It's no secret that I love innovation in outdoor gear. CAMP-USA has been at the fore front of equipment innovation for some time now.
But let's face it, there's a lot of crap out there, expensive crap, and crap that performs poorly. It's easier to make gear look good than perform well. I remember when a large company decided to get into the "technical" outer wear market back in the 90's. Remember those Gortex jackets and one-piece suits sported by the likes of Alex Lowe and Hans Saari? Very sexy right?
The late Hans Saari looking stylish. Photo: Kris EricksonWell, just a short few years prior to signing big names in the climbing world, this company produced some real dogs. Jackets, mostly, that were "technical" but stupid heavy and stiff to wear. What were they thinking? They were thinking that they could sell the shit out of some cool looking jackets. Most of the punters wearing them were citified Nancy boys on weekend breaks to the mountains riding the cable all day. Lot's of zippers and pockets and bright colors characterized the line. This trend has fortunately changed but the scar remains burned into my memory.
Contrast this with European companies like CAMP-USA which produce intriguing equipment for skiers and climbers interested in shedding some weight from their kits. They're easy to overlook as much of their gear lacks the overt sex appeal of flashier brands. But what they lack in bling they often make up for with design and function.
Witness the Flash Anorak. When I first saw this jacket in the catalog I nearly looked right past it. It was simply another light wind breaker. So what? Then I read a bit in the description and realized that the idea of this jacket was to be able to don it without taking your pack off. Wait, what? Yeah, that's right. One of the most time consuming things you can do when trying to hustle along on a hike or tour is drop your pack to get something out and on your body. I loathe it.
Reading the caption below the picture still did not get concept into my thick skull. I mean, I got the idea but exactly how that was going to happen was not clear. My uncertainty did not keep me from ordering one and getting a hands-on trial of this cool idea. I was not disappointed.
The set of pictures below demonstrates the sequence so that even bone heads like me get it. This is the perfect shell for moving quickly in variable conditions. Lapping a skin track in stormy conditions or spending some time on a windy ridge while traversing a long tour are perfect opportunities to take advantage of Flash Anorak's versatile design.
Not only is the design brilliant but the thing weighs in at 115 grams. That's about as light as any shell gets. This garment is not for hanging out in the rain waiting for the crag to dry. There is no back to it. But for unexpected blasts of unpleasantness while hauling ass in the alpine, I'm not sure anything rivals it. - Brian