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At the end of September, I spent a week in Iceland (the country and the person shown above), where in-season means that inconsistency is the only constant. Some days it rained, it shone, it rained, then the clouds parted – and that was just before noon. This meant that my daypack contained all kinds of clothes. And with average temperatures around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the garment I wore most – from glaciers to black sand beaches – was the soft but durable Columbia Titanium Jacket, a fleece with Omni-Heat Arctic solar insulation (the top image below).
Inspired by polar bears, the layer closest to the body collects and retains energy from the sun. This sealed heat, combined with DWR treated panels on the shoulders/hood, meant I didn’t have to deal with fog, drizzle, spray, etc. And if I was standing during particularly stormy periods, I could go to the Arctic Crest down jacket (the middle image), a packable down jacket with a 700 fill and a tailored lining for maximum heat retention, combined with breathability. One thing I never replaced, however, was the supportive, waterproof one Konos TRS Outdry Mid hiking shoe (the bottom image), which allowed me to wade behind raging waterfalls and trudge many miles to thermal springs without getting my feet wet or my arches sore.
If you have an adventurous soul in the family who could use some accessories, these are the perfect outdoor pieces, and if you act quickly you can get 25% off this Black Friday. (And if you want to know more about the development of the Omni-Heat Arctic clothing designsI’ll publish a piece after Cyber Monday.)
Columbia Sportswear Arctic Crest Sherpa full zip fleece jacket $90 (was $120)
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Columbia Sportswear Arctic Crest down jacket $195 (was $260)
Mark Going/Columbia
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Konos TRS Outdry Mid hiking shoe $97 (was $130)
Mark Going/Columbia
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