But, like that horrible cliché about art, almost everyone knows when they like a pair of shoes. Our testers got loads of compliments while wearing the Cruzer, from both the gear-obsessed and the casually outdoor-oriented. Evolv rightly categorizes these kicks as approach shoes (read: shoes you wear up to the crag); they boast a nice cache of climbing-specific features like high-friction “TRAX” rubber for solid grip on slick surfaces, a barefoot-friendly dual overlap tongue, a minimal-drop EVA midsole, and a heel pull tab that lets you clip ‘em to your pack or harness. The heel folds down for easy on/off (nice for when you wanna get out of our climbing shoes and migrate from one spot to the next). But we also love the fashion-forward styling, including the small burst of color along the sole and the brave use of bright textiles in the toffee and red models. The textured, all-cotton exterior and moisture-wicking insole also makes them killer travel shoes in environments where you want to pound the pavement and stop to impress your friends by confidently scrambling up a convenient rock, tree, or lamp post. As with most climbing and approach shoes, they fit a bit tight; you may want to order up a half-size.

$75

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