My new favourite garment: the Columbia Arctic Crest hoodie

Do you have a favourite product or products? Are there things that make your everyday life or sports easier? I have a few. For example (trigger warning for parts of the Community here) React sports glasses:

There are other products I love. For example, Keego water bottles and the Beats Fit Pro. Certain brands also manage to develop products that meet my exact needs. Columbia’s one of them. Whether it’s a rain jacket or hiking gear, I’ve never been disappointed That’s why I was so curious when the brand announced new thermal technology for winter clothing.

I’ve already written about it:

Columbia has provided me with a hoodie and a vest with the new technology to test.

Inspired by nature

The Omni-Heat Arctic insulation system is designed to provide warmth in arctic temperatures. Columbia has modelled it on polar bear fur. The technical term for this is biomimicry. The system uses the sun’s energy and is designed to store heat over long periods. In my experience, this also works in cloudy conditions. Polar bears store solar heat to keep themselves warm in extreme cold. This is partly due to their special fur structure: the top hairs are transparent, hollow and act like small light guides that direct sunlight directly to the skin.

Polar bears’ skin is black, enabling it to absorb the heat of the sun’s rays. The American outdoor manufacturer has copied these properties in its new heat technology.

To achieve this, Columbia worked closely with the Burke Museum of Natural History in Seattle. The aim was to understand how nature works and translate it into functional properties for outdoor sports. The result of this collaboration is new Omni-Heat Arctic Technology. By using translucent fibres and a special coating that optimises heat conduction, this technology offers an alternative to conventional insulating materials.

A polar bear on dog walks

Now, in late autumn, I’m wearing the hoodie with its «polar bear technology» more and more often on my regular dog walks along with the Arctic Crest vest. When it rains, I also like to wear the Wyldwood rain jacket. That way I not only stay warm, but dry too.