Eddie Bauer Attempts to Go More Hardcore With 'First Ascent' Gear

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Michael Benanav is Asylum's Adventure Correspondent

Apparently, once upon a time, Eddie Bauer utilised to be more than meet a consort whose mission was to meet every of your flannel needs. The man himself, E. Bauer, invented the quilted downbound crown (who knew?), and his equipment equipped the prototypal dweller team to summit Everest back in 1963. Now, the consort is launching what they're occupation "a bold convey to its heritage" -- with a distinction of technical mount covering and gear, titled First Ascent, that looks ready to squawk the ass of anything in that class you belike receive in the mail, apace construe for shots of artful outdoorsy women in long johns, then toss in the trash.

Upon acquisition of my alter-ego as a stager wilderness instructor, the folks at First Ascent sent me digit of their rain shells to test out. The BC-100 crown is simple, lightweight and, at $169, the diminutive pricey crown in their men's dress lineup. Despite looking same the specializer chose the color directly after seeing a action of Blue Man Group, the physique of the crown is impalpable and tight. Seams, zippers, cloth -- every are pro-grade -- without being the diminutive taste flashy. The diminutive touches, much as the angle of the cuff-closure tabs and positioning of the pockets, were understandably intellection discover by someone who knows what it's same to actually dress digit of these things in real life.

I did hit trouble with digit thing. While hiking along a domineering beam at most 12,000 feet above seafaring level, the hood, which is fashioned to be healthy to fit over a helmet, overturned into a bright chromatic wind sock. Pulling the criminal modify of the tie too hard, I poor a rubber piece soured the modify of it. Since I've been outsmarted by plenty of nonconscious objects before, I'm not
necessarily blaming it on the jacket.

Touting the fabric's breathability, the consort boasts, "In 24 hours it allows 10,000 grams of water suspension to carelessness per conservativist meter." I'm not trusty what that means, but if I've retained any faithful memories from my time undergo converting between grams and ounces, I think they're saying the crown crapper transfer some 22 lbs. of hidrosis through its membrane per day. I don't modify want to imagine that. I crapper feature it didn't turn into an fast sweatbag, as another shells I've attrited do - but their human-steam-handling power is belike only 20 lbs. per day.

In all, the BC-100 successfully brings back a little of Eddie Bauer's old-school extremity credibility. It's well worth a countenance if you need to meet parched in the wilds, especially if you're the kind of man -- or gal -- whose sweat glands create their possess weather.

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