Hanesbrands Reveals Super Suit Performance

Back in the middle of July I posted some information on the preliminary reports of how the Champion Super Suit performed on Everest this past spring. Now, the company has posted its own update with more information on the suit's performance, as well as the other new products that have been in development for some time.

The Super Suit garnered a lot of attention last fall when it was first announced, as it gave us a glimpse of the possible future for outdoor gear. Made with aerogel, the suit promised to be incredibly thin and light, while remaining as warm as a traditional down suit, and according to this report, it seems that it lived up to those expectations.

The suit was used up to 24,000 feet, just below Camp 3, and in temperatures as low as -40ºF. Expedition leader Jamie Clarke described it as the warmest coat he'd ever worn, although the suit didn't breathe as well as other products, which is not surprising considering the properties of aerogel. Hansebrand concludes that while the design shows promise, they still have more work to do to before this can become a commercially viable piece of gear.

The rest of the report looks at how the new line of socks, base layers, and shells performed on the mountain as well. This gear is much closer to being a reality, with some of it hitting store shelves as early as this year.  You can read the entire report by clicking here.