GORE-TEX Active Shell on Outdoors Magic

Have a look at Jon at Outdoors Magic's first impressions of our new GORE-TEX Active Shell Firefox Jacket. There is a 'Talkback' thread in the gear forum where I will try to answer any questions you may have on our new Active Shell product.

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/reviews/jackets/shell-jackets---waterproof/mountain-equipment-firefox-jacket/37307.html

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4 part "Speed" series?

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web11w/wfeature-speed-alex-honnold

Steck on Everest?

http://www.himalayaspeed.com/2011/05/uelis-everest-adventure/

Making Fruit boots for hard mixed climbing?

Now is a good time to put some thought into Fruit boots if it is something that interests you for next winter's mixed season.

I'll have a review on the newest Boreal Ice Mutant model later on as fall approaches and the temps drop. 

But nothing like thinking ahead.   The fun I was having in my home made pair is why I searched out a commercial pair.  One caution?  You'll want your boot crampon combo to come in at around 2# total per foot to really take advantage of a lwt technical combo.  BD raptors come in at 10oz per foot.  That leaves you with 22oz per boot before you bolt the crampon on.  More than one climber is just using the front half of the crampon so that can drop some weight as well.

http://bigfootmountainguides.com/2010/03/03/how-to-make-mixed-climbing-boots/

http://climbs2high.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-project-fruit-boots.html

http://rockandice.com/articles/how-to-climb/article/359-make-fruit-boots-do-it-yourself-crampons

Gore-Tex Active Shell Arrives!

At ME we've been excited about the release of GORE-TEX Active Shell for a long time now. Finally it's here we've teamed up with Cotswold Outdoor to bring you a worldwide exclusive on our new Firefox Jacket in a limited edition colour scheme. In order to give you the best information on the new fabric our pro partners, independent reviewers and ME's staff have been putting it through it's paces in a range of settings for several months. As a result we hope to be able to give a comprehensive picture of Active Shell's benefits and performance from a variety of perspectives. Below is the first of our reviews, don't forget to check back this week for more from us and a comprehensive review from UKClimbing. In the meantime check out the Cotswold site here to see the Firefox: http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/.
First up this week is long term ME pro partner Es Tressider. Es is a man of many talents being, amongst other things, an accomplished fell runner, alpinist and ski mountaineering racer. He recently won the Jura fell race and currently holds the record for the Cullin Ridge on Skye, the perfect man for the job where new lightweight jackets are concerned!:

When selecting a shell for racing I have three criteria;

1. Does it meet the requirements of the rules?
2. Is it light?
3. Does it pack down small enough to get in and out of a small race-pack quickly?

You’ll notice that the actual performance of the jacket doesn’t feature on this list. This is because, except perhaps in Mountain Marathons, it’s very rare for me to actually race wearing a waterproof. In all but the foulest conditions or the longest races I am running so hard I generate enough heat to stay warm without one, and find that at such exertion levels I tend to get very sweaty in a waterproof.

But the rules, with good reason, require a waterproof, so it’s a waterproof I pack in my race bumbag. Occasionally it does get used. This year’s fell-racing started in earnest for me at the Slioch race in Scotland, the most northerly fell race in the UK. It was my friend Simon’s stag-do and the weather was fairly grim – driving cold rain in the valleys, and forecast snow on the tops. With my big ambition for the spring, the Jura fell race, a week away I was keen to put in a confidence-boosting performance. After a long, fast section beside Loch Maree the route began the steep climb up Slioch. As we crested the first, steepest rise and gained the main ridge the wind picked up and it started to hail. I began to feel cold in just a Cocona Crux T. This seemed the ideal time to test out the new jacket I had packed away in my bumbag but as yet not used. A bit of fumbling later and it was on, I was warming up and chasing hard, having just lost touch with the leading group. I was hopeful that a good descent could get me back with them.

At the summit I was maybe a minute behind; I switched gear and tried to let gravity do the chasing. The rain was still coming down in buckets but I was pretty happy in my own little world – hood up, chase hard, stay positive. More than any jacket I’d ever raced in before, this seemed just the right balance of protection, weight and breathability. Although it was cold, I was still surprised that I could wear it comfortably while running hard uphill and not get too sweaty.

About two thirds of the way down I caught and passed the leaders, but with an uneasy feeling about the route we’d taken. Sure enough the lead group of five of us arrived in the valley much too low down, and had a humiliating run back uphill to the final checkpoint as the new leaders ran past, smiling at their luck, in the opposite direction. The race for us was over but I carried on pushing hard to the finish, picking up a few places, telling myself that this race was more about building confidence than actually winning.
The end of May this year was exceptionally wet in western Scotland and I wore the jacket every day for the rest of a two-week holiday, including carrying it round the Jura course to my first win. The one sunny day we had I used it as a beach towel (for which it is not particularly suited!). It offers enough protection that I’d be happy using it ski touring in winter yet it’s light enough that it can also be packed in a bumbag and forgotten while racing. Surprisingly, it’s breathable enough to actually be useful while racing in bad weather.

As a super lightweight alpine back-up to a soft-shell it would be ideal. I’d hesitate to use it as a main shell for alpine or Scottish winter climbing because it doesn’t have a helmet-compatible hood and the fabric doesn’t look like it would stand up to too much thrutching up granite chimneys. However, for running or ski-alpinism races, ski touring and moderate mountaineering, anywhere where minimising weight is crucial but the weather might be gnarly, this is now my jacket of choice.

Thanks to Raphael Bleakley for the accompanying pictures.

Jackson/Shea on des Droites

And some spindrift...

Another view on alpine clothing?

"Getting the right alpine winter clothing system is a nightmare of trial, effort ... and money, because you go through just about every kind of environment. First you have a walk or ski in, often conducted in sunshine, which makes things incredibly hot. Then you gear up at the base in the shade feeling a little cold and clammy, and follow this with some simul climbing up a big snow couloir to reach the base of the difficulties, where you'll start either getting cold on a belay or want to shed as much clothing as possible to increase your mobility when leading the pitch."

More here:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=3533

and here:

http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions/3369432-alaska-2011-photos-west-buttress-denali-and-the-cassin-ridge

Eiger one more time?

The North Face of the Eiger - 1938 Route & Free Topo
by Jack Geldard - UKC Chief Editor Apr/2011

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=3652


And a slightly different Steck video:



"The crux pitches are usually short-lived, but are very steep and are often poorly protected and mainly on almost bare rock. Usually climbed with ice axes and crampons due to verglas and very low temperatures, an estimation of the difficulty of the hardest sections would be Scottish VI,6 or M5. On many of these crux sections the sloping nature of the limestone is very unhelpful for crampon-shod feet, and the mixed climbing bears little resemblance to the more commonly climbed routes on the superb granite of the popular Mont Blanc range."

More spring "skiing", The Mallory, Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix

"Bruno said it’s an adventure, it’s like a journey in another world. It’s a long decent and you have to stay focus the all time there is not a lot of margin for error."

Pictures and comments here:

http://www.lucapandolfi.com/2011/05/aiguille-du-midi-north-face-mallory-16-05-2011/

scrub it 01 from julien regnier on Vimeo.

Thanks to the http://chamonixinsider.com/ for the links and a heads up on these.

Latest from Dave....

Check out Dave's blog for the lastest on the Long Hope route.
http://www.davemacleod.blogspot.com/

Also there is more behind the scenes material on the Hot Aches Facebook page.

The Endless Flow?

Trailer for up-coming movies from Bjarne Sahlen on Vimeo.


Cool stuff...much more here:

http://endlessflow.posterous.com/

I'd like to see these two get married!

I know, hard to visualise but I would really like to see these two boots have mutant off spring in a size 45.

How about a real climbing boot you can actually ski in that is tech binding compatible @ about 900g per boot?

"The truth is that LaSportiva's original heritage business was leather ski boots and when it all went to plastic in the 70's La Sportiva abandoned the category because they couldn't afford the plastic injection mold investment costs and that is when they really started focusing on climbing and mountaineering"

Colin Lantz, La Sportiva

The brain trust is there, who better to combine the two technologies?

Something similar in volume to the TLT and a price around the TLT Performance's retail?    Double the retail price of the Spantik and still save money?!

Photo courtesy of Krister Jonsson
http://www.alpinemadness.se/Mountainguide/Home.html

The technology is obviously there now.   Not like we are looking back to the future or anything.  Galiber's "Rigid Rand" from the '70s.

Scott Super Lights from the '70s as well. 

With the current technology this would be easy.  Would you want a pair?

40th anniversary: Bill Briggs’ ski descent of Grand Teton

                                                    June 15, 1971



By Griffin Post

http://www.powdermag.com/stories/40th-anniversary-bill-briggs-ski-descent-of-grand-teton/


"Sitting in the corner of the Virginian Restaurant in Jackson, Bill Briggs blends in effortlessly with the regulars. The room is filled with a mix of tourists and old timers, toting Jackson Hole memorabilia and cowboy hats, respectively.

As I make my way across the room, I wonder if the patrons have any idea of the role that the unassuming man in the corner played in ski mountaineering in North America. Then I catch myself—no, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one here that’s enough of a ski mountaineering nerd to be star-struck by a man in his mid-seventies.


Bill Briggs

For me, Bill is a bit of a hero. He’s the man that arguably pioneered ski mountaineering in the States when he skied the Grand Teton 40 years ago on June 15, 1971. I introduce myself, and Bill jumps up and shakes my hand. His enthusiasm and animation catches me a little off guard. Although his hair is grey and a bit thinning and his face is reflective of the lifetime he’s spent outdoors, Bill still speaks with the energy of someone much, much younger. As we begin to talk, I’m relieved to realize that despite the undeniable contributions Bill has made to the sport I love, he’s just another guy who loves talking about the mountains."


Part of the story is here:

http://www.powdermag.com/stories/40th-anniversary-bill-briggs-ski-descent-of-grand-teton/

There is much more in the movie STEEP!.
Honor is due.  As a reality check for the same goal today?  Look here:

http://slc-samurai.blogspot.com/2011/06/grand-teton.html

Success on Hoy!

Dave McLeod has succeeded in his long term project to free the Long Hope route on Hoy during a long day yesterday, congratulations to Dave, Andy and the team! Check back soon for further details and pictures as we get them. We're looking forward to the film already....

Hoy - Update 1

The guys have been sending the first reports/pictures out from Hoy. Heres a few pictures from yesterday.... 

you can read all the latest reports over at the guy's blogs -

Lukasz Warzecha's blog: http://blog.lwimages.co.uk/
Dave MacLeod's blog: http://www.davemacleod.blogspot.com/
Andy Turner's blog: http://andyturnerclimbing.blogspot.com/
Paul Diffley blog: http://www.hotaches.com

All photos Lukasz Warzecha

Mt Hunter video!

I posted a congrads to the climbers earlier on the blog.   Some obviously hard climbing was done in bad conditions.

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2011/06/major-new-route-on-north-face-of-hunter.html

STEEP! The movie?

I've made a point of commenting on a lot of ski gear recently and how skis can be better used in the mountains as tools for transportation.

The obvious over lap between skiing and climbing has some history to it.  One exceptional look at that history is the movie "STEEP!"

"It started in the 1970s in the mountains above Chamonix, France, where skiers began to attempt ski descents so extreme that they appeared almost suicidal. Men like Anselme Baud and Patrick Vallencant were inspired by the challenge of skiing where no one thought to ski before. Now, two generations later, some of the world's greatest skiers pursue a sport where the prize is not winning, but simply experiencing the exhilaration of skiing and exploring big, wild, remote mountains."



STEEP from The Documentary Group on Vimeo.
 
The movie is available for under $10. from Amazon.com.

And one I first missed but by popular demand...added in.  Thanks guys.  Great film!


 
And a good example of what locals are doing  in the PNW today.
 
http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1016396/TR_Shuksan_Variation_to_Hangin#Post1016396


Drew Tabke 2011 Xtreme Verbier from Drew Tabke on Vimeo.

Modifying ski boots to climb?

With an on going discussion  back stage about how to best  modifying the latest TLT 5s  I found this old thread.  Some might  find interesting.

http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/probe/index.php?PHPSESSID=42f7e8cb84aa91cf800a5d8733076c2b&topic=2202.0

La Sportiva Hi5 skis

I see that Lou over at Wildsnow finally let the horse out of the barn :-)

http://www.wildsnow.com/5292/la-sportiva-hi5-ski-review/comment-page-1/#comment-36675

Big help now as I really wanted the info a couple of months ago!   I know Lou had the skis and wondered why he waited so long on the review.  Likely out skiing.  What was he thinking?  Let me help make it a stampede of sorts.

If you follow this blog you know I hadn't skied much (as in none) for a decade or so.   The climbing trip last winter to Chamonix was my cardiac jump start.   The continued ski season (and terrible weather) here in the NW and with the resulting never ending snow it has allowed me to ski instead of ride my bike or rock climb.

Enjoying it actually.  Getting to go back to several old spring ski haunts because of it.

I have been skiing on an assortment of old and new boards over the winter.  Shaped, asymmetrical, super short, skinny, fat and in between.  Lots of skis.   They all generally turn left and right as required.  My BD Aspects, Dyna Stokes  and the Dyna Broad Peaks are missing from this picture.  No huge surprises except one.  And that one ski the Hi 5 has been an interesting education that continues.

I first saw the Hi5 at OR last winter and was more than a little skeptical of the new La Sportiva Hi5 or La Sportiva in particular for skis.  But I did want a pair of those all carbon  race boots the STRATOS!    Any way, hard to miss a bright green, giant ski that resembles a retro water ski more than snow ski.  Or so I first thought.  It was a ski that stood out in the ski racks at two "ski bars" and riding the trams in Chamonix over the winter.  And of the La Sportiva Hi5s I did recognise, all  seemed amazingly LOOONG in comparison to the other skis being toted around the valley. (from a distinct mental note taken back in March...and obvious ski/mtn gawds riding them) 

Huge rocker on the tip of this ski.  (well huge to me,  the guy who had only skied one pair of rockered skis, these) a squared cut tail and a full 105mm wide at the waist.  It is a 75/25 %  rockered ski. My early production 188cms pair measure 135/105/125 mm and weight in at 8# 10oz.  Light I thought for such a fat and long ski.  But they will get lighter in the 2011/2012 production.  The goal is 7#15oz for a pair of 188s.    My skinny 162cm Se7en Summits with a race binding weight 6# for the pair as a comparison, My 178cm BD Aspects are just over 7# with bindings.

The Hi5s are a good bit wider and longer than either with the resulting performance advantages.

In French here:

http://www.sportiva-fr.com/produits/catalogue7.php?id=74

- Longueur : 168 - 178 - 188


- Weight: 1.600gr - 1.700gr - 1.800gr - Poids : 1.600gr - 1.700gr - 1.800gr

- Construction: Sidewall Fusion - 75% Camber / Rocker 25%. Progressive sidecut Progressive sidecut

- Songs: ABS thermoplastic

- Core: Wood Light Karuba - Ame : bois de Karuba léger

- First layer: fiberglass tri-directional

- Second layer: carbon fiber bi-directional / fiberglass inserts 

Almost nothing on the Net early on besides these:





Having been on the same hill, on those same days, l have to admit I now really wanted to try these fat boys out.   But sadly, mine would show up in April and the closest I would come to a Cham pow day was a foot of nasty Cascade cement at Crystal that was doing point release slides under the lifts by the afternoon..

But that turned out to not be a bad thing.   I wanted to get some skinning in on my lwt stuff but the new snow and avi danger made that problematic.  So I stuck with the Hi5s on the lifts all day.  It seemed better than going home, as most did.  The first steep I dropped into was 4 turns to the packed again.  And I thought that was rather easy.   Easier than expected for sure.    Next drop I made 6 turns and was still not being pushed.  Seemed too easy in the sloppy snow.   Terrible snow to ski on but the kind of snow a good  snow boarder loves   So next time I dropped in the same place and did six turns before the first tree.    Holy shit!  Are these really 188cm and 105cm wide?  These will take some imagination and relearning what is possible was my thought that day.

Just say no to short skis ;)   These are real skis!

No wonder the kids in Cham were on head height or better skis lengths.  These things turn like they are a 150mm soft, skinny skis or a snow board.   And maybe they are with that much rocker and  flotation!  What ever is going on here for technology, they sure are a hoot and super easy to ski on!

Check out the actual surface area being used on flat ground between my 162cm  Se7en Summits and the Hi5 in a 188cm.  That is SOME serious rocker!

When you start looking at rockered skis you need to be really careful with the definition because the ski companies aren't.  "Early rise",  "semi rockered" and the other terms so easily bandied about generally aren't truly rockered skis.  Real rockered skis, ski and turn like much shorter skis than their measured length would first indicate because there is less surface on the ground taking full weight.

When the tips of your skis set on the snow like the Hi5 obviously does, the ski is rockered.  A quick example of the difference?  A 173cm Stoke ski like a 188cm Hi5.  If I cut hairs here, the 176 Aspect feels slower to turn than the longer and wider 188 Hi5.  Most of that is rocker, some of it is the additional side cut of the Hi5.  The point is the Hi 5 turns like a much shorter skis in my opinion.  Surprizingly so and much to my personal enjoyment.

I hear fat skis are a little tough to edge.   Big, stiff  boots will solve part of that.  

Fat skis are not suppose to like light weight boots. I took that test and like the Dynafit TLT Ps with these skis. And I generally ski the Ps without the tongue, as I was doing in the skiing comments above. Add the tongue and there is plenty of boot for the Stokes or the Hi5s in any length. But I haven't bothered adding the tongue. Might be the fact the Hi5 is so easy to ski and not the boots. It is a question yet unanswered to my satisfaction. But I have the technology to find that answer and will come back to it when I do. I like to think of the Hi5 as my Aspects with power steering and 4 wheel drive if that makes sense. Lower geared, and easier to drive in shitty snow.


The only other fat ski in my quiver is a pair of the new Dynafit Stokes.  Good ski as well.  But neither ski is  really FAT by today's standards.   Can't consider the BD Aspect as fat either.   I wanted some serious rocker just to see what it was like to ski.  But if possible on a more traditional ski with some side cut.  Dbl rockered skis seem a little extreme.  But may be I am wrong there.   Traditional you say?  Well no tail rocker (unless you consider the last 2" of ski rockered" and the reasonable side cut seems almost traditional  these days.   The side cut isn't that far off between the Aspect and the Hi5.    BTW I simply haven't noticed the square cut tail.  Looks a little weird a first but then so does this ski.  That was amazingly easy to get over.  The Hi5 numbers made it look like a more "traditional" ski  with some added rocker...OK a lot of rocker.


Aspect   186cm  7 lb 2 oz   130 / 90 / 117   

Drift     186 cm  7 lb 10 oz  138/ 100/ 123


Stoke    182cm  7 lb 4oz  129 / 105 / 119   

Hi5       188cm  7lb 15oz  135 / 105 / 125  

Megawatt  188cm  10 lb 1 oz  153-125-130



My pre production pair of Hi5s are a few oz. over at a measured 8#10oz.  La Sportiva missed the mark early on  by  5.5oz per ski in a 188.    Close enough from my perspective for what I am getting in added performance.    I actually made a special trip to Marmot just to check my own numbers again when I started listing the weight numbers on the Aspect and Stoke.  Part of that is the HI5 is a little longer and a good bit wider.  And the ski performance matches the Hi5's bigger numbers.    Bottom line is I don't care about the weight on this ski  (within reason)  compared to my Aspects or Stokes.  The Hi5s have proven themselves as my go to, "Hero skis" any any kind of soft snow.   If I need a hero ski that particular day I'll deal with the marginal extra weight on the uphill.  (Thank Colin at La Sportiva for correcting the production numbers on the skis being shipped as of  June '11)

I think, if given the choice, you'll find few willing to ski a non rockered 175 or 180cm ski where you can so easily ski the rockered 188 Hi5.   The rocker makes that much difference.  I like skiing a little longer ski again.  It was an easy sale after just three runs.




This is the most fun all around ski I have been on for junk snow.   Short of ice and really hard groomers anyway.   They aren't GS skis.  There is a definite speed limit.   These are my hero skis for junk snow.  Ski just about anything, anywhere on these and feel awesome while doing it.  Might even be able to give my boarding buddy a run for the money in wind blown.   Which says a lot.  No way I would have believed that if the only place I had skied them was on Chamonix pow.  Might be the only ski I use for the down there next winter though.    Ripping right out of the gate on the Midi is a dream I intend to make real with this board.

Bottom line?  If you haven't skied a fat rocker ..you should ASAP.  Hero skis, plain and simple..   With a decade off line...I needed a hero ski ;-)

Emerging technologies: what are they and why?

Emerging Technologies
What they are and why they matter ?
Threat or opportunity?

What is a technology?

It can be as simple as a stone axe or as complex as a nuclear power plant, but its still technology. It also includes things like eg Facebook, Twitter and new software for creating a high ranking on Google search.

What is significant about the word ‘emerging’?

New technologies are important because they can lead to new companies and even whole new industries. If, as a business you can spot one early on and grasp it by turning it into services or products your customers need, you can grow your whole business on the back of it.

Let’s look at a few historical examples within the outdoor trade.

Macintosh opened his factory in Manchester in the 1830s, having developed a revolutionary new technology for coating fabrics with rubber to make them waterproof.  He not only developed a large business of his own making waterproof clothing, but the whole of the Manchester area became a centre for producing coated fabrics. By the 1890s 80% of the world’s supply of waterproof garments, called Macintoshes of course, were produced in Manchester.

Fast forward then to the late 70s and the outdoor business.

There was a retail store called LD  Mountain Centre founded in 1966 in Newcastle. In 1972 the owners wished to branch out into manufacturing packs. They battled hard with Karrimor, who weren't for giving up their rucksack domain, but didn't make the progress they wished for. By the late 70s one of the directors of an American company in the aircraft industry, had the idea of using their existing and emerging technologies with PTFE to produce waterproof clothing. In this case  the fabric was not coated but used a PTFE laminate.  It did something different which the original Macintosh (and all its successors) did not do.  It allowed the wearer to have greater comfort because it was able to let moisture vapour ie sweat, out. This was undoubtedly an emerging technology and initially imperfect  partly because the unsealed seams leaked. But after a difficult period solutions were found.

Berghaus went on to build their business throughout Europe and the world on these new emerging technologies supplied by W.L. Gore. Being there at the right time when the new emerging technology is little known, can be the key to the founding of a great business.



Fast forward another 30 years and there was a small retail store in Ambleside who became the first company in the outdoor business, the first in the UK, in any business to sell products from an online website. By 1996 they were quoted by the DTI as an example of best innovative practice and the business proceeded to grow strongly without increases in their retail footage. When the business of Up and Running was eventually sold in approximately 2005 the Internet business had grown strongly without  outgrown the physical and that was retained by the owner and move to a new location in Carnforth, and the retail store being sold and renamed Lakeland climber and runner.

Emerging technologies can be both great opportunities, but they can also be a threat  particularly if those new technologies are taken up by your competitors sooner than you, or if perhaps your competitor has a period of exclusivity.

Examples:  Karrimor built its pack business on emerging technologies in textiles and moulded plastics. Their earliest products, however, were cycle bags. These declined for many years but then Karrimor took the opportunity to transfer some new technologies from packs to cycle bags,  growing its cycle bag business substantially again. After enduring a period of leadership in this cycle bag market for 15 -- 20 years there emerged a German company, Ortlieb, with new technologies which could produce a waterproof product without any need for tape seam sealing machines as used in  garments. Karrimor, despite trying very hard indeed was unable to respond to the challenge in this case and was more or less eliminated from this marketplace in due course.

Examples of companies which have grown mainly on the back of emerging technologies are
Patagonia, ( fleece) Arcterix, Thermarest and Platypus, Garmin, Helly Hansen ( first base layer) Salewa ( first adjustable crampon) but this just a few of many.   


Summary.

Even if you are not able technically or financially to respond to new technologies, you really do need to be aware of how to defend yourself against these emerging technologies. This is because your principal competitors will be using them against you.

The same is true whether you are a retailer, manufacturer, distributor or wholesaler the  Innov_ex conference at Lancaster University, is one of the best places to take time out to find out about emerging technologies. Here are some examples from the 2011 Innov_ex conference :

Social Media ,Search Engine Optimisation, Smart Retail,SMART Fabrics,Biosynthetics for textiles, Bioceramic membranes, FabLab

These are all available on Slideshare and there is a link from our website http://innovation-for-extremes.net/conference/agenda-and-downloads/
For more see you at Innov_ex in April 2012!

The Marmot Hyper Jacket.....a field test and review.

The new  Marmot Hyper Jacket
weight 13.3 oz

Westcom Apoc 17.3 oz
EB Frontpoint 18.2 oz
(all in XL)

I've been told I can be pretty harsh in person.

One of my basic judgement calls on people or gear is, "stand and deliver".

Basically the idea is back up your mouth with performance.  If you do/can, then say what you want.  But be prepared to be judged by your words and deeds.   Nothing wrong with failure but lets not make the reason behind failure an excuse.  Shit happens, get on with it.

What does that have to do with a garment review/field test?   I have been asked several times about how some of the newest fabrics measure up against the new Polartec NeoShell.  I had no clue really since I have only used two of the "new garments".   And since I seldom use hard shells these days I wasn't likely to be able to make a better comparison any time soon.

Add that to the fact the NeoShell was a writer's sample I was given and my comments would make me, as a consumer reading the review, very very suspect.

I enjoy writing and looking at the performance of new gear compared to what I have used in the past.  This blog is the end result of my curiosity.  Fun when someone disagrees or questions an opinion.  Fair enough, as I will try to back up with experience and facts what I write in a review .

I had a local Marmot rep ask if I had used any of the Marmot "Strata" garments.  I hadn't.   Neither did I have the desire (for a another hard shell) or the coin to pop for one.   But I was interested in the answer to the question as much as anyone.  When the Marmot rep (thanks Jon) offered a pro deal on any jacket of my choice.  I just had to know for myself how good Marmot's Strata really was.  

Marmot stood up and made themselves an easy target.  I figured it was time for me to back up my mouth.

First impression?  I had forgotten about the pro-form order until FED EX showed on a cold and damp afternoon in June.   I was wearing a EB down sweater over a t-shirt around the shop and freezing my ass off.  As I said, "cold and damp".

Saw the shipping label and I ripped open the package.  Love the soft red color.  Like a velvet rose.  You'll notice it.   But easy on the eyes. Nice.  Slipped it on over my down sweater.  Damn good fit.  Surprised actually.   And wonderful velcro closed cuffs.   Slim fit.  Perfect for medium to lt heavy weight layering under it.  It is a close fitting shell I could climb in.  I'd like ot climb in.  The stretch in the material is simply amazing...think lycra kind of stretch....and lots of it!

With the Hyper jacket over my down sweater I did a few arm/shoulder swings and struggled through a couple off pull ups .  No binding at all from the shell.  None!  Impressive....very impressive!

Here is the Marmot spiel:

"This extremely pliable shell features Marmot’s MemBrain® Strata™ technology, for lightweight, breathable, waterproof performance—with enough stretch to satisfy the most flexible athletes and weekend warriors"

Call it "stand and deliver".  By my call, the Hyper is judged worthy of its claims.

More from Marmot here:

http://marmot.com/products/hyper_jacket

Features

◦Marmot MemBrain® 2.5 Waterproof/Breathable Fabric
◦Micro-Stitched and 100% Seam Taped - for maximum waterproof protection
◦Attached Hood - Provides an Extra Warmth Layer Under a Shell Hood or By Itself in Milder Conditions
◦Water Resistant Front Zipper - WR Front Zipper
◦Chest Pocket with Water-Resistant Zipper - Chest Pocket with W/R Zipper
◦Hand Pockets with Concealed Zippers
◦Stretch Anatomic Articulation - Stretch Fabric and Design Feature Reduces Excess Fabric and Improves Mobility
◦Collar Cord - Allows You to Cinch in Collar When Weather is Bad
◦Asymmetric Cuffs with Velcro Adjustment
◦Reflective Logos
◦Elastic Draw Cord Hem - For Adjustability in Serious Weather
◦Angel-Wing Movement™ - Allows Full Range of Motion in Arms so Jacket Doesn't Ride Up
◦29" Center Back Length for Size Medium
Specs
◦Colors:•Cardinal (6130)
•Black (001)
•Lime (470)
•Blue Ocean (2231)
◦Sizes:
•Small/•XX - Large

(med?)
Center Back Length:◦29in / 73.7cm
Weight:◦11.8 oz / 334.5 g   (my XL is 13.3oz)

Main Material:◦MemBrain®Strata™ 100% Nylon Stretch 1.6 oz/yd

The hood is a little tight on my Petzl Meteor III.  But the hood stretches as well!  So not too tight.  Easy to use with a helmet.  Good coverage and good visibility.  Water resistant front zipper and huge side pockets.  Both much better than expected for a $200 price point.    Again worth mentioning just how good the cuff design is and how they seal up.  Seems like it would be simple...but it is not.  I'm not a fan of pit zips.  The huge side pockets on the seam line are also one way to vent this jacket.  Smart design.  Some thought went into this one.  When the hood isn't in use it makes a high collar that is exceptional as well.  Even the zipper pulls are better than the norm.   One of the best tailored climbing jackets I have had on. 

The drape of this jacket isn't one that would jump off the rack at me.  Nice color but on a hanger the jacket looks "frumpy" to me.  It looks super thin for a weather proof shell.   I am use to seeing "Goretex" and that extra laminate material and bulk.   The Hyper looks more like a lwt wind shell than the super high tech, water proof shell it is.   On a hanger the pattern looks boxy and not particularly well done.  Big mistake on my part to think that..  Not a jacket I would have ever tried on in the store.   I just ordered it and figured we'd see just how good Marmot is.  The answer to that is. " pretty damn good!"

Gotta say it is a very good shell and an even better fit.   I have what I consider three state of the art shells.  The Eddie Bauer Front Point, the Westcomb Apoc and now the Marmot Hyper.  All three are suppose to be stretchable "hard shells".  The EB Front Point a combo hard and soft shell actually.  But one I have used the most and been extremely happy with in every condition, rain, shine or cold temps under a streaming waterfall.

http://www.eddiebauer.com/catalog/product.jsp?ensembleId=34981

The Westcomb Apoc, in  Neoshell.  A new fabric that I once called the "missing link" and I am not retracting that comment.  neoshell is very, very good.

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2011/05/polartec-neoshell-update.html

I thought the Front Point and Epoc fit pretty good as well.  The Hyper just fits me better than either.

The Marmot Hyper is the lightest of the three shell jackets I own.  may be not in the same  "shell catagory". It seems water proof so far and it is by far the most comfortable because of how stretchable the material is.  Hardly believable really as to how water proof and how stretchable.   Make sure what ever you wear under the Hyper can take advantage of that stretch.  Shame to waste the technology and something you'll need to think about with this garment.  The material is called Marmot MemBrain® 2.5 Waterproof/Breathable Fabric.

All said I am not sure where this one will fit into my system.  It is so light I worry about it breaking the wind well enough.  I might be concerned on how durable it will be.   I am always leery of a "breathable" shell.  But as long as it is as wind resistant as say the Neoshell or the older Gortex I might find it useful in some nasty conditons.   This is a true stretchable, water proof, soft shell.  It leaves much up to your imagination as to where you will want to use it.    As a shell over my Arc'Teryx Atom Lt. in nasty weather?   Maybe it will become the water proof shell that really allows down insulation to live up to its potential!  I'm putting that idea to the test right now.  Is it as breathable as down?  I don't know.  How breathable is it?

Breathable enough and light enough to use it for running in the rain without using the side zip vents..  The only one of  the three shells emntioned that I would think of intentionally running in.  Nothing else I own besides a simple wind shell is this light...4oz better than the Apoc which was only a single ounce less than the "old technology" Frontpoint.  I suspect it won't be all that durable by the hand of the material.  Likely the least durable of the three but I have nothing to back up that comment past "how the materials feel"  in all three jackets.  Let's see how long it lasts?

But the stand out performance of the MemBrain®Strata™ stretch material is very impressive.  I thought the Neoshell was good and it really is.  But for just the ability to stretch, neither the soft shell combo on the Frontpoint or the stretch in the Neoshell are even in the same ball game here.

If the Neoshell is a "missing link" then the Marmot MemBrain®Strata™ 100% Nylon Stretch is a totally different Species.  And from the looks of it a predator at less than half the price and maybe ....only time will tell for sure....much better performance depending on your needs.   This is, if,  the short term promises pan out over time.

I seldom buy anything sight unseen or something I can't return if I am unsatisfied.  Pro deals are generally non refundable, non returnable and I wasn't expecting much on this one.  But I really wanted to know how some of the newer fabrics compared to the Neoshell.  I figure that is part of the "free gear" deal if you write a legitimate gear blog .   By making apple to apple  comparisons.   Gotta say I am impressed with the Marmot MemBrain.   As much as I have been by any new piece of technology, ever.   It is nothing I have experienced to date.  You really should try it on if given the chance.  Let me know what your impressions are.   At a retail of $200 MSR the Marmot with out question is a best buy.  I was told the MSR on the Apoc will be $475.  The Eddie Bauer Frontpoint MSR  is $249.  The other two have been big steps up in performance from simple Goretex.  Next up will be to test the Goretex Pro and Active shell.  This, so far, is leaps and bounds better in many ways over the two I already own.  Stretch and weight up front, breathability and water resistance will need long term tests.  But Marmot's claims are high in both.

This is the first piece of gear from Marmot I have owned. 
And I'd bet this one will  change the game for water proof garments, if it delivers the goods long term.
If not we'll see how that "life time" warranty works at Marmot..

I obviously forgot the field testing part to this blog.  Simply got caught up in the new fabric and how revolutionary I think it is.

Field testing? Forgot to be more specific on that part didn't I.

Skied, skinned, booted on my "stash" and 2 of the local volcano's. Worst spring weather here in the Cascades I have seen.  There have been very few clear days.  Spent yesterday in a white out, pelted by rain and snow. But wouldn't call it climbing. Trail running in the local monsoon is likely the most difficult test. I do a bit of climbing on my road bike. The Hyper makes a decent road bike shell as well. Running and the bike are a good look at how well a garment will breath and cut the wind when used for climbing.   Both are higher HR efforts than "climbing" is for me.   The bike, a wind tunnel test for the shell and how well it breaks the wind.  How the stretch effects comfort you notice everywhere, any activity. That is the field testing to date.

Result of the field testing?

At the moment the Hyper is my  "go to" shell for any NW trip (any sport ) with any insulation that is required, base layer to a down sweater. It is simply the highest performance and lightest shell I own by any measure.  Makes me look at down insulation in a new light.

Always interesting in getting other's experience with gear.  If you have used or seen the Hyper I'd really like to hear your experience.

Ben in training

We've just had this photo in from a secret source (Alastair) of Ben, clearly in training for his next expedition....

Ben along with fellow explorers Alastair Humphreys and Martin Hartley set out this October on the Scott 2012 expedition....



This year is the centenary of Captain Scott's last expedition. The objective he died trying to achieve, a return journey to the South Pole on foot, remains unfinished. Accomplished Polar Explorer Ben Saunders is leading a three-man team that sets out in October (from Scott's hut at the coast of Antarctica) to complete this four-month/1,800-mile trek. If all goes well, it will be the longest unsupported polar journey in history.


you can keep up with all the latest at


Ben's site - www.bensaunders.com
Martin's site - http://www.martinhartley.com/ 
Alastair's site - http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/