by Extending a tradition of excellence and innovation, Westcomb Outerwear was honored at the recent Outdoor Retailer show with a 2012 Backpacker Magazine Editor’s Choice Snow Award.
The award is Westcomb’s second Editor’s Choice honor, and was given to recognize the women’s Fuse LT Jacket and men’s Shift Hoody – a pair of dynamic, lightweight jackets constructed with waterproof and air-permeable Polartec® NeoShell®.
The Westcomb jackets, along with a complete list of Backpacker 2012 Editors’ Choice Snow Award winners, will be officially announced to the general public in the magazine’s Fall Gear Guide issue, on newsstands September 30, 2012.
“To have a performance design endorsed by the testing team of Backpacker Magazine is an incredible honor, and is a true testament to the level of a quality that is coming out of our Vancouver factory,” said Alan Yiu, president and lead designer of Westcomb.
The Shift ($399, 11 ounces) is the world’s lightest Polartec® NeoShell® jacket, easily besting the previous record holder: the 14-ounce Westcomb Switch. In addition to setting a staggering new standard for lightweight performance, the Shift upends the conventional timeline for manufacturing — deftly condensing the “traditional” timeline of inspiration, creation, design, testing, manufacturing, sales and delivery from as much as two years to less than three months.
The Fuse LT Jacket ($429, 12 ounces) is also built with Polartec® NeoShell®, delivering ultralight breathability in a “loaded” women’s-specific design. With a full assortment of pockets, a high collar with an attached expanded 3-point adjustable hood, and a Vislon front zipper, the Fuse LT is the ultimate all-weather shell for women.
Both jackets received their awards from Backpacker Editor-In-Chief Jonathan Dorn and his staff of editors and during the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“There’s no other magazine or website that conducts in-depth field-testing as vigorously or impartially as the crew led by Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter… (They) put products through an unprecedented level of real-world abuse in every terrain and weather imaginable, including snow and ice,” said Backpacker Editor-in-Chief Jon Dorn.
Each and every Editor’s Choice winner excels under extensive field-testing, conducted head to head with hundreds of new products that are taken into the field. This rigorous process ensures that the performance of the winners is truly worthy of distinction and meets the guiding principle behind the program: gear that is of real value to the readers of Backpacker magazine.
