Patagonia alpine and snow designers collaborated to create the most comprehensive, highly functional wearable equipment for backcountry travel
VENTURA, California. (October 5, 2015) – Patagonia’s snow and alpine design teams joined forces for Fall 2015 to create the all-new Backcountry Touring Collection, a comprehensive, customizable system of outerwear, under layers and packs for backcountry skiers and riders who go deep into the mountains under their own power. Each piece addresses specific needs of self-supported winter backcountry travel, balancing critical protection with excellent breathability and total freedom of movement.
“The new Backcountry Touring Collection represents a melding of our expertise building products for both high-end alpinism and freeriding to create wearable equipment crafted specifically for backcountry skiers and riders,” said Kristo Torgersen, Patagonia’s Product Director for Alpine and Snow. “Working closely with our alpine and snow ambassadors, we refined each piece to excel in a distinct backcountry application and perform as part of a layering system, whether skinning up, riding down, under bluebird conditions or white-out blowing snow.”
Each of the new outerwear styles feature the construction, materials and details that matter most for serious play in winter alpine environments including:
· Stretch fabrics and articulated patterning provide for total freedom of movement.
· Waterproof performance and breathability are strategically balanced to meet the specific demands of each style’s backcountry end-use.
· Fully-taped constructions both seal out weather and eliminate bulky seams.
· Cohaesive® embedded cord-lock system and all other features designed to drive easily with gloves on.
· Elasticized strap at the low back of each jacket connects to any Patagonia Snow pants and select Alpine pants to prevent gaps and keep jackets from riding up.
· RECCO avalanche rescue reflectors embedded discreetly in all the Backcountry Touring and Snow styles.
· Jacket hoods engineered for optimal visibility and coverage with either an alpine or ski helmet, and adjust with a single-pull Cohaesive® embedded cord-lock system.
· Pant cuffs adjust to accommodate either an alpine, ski or snowboard boot.
M’s Reconnaissance Jacket and Pants: The most breathable shell, our Reconnaissance delivers full-stretch in a hybrid design placing soft shell through the torso and 3-layer hard shell protection zoned in more exposed areas, making it ideal for high-output missions under variable conditions.
M’s and W’s Refugitive Jacket: Our lightest and most packable option, the Refugitive Jacket uses new 3-layer Gore-Tex® fabric with Gore® C-Knit™ backer technology in a feature-rich silhouette with strategically patterned stretch fabric to protect against the burliest weather conditions. Pairing perfectly with our Nano-Air styles, its light weight and packability make it ideal for extended travel deep in the winter high country.
M’s and W’s KnifeRidge Jacket and Pants: Our stretchiest shell kit, the KnifeRidge ues Polartec® Power Shield® Pro fabric to deliver the perfect balance of soft-shell breathability and hard-shell weather protection. The generous stretch and minimalist feature set make the KnifeRidge is ideal for steep terrain, from axe-laden alpine ascents to critically steep descents.
SnowDrifter Packs – 40L, 30L, 20L: The new SnowDrifter packs are ideal for any type of winter outing, from swift and steep to long and deep. Each pack has a dedicated tool pocket for a shovel and probe, as well as an ice axe carry, and can carry both skis and snowboards.
Learn more about Patagonia’s Backcountry Touring Collection at Patagonia.com.
About Patagonia
Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California. A certified B-Corporation, Patagonia’s mission is to build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. The company is recognized internationally for its commitment to authentic product quality and environmental activism, contributing over $68 million in grants and in-kind donations to date.
Contacts:
Tessa Byars tessa.byars@patagonia.com
Corey Simpson corey.simpson@patagonia.com