Eddie Bauer launches First Ascent

Make sure you test the Schoeller Pants, too- they look beautiful!

I have the pleasure of owning the Serrano jacket and the BC-100 (rain and wind shell). My wife runs an Eddie Bauer store and I snapped these up on the date of the release. These both seem like great products so far. the Serrano jacket is extremely light and warm. The Primaloft insulation performs when wet, unlike down, and the whole garment stuffs in its own bag—takes up about a half a cubic foot when stuffed. And, contrary to popular belief, the product line reorganization was in the works long before the Golden Gate Capital acquisition. The First Ascent line was rolled out in the Bellevue, WA flagship store before the chapter 11.

I have a lot of this product, and my favorites are the down sweater, and the Frontpoint. Ryan – I’d re-look at the line, as there are many fully windproof outerwear pieces, including the 3-layer Rainier Storm jacket and pants, as well as the BC-100. In this line, everything had a reason, and nothing was an oversight. These guys want breath-ability, but when conditions do get rough, the above pieces create that hard wind barrier. This program has been in the works for over 18 months, so well before the economic turn, or Ch.11. Great write-up!

I just loaded up on a bunch of this gear and I have to say I am mighty impressed thus far. I like how they keep things simple as a lot of gear today is just overloaded with unnecessary features. The Hangfire Hoodie and Downlight Sweater. Its an amazing one two puch that is so light you swear you weren’t wearing anything at all. I also picked up the Igniter Jacket and Pants, The BC-100 jacket, and 3 complete sets of the Merino Ultra-195 baselayer.

I love the entire concept behind First Ascent and have no doubts that it will not only succeed but also gain a lot of respect in the community. Lets face it the guides Eddie Bauer teamed up with are exactly the kind of people you would want working with you to design this type of gear. I certainly cant think of anyone else who would be more knowledgeable in such matters.

Anyways I haven’t had a chance to use much of it yet however as first impressions go, I am completely satisfied and then some. It appears to be awesome gear.

I have not been able to find a good “Walk Around” 30 below down parka since Eddie Bauer made parkas for the North Slope. Most are either heavy work parkas or technical climbing jackets. Someone help!

I am really impressed with the First Ascent gear I purchased. I also took a real close look at most of their new ideas and it looks to me like they did away with trendy and flashy, and brought back the essentials using only the best new materials and designs. There clearly was a lot of thought about combining comfort with functionality, and I look forward to seeing what these guys come up with in the future.

I will be sure to add more of this line to my closet/gear.

-R

Great concept clothing. Simple light and functional. Climbing’s triad requisite recipe. The fit however is still underdeveloped re: when in climbing positions ie hands over head, there is a lot of rise in the waist and pull back in the arms and shoulders, despite the marketing claims on the labels. Perhaps if you’ve little shoulders and a small back these will fit you better. Though if that’s the case your probably not built like the average climber. Contrast this with similar garments of Patagonia’s line and you’ll appreciate the experience and expertise that goes into their fit. Good for the wide backs of most climbers and don’t rise up when hands overhead. Also the Igniter jacket seems a little skimpy on the weight of primaloft when contrasted to jackets of similar style (DAS, Micro Puff). If you have a narrow back and shoulders these clothes may fit you a bit better, however I suspect there’ll still be a fair amount of rise with overhand positions. Hopefully they can refine these elements and continue developing what looks like a very refreshing and competitive line of climbing clothing.

The DAS and Micro Puff use Polarguard which is more lofty than Primaloft for a given warmth/insulation value. So it’s not a good comparison.

I bought the rainer jacket and am very impressed. Used it backpacking in the rain, at some points it was plus 30 miles per hour with rain. First rain jacket I have owned that does not feel like a rain jacket. It breathes very well. The hood is large but cinches down quite well. I also bought the igniter jacket. I am looking forward to trying it out when things cool down.