WORLD’S BEST SPORT JACKETS

NIKE PRECOOL VEST

his vest takes things a few steps further than the air-conditioned shirt when it comes to keeping your core temperature down. The innermost layer of the vest is filled with frozen water and it is insulated by an outermost layer of aluminium. Unfortunately, the vest is only available to Olympic athletes, so it looks like you will have to do one of two things to get your hands on one—undergo a complete physical transformation into a world class athlete, or be patient and hope that Nike releases it to the general public one day.
www.nike.com

KITANICA MARK I JACKET

esigned as “exoskeletons for humans”, Kitanica melds classic and futuristic aesthetic elements with ultra-durable fabrics and construction, creating chic jackets for dominating the outdoors, the vision of a master’s degree’s dude who teaches at-risk youths. Their newest model, the MARK I, rocks a rugged shell stitched from heavy weight, abrasion resistant 1000 denier Cordura, and drops b-loads of handy features including an epaulette that functions as a hands-free flashlight cradle; cinching cuffs/collar/waist straps for weather protection; US Army-patented nylon webbing for attaching essential gear; and a double-reinforced “drag strap” on the rear of the collar, good for lugging felled game, though should they wake up they’ll be angry and have a flashlight. There’re also 11 specialized pockets, from a cargo chest number with internal D-ring for tethering equipment, to two vertical waist jobs (also w/ D-rings), to four interior compartments, to a shoulder pocket pimping pen sleeves. The Mark I is available in either black or grey. $538
www.kitanika.net

ORVIS ULTIMATE TRAVEL JACKET

rvis is a company you’ve seen a lot of lately, and with good reason – they make some pretty damn cool material. The Ultimate Travel Jacket raises the bar (even for Orvis) by giving you more pockets then you could ever fill with Pods, Pads, Phones, and paraphernalia. It’s Solid Snake on safari .$279
www.orvis.com

SHADOW STEALTH JACKET by Stone Island

he list of features in the Shadow Stealth Jacket from Stone Island reads more like the list from a Bond gadget than a jacket: stowaway hood, aeration vents, internal hidden multi-pocket construction, high performance, waterproof, windproof, invisible zippers – but every man could use a little more James Bond in their lives. It’s not going to make you as rugged as Daniel Craig (or even Pierce Brosnan), but this is definitely three or four steps in the right direction. $793 is pricey for a jacket, but you can decide on payday because this message won’t self-destruct. $793
www.stoneisland.com

XIP3 JACKET & BACKPACK

his multi-functional garment can act as a jacket, backpack and pillow. The jacket repels water with its breathable 3XDRY shell. The 100% recycled polyester lining provides a nice comfortable feel. With the built-in backpack, you can hike across country with plenty of room to stuff the jacket along with the rest of your necessities. And when you want to take 5, the waterproof and stain resistant pillow gives you a soft place for your head to land. $225. To see the transformation, watch the video below.

www.xip3.com/video/video_/video1.html

www.xip3.com

REVERSIBBLE SCREN JACKET  by Piquadro

a Reversible Screen Jacket rappresenta il punto di arrivo sul mercato di un elaborato percorso di ricerca su materiali particolarmente innovativi e performanti che si è protratto per alcune stagioni e ha portato alla presentazione di una giacca prototipo durante la scorsa edizione di Pitti Uomo. Nella Reversible Screen Jacket di Piquadro la componente di innovatività del tessuto, una trama fittissima creata per la filtrazione dei liquidi anche in ambito medicale, si esprime nelle straordinarie caratteristiche che l’alluminizzazione a secco e il trattamento con nanotecnologia al plasma gli conferiscono rendendolo totalmente idrofobico e allo stesso tempo traspirante al 100%, caratteristica che lo differenzia dalle altre giacche antipioggia.

www.piquadro.com



THE SCOTTEVEST / SeV® JACKET

inimalist and sleek looking on the outside, but packs a powerful punch with 39 hidden pockets. The Rodeo Jacket utilizes a patented Personal Area Network (PAN) mechanism that enables you to, “Run wires from cell phones and iPods®/MP3 players conveniently and securely inside the jacket”. You can have your tickets, keys, wallet, passport and all other items you need right inside your jacket. Other cool features include DeepPockets™ with magnetic pocket closures that prevent items from falling out of your pockets. The Rodeo Jacket is made from Teflon® treated microsuede that repels water and stains and silky lining. It is machine washable. All SeV products have tons of unique features you won’t find in any other garments.
These features allow you to discreetly carry AND use your gear, without looking like a total geek. “I created SCOTTEVEST/SeV® to solve a very common problem say Scott Jordan CEO and Founder.”I needed a way to carry and organize all my gadgets and gear. I am a gadget guy, but I had no way to carry them. My devices were all over the place, making it difficult to remember where I left them. I was regularly doing the gadget dance… you know that freak-out moment patting all your pockets trying to remember where you put your cell phone, etc. I decided to solve the problem, and hired a team of clothing designers and engineers (two groups that don’t typically get together much) to design clothes to address my problem – and SeV was born! Our clothes are attractive, our mantra is simple: Make great looking, functional clothing for an affordable price. Uniquely designed pockets hold all your stuff without getting in your way, and the patented Personal Area Network (PAN) from Technology Enabled Clothing – TEC® manages and conceals the wires from your iPod®. We offer many other features that make carrying your stuff easier, including TONS of ergonomically designed pockets, magnetic pocket closures (so your devices don’t fall out), and Weight Management SystemsTM to balance the weight from these added devices. SeV has come a long way and I’m excited to keep innovating for you, our loyal SeV fans”. For more info:
SCOTTEVEST INC. 12588 Highway 75, Unit G -PO Box 2626-Ketchum, Idaho 83340-2626
sales@scottevest.com
www.scottevest.com

HERO 3 ICU iPod-Snowboard-Jacket

he HERO 3 ICU Audio/Mp3/iPod Snowboard Jackets like this Hero 3 ICU iPod Jacket are the way to go if you want to catch some tunes, or stay wirelessly connected to your phone while snowboarding. The Hero 3 ICU Audio/Mp3/iPod Snowboard Jacket features a dedicated iPod pocket with Fibertronic’s connected-wear controls integrated into the sleeve for use of the iPod, Fibretronic’s IP30 iPod module which is compatible with the full range of music and phone modules for audio and mobile phone controls, and an integrated RECCO Avalanche Rescue System. It also boasts a unique double-hood system with built-in reflective goggles. You can buy Hero 3 ICU Jacket for about $200.

BTR Rocket Jacket by Bailo

ade by italian outdoor specialists Bailo, a well established brand for high quality mountaineering and rescue apparel, boasts high performance features like a standard iPod controller plus the choice of any of QIO System’s control electronics like Bluetooth module, AM/FM radio or Walkie-Talkie system. With a Italian fashion flair and fit, the Bailo Trail Running (BTR) Rocket jacket will be the most advanced interactive jacket we have seen so far. The jacket will be made from GORE-TEX PACLITE, a extremely breathable and flexible fabric, and will also feature reflective details for increased visibility in low light conditions and a transparent plastic insert on the cuff allowing the read a watch. The Rocket jacket will be available in Spring 2009 and comes in the colors Grey, Black, Cobalt Blue and Red.

AEROTYPE Hi-Tech Jacket

luetooth jackets like this one, will keep you hooked up and warm on the mountain, the street, and anywhere else. These Bluetooth jackets are water-resistant, double-layered, and feature interactive PaniQ™ technology that allows safe remote use of Bluetooth or MP3 players, Recco Avalanche Rescue System and scholler-PCM technology, which actively balances temperature extremes. The PANiQ technology features on the Aerotype Hi-Tech Jacket lets you plug your iPod etc. into the interior pocket using the included connector and adjust controls on the sleeve to play, change volume/tracks and phone controls. Also cool is the Recco Avalanche Rescue System that helps locate an avalanche victim using a non-battery reflector and search equipment and the Interior and the scholler-PCM, which balances temperatures with Phase Change Materials that store surplus heat to emit when necessary. You can buy this Aerotype Hi-Tech Jacket for about $1295.

AEGIX YKK  by Aegix Performance Apparel.

he AEGIX YKK Sportswear combines function and fashion to create clothes with an emphasis on protection. Company founder Dave Dobkin, who has sustained enough injuries during his 20-year career in extreme sports to fill a medical journal, knows exactly where it’s needed when it comes to alpine sportswear. AEGIX YKK Sportswear can be adjusted to both the individual wearer and the terrain and uses technology like Poron Urethane’s to build padded jackets and pants to save your butt and other body parts. The jacket above, the AEGIX A1 Jacket is a lightweight, hooded parka designed for all-weather conditions. The patent-pending integrated protective system focuses on key areas of the upper body that are most prone to injuries; shoulder, clavicle, arm, elbows, ribs and spine. The price is about $390.

BONGER Ski Jacket Thimbu-T

sporty dynamic design with partially reflecting badges and embroidery designs from the Bogner Canadian-Mountain theme. These best ski jackets 2010 include down-filled hoods that are width-adjustable, zip-off, and have snaps for the addition of an optional luxurious HOODFUR accessory. The Bogner Ski Jacket Thimbu-T also boasts seven outside pockets, three inside pockets (one of them a radiation-absorbent cell-phone pocket), and waterproof ski Oxford (10,000 mm waterproof rating), wind-tight and breathable fabrication. The Lining is a combination of checks and colour blocking and the Insulation is 80% down and 20% feathers. Overall, a very sharp jacket if you can take the bill. The price is around $1,399.

Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket

lectrically heated clothing like this Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket will keep you warmer than yours friends in the cold days to come. Electrically heated clothing will heat your core and charge your electronics. The Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket is a lightly insulated, low profile jacket that’s pre-wired for Ardica Heat and Power Technology and charges your portable electronics on the go. So now while you’re hanging in the lift line or just stopping on the slopes, you can charge up small electronics. That’s really cool! You can buy this Jacket for $230.

THE NAVJACKET by O’Neill

dedicated navigation tool integrated into a high performance Gore-Tex® jacket for the mountains. The NavJacket is the product of an inspired partnership between O’Neill’s Wearable Electronics Department – the H Division, and MyGuide – a German  market leader in delivering navigation solutions based on GPS technology. The NavJacket instead allows you to easily navigate through the mountains with the help of the integrated display on the sleeve and the audio instructions in the hood. Simply enter your desired location and let the NavJacket guide you effortlessly down the slopes. And it doesn’t just stop with navigation. Your current speed, up-to-date local weather forecasts, and in-depth details about your route, such as distance and time have all been incorporated into the flexible display sleeve on the jacket using the latest technology. Using your mobile phone connected to the GPS unit, 3D views of the resorts as well as points of interest throughout the resort will also be available.An additional innovative feature of the NavJacket is a friend finder function, which will allow you to either track down friends, or choose to follow their path through the slopes. Eppo Van Berckelaer, O’Neill Global Marketing Director is excited about the strong innovation that continues to lead O’Neill. “The NavJacket strongly represents what the brand stands for,” he said. “It is about enhancing the experience in the mountains for the consumer. We have achieved our goal by teaming up with MyGuide, a strong player in the navigation market. Together we have managed to put cutting edge technology into our high quality products.” Aleks Ristic, VP Marketing of MyGuide is convinced that GPS will play an important role in future wearable technology. “The partnership with O’Neill allows us to leverage our GPS know-how into new market segments. We with co-development of the NavJacket, we are expanding our product range from car navigation into outdoor usage, where navigation is just one application of our technology. The market can expect further new innovations from ROAD group companies in the future”. The NavJacket will be tested on selected shops. For more information check out :
www.oneilleurope.com