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www.eddiebauer.com/EB/First-Ascent, 15 ounces
For many apparel manufacturers, “women-specific” often means that they shrink the length, narrow the shoulders, widen the hips, and add a lot of color—which is why brands like First Ascent rise to the fore in the outdoor industry. Their Rainier Storm Shell Pants benefit from all the same high-tech elements found in the men’s version, including three-layer waterproof/breathable material with reinforcement patches in the seat and knees, a feel and sound that’s far softer and quieter than any hard shell should be, and three-quarter length waterproof side zips that make on-and-off a breeze, even over bulky hiking boots. The combo of belt loops and an integrated belt system also let you dial in the perfect fit. The cut is tailored to a woman’s slimmer frame—but the real touch of genius can be found with the U-shaped rear zipper, which allows femme testers to easily commune with nature without having to shed the pants (or a climbing harness) in the process. (a detail that’s not part of the men’s Mount Rainier) These pants are ideal as an extra layer to toss on when conditions become nasty while hiking, backpacking, or climbing. But they do double duty as your backup ski or snowboarding pants for all but the gnarliest of conditions. As they’re designed to go over a pair of hiking pants, expect them to be roomy; go smaller if you want a truly trim fit or are planning to wear them over a next-to-skin baselayer.
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One of the smaller items found on the floors of the Salt Palace Convention Center earlier this month may make the difference between life and death in your next alpine adventure. Dubbed The RescYou, Mammut‘s new mountain rescue device is one of the simplest ones we’ve seen. Attach the D-ring to your climbing harness (or to an anchor point to rescue your partner), then clip on the two clamps to the main rope and pull the handle. Each yank on the handle engaged a six-fold pulley, moving the device (and whatever it’s attached to) about two feet up the rope. It weighs in at a feathery 14 ounces and can easily be clipped onto your climbing harness or pack. It will retail for $125.
Mammut has also revamped their trail running collection with both new apparel and footwear. The Micro Jacket is an ultralight shell for cool/wet weather conditions that packs down into its chest pocket. Pair that with the new running shorts, which has a pouch at the small of the back that’s perfectly sized for the Micro Jacket. Their new trail runners, meanwhile, will have Dyneema webbing uppers for breathablility, strength, and abrasion resistance.
And in addition to the RescYou, Mammut continues to strive forward in their alpine and climbing lines. The Sensor rope adds a change in the rope’s color and texture at the midpoint and five meters from either end to offer both a visual and tactile indication that you’re reached a critical part in the line. They’ve also got the Realization Shorts, which has a climbing harness that’s integrated into the shorts themselves.
We’ll be testing these out over the coming season.
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Looking toward spring 2013, Arc’Teryx will continue to develop some of the best-performing products in the outdoor industry. And while their price points are some of the highest, our experience with their line has proven that you’re buying a jacket, pack, or a lifestyle piece that’ll last a lifetime, not just a season. Here are a few things that have us excited.
The bag line will expand next spring to include a variety of travel packs, which will appear in three sizes, from carry-on to checkable. The duffle-style Covert line will be made of 500D Cordura and a burly double weave for solid weather resistance, and come with stashable shoulder straps, strategically-placed grab handles, and light-colored inner lining to help you find what you need quickly. Meanwhile, the new Haku Rope Pack is destined to become a climber’s favorite crag accessory. The medium-sized shoulder pack incorporates a massive tarp at the bag’s mouth. When you’re ready to haul your rope to the next crag or hike out for the day, you spread out the tarp, dump the rope on it, pick up the tarp by the corners, lift, shake, and—viola—the rope drops into the bottom of the pack. Then you just fold in the tarp, roll the bag closed like a dry bag, and you’re ready to go. No more stuffing and jamming to fit everything in. (We also think it may offer great last-minute travel packing solutions for the less OCD-inclined.) On the backcountry side, the newly designed Aristo packs look interesting; they incorporate “wingman” side pockets at both sides of the pack base for easy, on-the-go access, which lets the pack ride against the lumbar for on-the-trail comfort.
On the apparel side, they’ll playing with a mixture of fabrics, employing patches of Gore-Tex Pro and Paclite in the Theta SL Hybrid Jacket for targeted, on-the-body performance, and mixing up cotton and poly in their 24 lifestyle line. We also love what we saw of the women’s Codetta (pictured), a three-quarter-length hooded jacket made from Gore-Tex, with a hem vent and fashion-forward storm flap over the zipper. This urban, travel-friendly jacket will run for $369.
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The all-foam, ultrabright Sirocco helmet is made from expanded polypropylene—the same material used for your car’s bumper—to create the lightest climbing/mountaineering helmet on the market. It weighs in at 5.8 ounces…and it was durable enough to barely display a wrinkle after we stood on it while at the Petzl booth; it boasts the same safety ratings found in helmets that weigh twice as much.
Available Spring 2013
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www.eddiebauer.com/EB/First-Ascent/index.cat
The High Route shirt—from First Ascent, the hardcore branch of Eddie Bauer—makes going from upper-elevation peaks to lower-level pubs a simple matter of finding your way down. The lightweight snap-down shirt blends poly and rayon to create a slightly-stretchy, moisture-wicking shirt that’s at home on the trail, in the climbing harness, or on hours-long overseas flights. But it doesn’t look technical, which keeps you from being like those guys who wear their climbing harness to the après spot just so everyone knows they’re…like…totally hardcore. Still, you’re likely to get noticed in the High Route—its Western vibe is fashion-forward (which we liked) and all three color options are pretty…loud (which one modest tester did not like). We also appreciated the deep, snap-shut chest pocket. One caveat: the fit is slim; if you plan on doing some serious climbing, you may want to size up or you could end up flashing fellow climbers as you reach for a hold and the snaps burst open.
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