Two years ago
launched its Variable Warmth Technology in a vest with sealed air/gas chambers that the wearer
could inflate with his own breath, or (the gas used to insulate between glass layers in your home's windows). Its premise: bodies
change temperature drastically based on activity level, and the weather changes
all the time. Carry less stuff and
tweak your temp on the fly, whether you’re camping, at a game, on an expedition,
or out for a walk, and you’ll be more comfortable.
Klymit is the first company to use Argon, a great insulator because of its
low thermal conductivity, in apparel. The gas has allowed Klymit to create a 25mm insulation
layer that is warm enough to be everything you need even for a South Pole, Denali,
Aconcagua, or Cerro Torre trip … in case you’re headed that way (in which case, take us with).
To date, Klymit has made a vest and a couple of sleeping pads, both of which use air chambers that, once inflated, conform to your body, capture its heat, and recirculate it. Now, through , they’re working on the Ulaar jacket.
Designed to be the only jacket you need—a garment that can meet all situations—this windproof product is warm and thin. Non-toxic, non-flammable Argon insulates up to three times better than the dead air which other insulation traps—and it's virtually weightless. Based on the volume of gas in the vest, you can change your insulation level from windbreaker warm to a full-on ski parka feel with no swapping of layers or adding of weight. And the polyester shell jacket has a bamboo, charcoal-infused liner to control stink and look good. It comes with fully taped seams for total weather protection, an articulated hood, water resistant zips, and other features that make it as good for climbing as it is for carousing. Available spring 2013, $500; .
—Berne Broudy