By Vivianne Lapointe Ethan Lipsitz founded the Apliiq shop to satisfy his obsessive fabric hunting habit and to encourage creativity in the average shopper by allowing them to apply appliqués to garments. Inspired by popular shoe brands like Nike who offer a personalized experience by letting you customize their shoes,…
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by Blair Milbourne In December of 2011, designer Junichi Nakane headed to Mali on what some might call a cross-cultural expedition of friendship. Journeying through the country, he noticed the lack of clean water sources in the village of Tireli in the central plateau region, and his friend cited the…
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Three ultralight accessories for improving life on the trail
When trekking hundreds of miles even the slightest reduction in carry weight can increase efficiency and longevity on the trail. In the ongoing effort to minimize pack impact many companies have begun experimenting with new materials unconventional to the outdoor industry. From fibers stronger than steel to space-grade titanium, the following three items innovate ultra-lightweight construction guaranteed to ease your load.
As the name implies, Hyperlite Mountain Gear makes tents and gear bags that are lighter than anything else on the market. Much like Outlier‘s Minimal Backpack released last winter, the Summit Pack from HMG is constructed entirely of a cuben fiber—a flexible non-woven laminate made from a super tough polyethylene that’s up to 15 times stronger than steel and up to 40% stronger than kevlar—and polyester blend. To improve on the ultra sleek design, HMG added two daisy chains and an adjustable bungie cord for attaching more gear. Almost entirely waterproof, sturdy enough for an overnight trek and weighing an unreal 10.7oz, the Summit Pack sells directly from HMG for $148.
Similarly constructed with cuben fiber, the two-person Mojo UFO tent weighs in at just under two pounds and reportedly can be pitched in a matter of minutes. As an update on the nylon Mojo 2 tent, this space-age structure relies on just three carbon fiber poles to hold it up and off the ground. The rain fly is also built in to even further reduce weight. While the technology is undeniable, the element-resistant cuben fiber fabric comes at a hefty price. Sierra Designs expects to sell the Mojo UFO for roughy $1,800 next season.
With a design inspired by old time flat-pack balsa wood airplanes, The Summit collapsible grill can be constructed with just four sides and a handful of slats that double as cooking skewers. Precision-laser-cut from single sheets of titanium and hard-anodized to add strength and durability, the American-made grill measures just 9″ x 9″ x 4″ when constructed—not bad for a fully functioning cooking surface that packs down to just over a few inches in profile. Visit Slat Grills online where the titanium Summit sells for $214.
AeroSwift fabric, zero distraction and air tripping in Team USA’s track and field kit
Nike‘s latest take on the track and field uniform could be easily equated to the perfect waiter—at your service but, at the same time, so seamless in execution it seems invisible, so you can focus on what’s before you. The culmination of 12 years of research and more than 1,000 hours of wind tunnel testing, the new streamlined Olympic kit is what Nike calls a “zero distraction” garment.
“This is the most minimal way we’ve had to finish a garment,” explains Scott Williams, Nike’s creative director of Olympics and innovation. “When you have an athlete there, you don’t even want them to think about apparel.” The super smooth trim means no potentially scratchy stitching and no zippers, and, best of all, more simplified construction. “In Beijing it took eight pattern pieces to make the sleeve, here it only takes two,” Williams adds.
The Nike Pro TurboSpeed kit is also the fastest uniform to date, using what the company calls “Zoned Aerodynamics” to redirect air in targeted areas. Working in the manner of a golf ball, the dimpled swaths of the “AeroSwift” fabric “trip” air on the limbs, which can reach speeds of up to 47 MPH while sprinting. “It’s counter-intuitive to most people that skin is actually very slow. explains Williams, in describing the full-body track suit. “Nike studied hundreds of textures when fashioning the uniforms, the aesthetic and aerodynamic benefit derived from their results.” Williams adds that the marriage of form and function is “truly an expression of data-informed and body-led.” Scanning technology maps of athletes’ bodies to the nearest millimeter, ensuring that the uniforms, once built, will fit like a second skin.
Aesthetically, the kit makes athletes and their enhanced dimensions look like larger-than-life superheroes. Spectators will be able to see the uniforms’ white swaths on the arms and legs and the “flicker” effect they create when the wearer is running at full tilt. As HD viewing becomes increasingly commonplace, the progressive look and seamless fabrics promise to transform accomplished athletes into national idols.
Nike boldly claims that the speed differential in the new track suits could be the difference between a medalist and an also-ran. After launching the USA kit last night, Nike will continue to roll out the rest of the nations’ as the games approach. While colors will of course vary by country, the construction of the garments is identical for a thoroughly level playing field.
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