Expedition Mountain Climbing Gear Review & Gear Recommendations

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When you begin the physical training process for your first or next Mountain Climbing Expediton to one of the Continental 7 Summits or to one of the 13 or so 8000 meter global mountain summits, it's also the best time to start exploring and checking out the gear that you are going to take with you.  Once you have researched the critical gear items that you are going to be wearing most of the time during the extreme cold weather conditions, you should buy it and take it for a few test drives in as cold of conditions that you can find in your local geography if possible.

The worst thing you can do is to read someones gear review on the Internet about an item, buy it and then pack it for the trip without wearing it several times well ahead of time.  It is extremely important to put some wear time on the new mitts for example, so that you can get an inkling to see whether they are going to work for the thermal regulation system in "your" body.  This is important because well over 60% of people in the U.S. for example, have issues related to blood circulation and blood flow, caused by various reasons(i.e. herdity, age, disease and so forth).

As a manufacturer of 100% of the mittens that we sell, manufactured right here in the United States, our opinion of the most important factors for selecting a pair of Winter mitts are as follows:

• Since the "bottom" side of your hand has twice as many "sweat pores" as does the top side of your hand, you need to understand that the bottom of your hand disapates twice as much heat as does the top side.  Therefore, it is extremely important that you have a mitt that has at least equal and adequate insulation on the bottom side as it does on the top side and that you also have an exceptional Thermal R-Value of Insulation on both sides.(At mimimum it should be in excess of an R-7.0 for temperatures to -15F to -20F and a minimim of R-10.0 for enduring temperatures in excess of -50F)  The sad part is, is that even a goose down insulated mitt is only going to give you perhaps an R-5.0 on the top side and maybe an R-3.0 on the bottom side.  By having equalized insulation on both sides of a mitt, combined with adequate thickness of non-compressible insulating materails, will them help to minimize conductive heat loss that occurs when you grip a frozen object, which is magnified with most Winter Mitts because they're only built with about 1/3 the thickness on the bottom side of the mitt, which is done on purpose so that you can easily bend and flex the mitt like a hand puppet.  These mitts also generally use compressible type insulating materials within the shell, which are very poor for preventing conductive heat loss, but are great for enhancing flexibility of the mitt.  Further, mitten manufacturers that use some of better known, but not necessarily the best insulating materials like thinsulate, thermolite, thermoloft, primaloft and others, generally "skimp" on an acceptable gram weight of insulation that the mitts "should" be built with and they do this to cut costs and make more profit.  So in some cases you "may" find one of these mitts that appears to be somewhat equal in thickness, however because of the compression type insulation materials they are using for better flexibility inside of the mitt is not going to be thick enough to prevent "conductive hear loss when you grip a frozen object, nor are they going to give you and acceptable thermal insulation R-Value in the ranges that we suggested above.
• The second most important factor in selecting a mitt, is exceptional moisture wicking capability.  If the inner layer of a mitt that you are looking at only has a layer that surrounds your finger and hand area with a layer of fabric that is only as thick as the "cottton sheet for your bed", it's not going to keep up with the sweat and moisture that your hand generates.  If you are an individual in the 60% or greater class that experiences blood circulation issues, this subject or factor is important to you.  It is important because your body tries to pump as much blood as it can to your extremities when it is especially cold outside, which initially causes your hands to sweat profusely and then the moisture build-up and restricted blood flow causes them to cool off  and eventually to get very cold or frozen.  Poor wicking capability, which is the case with most mitts ends up causing frozen fingers.
• The third most important thing that you want from a good or excellent Winter Mitten, is one that is built with a 100% "thermal" windblocking outer shell, that also provides water resistance and breathability.  Most Winter Mitts that are built for extreme cold weather conditions, are built using a Nylon type base material for the outer shell.  Nylon fabrics will do a decent job in providing water resistance to the internal construction of a mitt and if they are of a "ripstop" construction will handle punchures without tearing, but, that is where their value ends.  Nylon fabrics do an extremely poor job in providing any breathabilty to the trapped moisture within the inner shell of a mitt and that is because the pores of the fabric are built so tightly for providing adequate water resistance cabability.  Nylon fabric's do have some positive impact in blocking the wind, but because they offer ZERO thermal insulation value, the cold air outside of the mitt through the forces of "convective heat loss" end up penetrating into the inner shell area of the mitt and start cooling the mitt off from the outside in.  Think of putting on a thin nylon windbreaker jacket over your sweatshirt and walking outside when the temperature is -10F or greater outside, as compared to pulling on a 3/16" thick soft shell thermal windblocking jacket over your sweatshirt and then going out in the same temperatures, which senerio do "you think" is going to keep you warmer - longer?  Technical Advantage Gear mitts "give you" that thermal windblocking jacket on the outside of your mitts and the rest like north face, marmot, outdoor research (OR) and others don't!
• Fourth, a good or excellent Winter Mitt needs to have at least one device for cinching in the generated hand heat located either around the wrist, at the end of the hand entry area into the mitt, or both.  If these assets are not available, the forces of convective heat loss will again occur in a chimney effect and the warm air around the hands and fingers will be replaced by the cool or cold air.

Summary:

So the question that you should be thinking about before near the summit of an 8000 meter mountain with windchilled temperatures somewhere between -60F to -100F below,  "Was it more important to have a  flexible mitt on this trip that led to a couple "black colored" frost bitten fingers, or should I have gone with the better insulated, correctly designed mitts that allowed me to also use my gloves inside of them so my fingers are alway covered mitts from Technical Advantage Gear?

Technical Advantage Gear Recommendations:

Mitts - Mittens

Prairie Snowstorm G2 Hardfaced Mitts - Recommended User Range to -30F (-34C)below zero - Thermal R-Value of Insulation R-6.55

The second generation ("G2")of our Prairie Snowstorm Mitts builds on the great successes that we had with the original version release and with some well defined re-engineering now sets a new standard in the global market place for cold weather mittens.  The "New" G2 Prairie Snowstorm Mitts are built with technically advanced abrasion resistant thermal windblocking, DWR water repellent, breathable outer shells - a modified 5 layer top & bottom total layering system that also provides a further enhancement for conductive heat loss, about another 8% to 10% additional benefit - an approximate 10% enhancement to the bend flexibility and an increase of approximately 14% to the total length of the mitt allowing it to ride higher up your jacket sleeve.  Of course you also gain some extra length in the fingertips and length of the thumb, which further accomodates more uses with different finger & thumb lengths.  The overall thermal R-value for insulation rating on the G2 mitts is an approximate R-6.55 which is down ever so slightly from the original Prairie Mitts we introduced a couple of years ago.  However, we feel the further enhancement made through a technical material change to one of the internal layers, for even better conductive heat loss protection still provides an exceptional overall warmth package for the end user and we've yet to find a competitive mitt at any price point that comes even close to our standards and these remain the Number 1 choice for climbers going to the summit of 8000m peaks...  Click here for more information.....

.....or Buy them NOW.....

New G2 Hand Sizing Matrix Made Easy

Step 1:  Finger Length            Step 2:  Hand Width                      Step 3:  Thumb Length

Sizing made easy for the G2 Mitts.  First measure the length of your fingers starting at the crotch or base of the thumb, up to the tip of the middle finger as pictured.  Next measure the width of your hand from the crotch or base of the thumb, across to the outside of the hand.  Last, you may want to cross check the length of your thumb, measuring from the crotch base of the thumb up to the tip of the thumb, also as pictured above.  Proceed down to the chart below and select the size that is best for your specific hand dimensions.

To further your thought process, why not "click" on the following link to read:  "Gear Weight vs Actual Outdoor Element Performance"

"IMPORTANT:  Always Determine Your Hand/Mitten Size from the Cart Above Before Ordering"

Price per Pair:  USD$97.50 - XSmall G2 Mitten

Dimensions:  Size X-Small

• Approximate Outer Length:  11.25" - 285.75mm

• Approximate Outer Hand Area Width:  5.0" - 127.00mm

• Approximate Hand Opening Area Inside Width:  5.75" - 146.05mm

  Weight per Pair:  9.2 ounces - 260.82 grams

Prairie Snowstorm G2 Hardfaced Mitts - Size X-SMALL Sku#:  10210PSG2XS

In Stock

Price per Pair:  USD$97.50 - Small G2 Mitten

Dimensions:  Size Small

• Approximate Outer Length:  12.75" - 323.85mm
• Approximate Outer Hand Area Width:  5.75" - 146.05mm
• Approximate Hand Opening Area Inside Width:  6.75" - 171.45mm
• Weight per Pair:  11.0 ounces - 311.85 grams

Prairie Snowstorm G2 Mitts - Size SMALL Sku#:  90409PSG2S

In Stock

Price per Pair:  USD$97.50 - Medium G2 Mitten

Dimensions:  Size Medium

• Approximate Outer Length:  13.0" -  330.2 mm
• Approximate Outer Hand Area Width:  6.25" - 158.75mm
• Approximate Hand Opening Area Inside Width:  7.25" - 184.15mm
• Weight per Pair:  13.0 ounces - 368.55 grams

Prairie Snowstorm G2 Mitts - Size MEDIUM Sku#:  90409PSMG2M

In Stock

Price per Pair:  USD$97.50 - Large G2 Mitten

Dimensions:  Size Large

• Approximate Outer Length:  13.50" - 342.9mm
• Approximate Outer Hand Area Width:  6.50" - 165.1mm
• Approximate Hand Opening Area Inside Width:  7.50" - 190.5mm
• Weight per Pair:  14.0 ounces - 396.9 grams

Prairie Snowstorm G2 Mitts - Size LARGE Sku#:  90409PSMG2L

In Stock

XWick 3.6 TRH Expedition Series Glove Over Mitt Shells - Thermal R-Value of Insulation of R-3.6 - 3 Layer Technical Fabric System Top & Bottom

In the World of "status quo", whereby the major innovations in serious expedition & mountain climbing gear only come by way of new colors, or a different "non-thermal" outer shell material, fancy new stitching to the outer shells for looks or a few other minor non-essential trinkets added to their finished package and no other competitive options for you to choose from, well, we've decided again to raise the world bar and set a new functional standard for excellence in expedition gear that is actually designed to work and to work the best in doing what it was designed to do!

The standard for status quo designed Glove Over Mitt shells that you've had a limited choice on in the past, basically goes like this:  The outer shell materials used have been made out of cordura, nylon, a nylon cordura blend, or perhaps a newer technical fabric that is made from some form of a nylon composite base material.  The immediate failure point on all of these Over Mitts from the start, is that the above mentioned materials "do not" provide any thermal insulation properties to the warmth calculation, or to the R-value of the complete unit.  The materials being used will provide some degree of wind blocking protection, however through the natural forces of convective and conductive heat loss, the cold will penetrate into the inner compartment area of the Over Mitt Shells.  Secondly, most Over Mitts only provide for at most a two layer total design system, the outer shell layer as mentioned and then perhaps a thin inner layer that is suppose to provide some amount of thermal warmth and moisture wicking.  The failure point here again, is that the thin inner layer cannot provide any measurable insulating contribution because it is always wet from all of the snow that enters the hand opening area when not in use that is never sealed shut and also because the outer shells basically offer little in the way of stopping the cold air temperatures from transfering through them right inside against your already cold fingers inside of your climbing gloves.  Yes there is some benefit to having a nylon composite outer shell material, which is that it will provide water repellency to the snow, rain and outdoor moisture elements, however that is only true if the fabric has been DWR water repellent treated, as most nylon fabric's do not naturally repell moisture with out the treatment. (if we get super technical for a moment, there are some very technically designed nylon based fabrics that limit and control the number of surface pores that are open per sq inch or sq cm, which allows for some natural water repellecy, however these same fabrics also limit the amount of moisture breathability through the surface membrane, therefore trapping the sweat vapors, etc on the inside instead of allowing them to pass through and escape, therefore they can further magnify the cooling effect inside of the Over Mitt compartment)  A fourth failure point on most if not all existing Over Mitts is that they do not offer a sensible option for keeping the snow and wet from entering into the hand opening area, when the Over Mitts are dangling down from your jacket or waist belt.  Most will offer a wrist area pull tight shock cord for when you're actually wearing them and some will even offer an additional pull tight shock cord and cord loc right at the end of the opening area, but how many times is it actually pulled all of the way closed and even then can it be pulled all of the way closed in order to keep the snow out?  Correct us if we're wrong, but usually by the time that you're ready to use your current Over Mitts on a climb, there usually is a fair amount of snow that is already inside of them and the inner layer is already frozen wet before you ever put your hand inside for the first use?  Fifth and final, we will give credit depending on the brand manufacture, that some of the Over Mitts will provide some level of abrasion resistance, however that will vary by company.  At the same time it should be noted that some blends of nylon fabrics can cut and tear from sharp ice or rocks encountered on a climb, which will further diminish their effectiveness.

So how do you raise the World Standard or Bar for functional excellent in Expedition & Mountain Climbing rated Glove Over Mitt Shells?

This is how we've done it with our "new" Technical Advantage Gear XWick 3.6 TRH Expedition Series Glove Over Mitt Shells:

First:  You provide a "Thermal" Windblocking Outer Shell Layer that helps to minimize convective & conductive heat loss, that is also Hardfaced to provide high Abrasion Resistance, Breathablity and DWR Water Repellent.

Second:  We build our Glove Over Mitts with a 3 Layer Technical Fabric System on both the top and bottom sides, that provides a total Thermal Insulation Value of R-3.6.  For us the R-value number is low as compared to what we build into & offer with our regular mittens, however it is perhaps two or three times what everyone else builds into their Over Mitt Shells.  The 3 Layer technical fabric system that we use will provide exceptional additional warmth when combined with your climbing gloves or brand "X" compression mitts, but will still provide very adequate bend flexibility and gripping when they are in use in combination with your gloves/compression mitts.  Depending on the air temperatures when leaving the final base camp, these could help to get you to the summit and back without returning with any black fingers.  However for extreme negative windchilled temperatures, we still would recommend that you sacrifice some bend flexibility and wear a pair of our Extreme Element Arctic Thermal Mitts w/Detachable Thumb Loc Straps & Hardfaced Outer Shells, which still allow you the option because of their sizing to wear gloves inside of them.

Third:  Within your triple technical fabric layering system top & bottom, would provide layers internally that will further help to add insulation value to the whole unit, have added benefit to further minimizing conductive heat loss and at the same time will provide superior excellence in thermal moisture wicking and transfer.

Fourth:  You build in the standard asset of a pull tight wrist area shock cord and cord loc system that with a simple jerk of the cord will help to seal out the flow of cold air, thereby minimizing the effects of convective heat loss.  The shock cord ends also have hooks on them so that you can clip them to your jacket or backpack if this is how you choose to secure them when not in use.

Fifth:  You further innovate a system that allows for the Over Mitt hand opening area to be completely sealed shut when not in use, to keep the snow and other moisture out and to keep the insides dry, which is done through the addition of our heavy duty hook & loop strips that are sewn into the top inside edges of the hand opening area.  When sealed shut the top edges layer flat together for less bulkiness and obstruction.

Sixth:  You innovate and added a system of top edge heavy duty webbing straps that allow the operator wearer to grip the straps at the top for opening up the sealed shut Over Mitts while still wearing their gloves on their hands.  At the same time you add a Durable Plastic Buckle half to each mitt that how gives the operator the option of attaching the Over Mitts to their waist belt, or backpack to keep them out of the way and from dangling down in front of your legs while your trying to climb to the summit.  Yet another revolution in Over Mitts.

Seventh:  You finish up the outer shell layer with some moderately sized strips of high intensity - high visability reflective strips for extra safety and reflective light visability when worn in the dark.  Perhaps some day it could save your life.

Eight:  You generously size these units in a "one size fits most" format, that allows for most all combinations for glove or compression mitts to be worn inside of these Glove Over Mitts.

The critical dimensions on these Over Mitts are:  Overall Outer Length - 14 1/2" (369.3mm); Overall Inner Length - 13 1/2" (342.9mm); Hand Opening Area ID - 10.0" (254mm); Mid Hand OD Width Flat - 7.0" (177.8mm); Mid Hand ID Width Flat - 6.0" (152.4mm); Thumb Length ID (base of thumb crotch to inside tip) - 3.5" (88.9mm); Inner Distance from crotch or base of the thumb past the fingertips - 9.0" (228.6mm) and they only weight 11.3 ounces (320.35 g) per pair.

So....if you're climbing in the Himalaya's in April or September of 2009, look around because these are already on planned European climbing expeditions that will be there.  Just don't be one that looks down in front of your legs and still sees the same over mitt shells that failed you the last time you were climbing, when perhaps you came down with one or more black fingers?  Technical Advantage Gear gives you the "best" options on gear that is actually built to work and work where ever you choose to take in on the Globe!  Click here for more information...

To further your thought process, why not "click" on the following link to read:  "Gear Weight vs Actual Outdoor Element Performance"

Price Per Pair:  USD$130.95

Sku #:  90309XWEGM

In Stock

Extreme Element Arctic Thermal Mitts - Hardfaced Outer Shell Layer - Temp Range to -60F (-51C) + below zero - Thermal R-Value of Insulation R-9.3

We designed these mitts with the purpose of enhancing the gripping bendability over our original version of Extreme Element Mitts, which we did by about 15% to 20%.  We also enhanced the abrasion and pick resistance substantially by utilizing a hardfaced technical outer shell material, all without sacrficing much in the way of our standards for thermal insulating values built into both the top & bottom sides of our mitts.  These mitts are built using 12 total layers (6 top/6 bottom) and still pack a second to no one thermal insulation value of R-9.3.  The hardfaced outer shell layer has a soft to the touch feel, but still thermally blocks out the cold piercing winds and the next layer inside provides 100% thermal windblocking protection.  The outer shell is also DWR water repellent and has very good moisture vapor breathability and the inner most layer provides the highest level of thermal moisure wicking and transfer of any mitten on Planet Earth!  To learn more about these great mitts.... Click here for more information>>>

Sizing Information Extreme Mitt Series

To further your thought process, why not "click" on the following link to read:  "Gear Weight vs Actual Outdoor Element Performance"

Price per Pair:  USD$189.95 - Any Size Extreme Element Arctic HF Outer Shell Mitts

Dimensions:  Size Medium - "NO" Detachable Thumb Loc Straps

Approximate Overall Outer Length:  13" - 330.2mm

Approximate Outer Hand Area Width:  6.35" - 161.29mmApproximate

Width of the Hand Opening Area:  8 1/2" - 215.9mm

Ext Element Arctic HF Outer Shell Mitt - Size MEDIUM Sku#:  12512EEMHM

Price Per Pair:  USD$189.95

Out of Stock

Dimensions:  Size Large - "NO" Detachable Thumb Loc Straps

Approximate Overall Outer Length:  14 1/2" - 368.3mm

Approximate Outer Hand Area Width:  7.0" - 177.8mm

Approximate Width of the Hand Opening Area:  9 1/2" - 241.3mm

Ext Element Arctic HF Outer Shell Mitt - Size LARGE Sku#:  90609EEMHL

Price Per Pair:  USD$189.95

In Stock

Dimensions:  Size X-Large - "NO" Detachable Thumb Loc Straps

Approximate Overall Outer Length:  15" - 381mm

Approximate Outer Hand Area Width:  8 1/2" - 215.9mm

Approximate Width of the Hand Opening Area:  10 1/2" - 266.7mm

Ext Element Arctic HF Outer Shell Mitt - Size X-LARGE Sku#:  71513EEMHXL

Price Per Pair:  USD$189.95

Out of Stock

Neck Gaiters - Straight & Drop Pad

XWick 3.4TRH Expediton Windblocking Thermal Wicking Straight Neck Gaiter - Hardfaced Outer Shell Layer -  Recommended Temperature Range to -80F (-62C)+ below zero

The XWick 3.4TRH Expediton Series Neck Gaiters are the hottest thing on the expedition and mountain climbing gear list of things to pack with you on your next trip to the summit.  These neck gaiters are designed for high physical exertion activities where you require windblocking protection during the adventure, but you also need warmth during the rest periods and superb moisture wicking and transfer during the entire climbing segment or activity.

We build these units with a 3 layer technical fabric system, with the outer shell layer consisting of a soft feeling Thermal Windblocking Hardfaced abrasion reducing, DWR water repellent and breathable technical fabric.  The mid-layer is a moderate mid-range synthetic polyester fabric that provides warmth without being overly hot.  The inner layer next to the face and skin is a superior thermal wicking technical fabric that helps to moderate the overall warmth, yet does a great job in transfering the breath moisture away when the unit is pulled up over the mouth and nose.

The XWick 3.4TRH Expediton Series Neck Gaiters pack a combined thermal insulation value of R-3.4, perhaps the highest thermal value for neck gaiters in existence, but the combination and function of each of the three layers together allow it better regulate the heat, especially when your day is consisting of 70% or better of physical exertion as your climbing to the summit.

With the interesting stretch of the 3 technical fabrics and the design cut, we have been able to configure this as a "one size fits most unit".  It also comes with our top edge pull tight built in shock cord and cord loc, for allowing you to lock it into any desired position on your face, while also sealing the heat in.  How many major climbs to the summit will these units be taken on, we don't know for sure, but we're guessing many from different expeditions located around the globe.  Click here for more information>>>>>

Price Each:  USD$28.99

Sizing:  One Size Fits Most

Dimensions Laying Flat:  
- 9" - 228.6mm vertical up & down Tall
- 11"- 279.4mm outer width at head/neck opening edge
- 10 1/2"- 266.7mm inner width diameter at head/neck opening edge

One Sized per above Dimensions - Black Sku#:  20080408XWENG

In Stock

XWick 3.4TRH Expediton 1.4 Windblocking Thermal Wicking Drop Pad Neck Gaiter - Hardfaced Outer Shell Layer -  Recommended Temperature Range to -80F (-62C)+ below zero

We've stretched the design and innovation limits with our latest entry of neck gaiter designs.  In this case, we have further revolutionized the drop pad neck gaiter with our Expediton Series XWick 3.4 TRH Expedition 1.4 Windblocking Thermal Wicking Drop Pad Neck Gaiter, which is yet again in a class by itself.  The XWick 3.4 TRH Expedition 1.4 is designed for the user that is under physical exertion better then 70% of the time in face biting cold temperatures, where you need to stay warm and protected from frostbite, but you also need better moisture transfer from the area around your mouth.

The 3.4 TR is the combined thermal insulation value of the entire gear unit, which is a Thermal R value of 3.4.  The final alpha component of H again stands for the Hardfacing abrasion resistant finish on the outer shell layer fabric that we use for this neck gaiter. Although the outer shell fabric is hardfaced, it does have a soft feel to the hand and it does help to reduce the amount of blowing snow that could stick to it.  The Expedition is the rating that we have given to this item based on how it regulates the heat, transfers moisture and protects the user from the extreme elements while under physical exertion.  Finally, the 1.4 is the Drop Pad configuration on this gear unit, which is (1) one full drop pad in the front and an approximate 40% length drop pad in the rear.

With the interesting stretch of the 3 technical fabrics and the design cut, we have been able to configure this as a "one size fits most unit".  It also comes with our top edge pull tight built in shock cord and cord loc, for allowing you to lock it into any desired position on your face, while also sealing the heat in.  How many major climbs to the summit will these units be taken on, we don't know for sure, but we're guessing many from different climbing expeditions located around the globe.  Click here for more information>>>>>

Price Each:  USD$46.99

Sizing:  One Size Fits Most

Dimensions Laying Flat:  
- 15 1/2" - 393.7mm Total Front Length - Top edge to bottom of the drop pad
-10 1/2" - 266.7mm Total Rear Length - Top edge to bottom of the 40% length rear drop pad
- 11 1/4"- 285.75mm outer width at head/neck opening edge
- 10 3/4"- 273.05mm inner width diameter at head/neck opening edge

One Sized per above Dimensions - Black Sku#:  20080408XWEPG

In Stock

Hats - Thermal Windblocking

XWick 3.4TRH Expediton Windblocking Thermal Wicking Massif Climbing Hat - Hardfaced Outer Shell Layer -  Recommended Temperature Range to -60F (-51C)+ below zero

                                                  Front View                                         Side/Rear View                                Front View (helmet not included)           Rear/Side View (helment not incuded)

The XWick 3.4 TRH Expedition Windblocking Thermal Wicking Massif Hat is NEW for the 2010-2011 climbing season and has been designed to wear solo, or in conjuction with a climbing helmet as pictured above.  This hat is built with a 3 Layer technical fabric combination that thermally blocks out the wind penetration, provides a medium heat or warmth feel when on the head and at the same time it provides superior moisture wicking to remove the sweat that builds up when chugging through the deep snow in altitude when you're heading to the summit.  The outer shell layer is also DWR water repellent, breathable and it is made from a Hard faced abrasion resistant technical fabric.  The lower edge has a built in shock cord and cord-loc system, that allows you to adjust it to the proper tightness for your head.

Other then you baseball cap, this is the only other hat that you will need to take with you all the way to the summit.  This hat is lightweight, weighting in at only 3.5 ounces and the combined 3 layer system of fabrics are only approximately 3/8 inch in thickness.  There is not another hat on the market "anywhere" that will provide you with a thermal insulating value of R-3.4, with an engineered 3 total technical fabric layering system that provides anywhere near the same total "asset" value that this hat gives you.  So why not leave the woven chin tie hat, the one layered $30.00 windstopping hat and the balaclava at home next time and buy one of these Massif Hats and marry it up to one of our Neck Gaiters instead, for a better total performance system on your next summit climb?  Click here for more information>>>>>

Price Each:  USD$34.95

Sizing:  One Size Fits Most

In Stock

Windblocking Arctic Thermal Hat - Recommended User Range to -60F (-51C) plus below zero

Our Windblocking Arctic Thermal Hat, based on the feedback from our field testers and other users that have taken them on extreme cold weather adventures, claim that this "is" the warmest hat on the Planet.  We place a reasonable recommended user range of -60F plus below zero on this gear item, but quite honestly this hat will endure any extreme sub-zero temperature that you can physically stand and then some.  This hat is built with our innovative 4 layer technical fabric layering system and it will stop anything that Mother Nature can throw out at you while on a climb to the summit or venturing across the endless rough ice terrain on a polar expedition.

The outer shell is 100% thermal windblocking, breathable and is DWR water resistant.  This hat will not only out perform any nyloned shelled hat for thermally blocking out all of the wind, but it also minimizes convective heat loss and will take as much rain and mist moisture as the finest higher end technical nylon type fabrics can take and it still will keep the inner layers dry.  The inner layer that surrounds the head is also thermal and highly moisture wicking, which is a feature that few other Winter grade expedition hats ever offer.  This is an extreme temperature hat and it's designed to start wearing for the first time when the temperatures start dropping below zero, as warmer air temperatures and heavy exertion will probably cause your head to sweat.

The final caviot of this hat is that it will completely pull down over you ears and then the convective cold air flow can be sealed out with the pull tight shock cording and cord loc.  At the same time, the shock cording when adjusted tighter will also keep the hat from being wind gusted off of your head or picked off by a tree branch etc.  For those climbers that want a non-billed or brimmed Winter expedition grade hat, this is the one for you, bar none!  MAKE SURE THAT YOU MEASURE THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF YOUR HEAD BEFORE ORDERING.  Click here for more information....

Price Each:  USD$44.99 ANY Size

SIZING:  Maximum circumference measured around your forehead to be comfortable of 22.0" - 558.8mm or less.

Use for USA Hat Sizes:  6 1/2 - 6 5/8 - 6 3/4 - 6 7/8

Size SMALL/Medium - WHITE Sku#:  20070406HSM

In Stock

SIZING:  Maximum circumference measured around your forehead to be comfortable of 22.0" - 558.8mm or less.

Use for USA Hat Sizes:  6 1/2 - 6 5/8 - 6 3/4 - 6 7/8

Size SMALL/Medium - BLACK Sku#:  20070406HSMBK

In Stock

Size:  Small/Medium - Red

SIZING:  Maximum circumference measured around your forehead to be comfortable of 22.0" - 558.8mm or less.

Use for USA Hat Sizes:  6 1/2 - 6 5/8 - 6 3/4 - 6 7/8

Recommended average temperature ranges for wearing:  +10 F to -80 F (-12C to -62C)

In Stock

SIZING:  Minimum circumference measured around your forehead to be comfortable of 22.0" - 558.8mm to 23.5" - 596.9mm.

Use for USA Hat Sizes:  7 - 7 1/8 - 7 1/4 - 7 3/8

Size Large/X-Large - WHITE Sku#:  20081008HLXLW

In Stock

SIZING:  Minimum circumference measured around your forehead to be comfortable of 22.0" - 558.8mm to 23.5" - 596.9mm.

Use for USA Hat Sizes:  7 - 7 1/8 - 7 1/4 - 7 3/8

Size Large/X-Large - BLACK Sku#:  20070406HLXL

In Stock

Size:  Large/XL - Red

SIZING:  Minimum circumference measured around your forehead to be comfortable of 22.0" - 558.8mm to 23.5" - 596.9mm.

Use for USA Hat Sizes:  7 - 7 1/8 - 7 1/4 - 7 3/8

Recommended average temperature ranges for wearing:  +10 F to -80 F (-12C to -62C)

In Stock

SIZING:  Minimum circumference measured around your forehead to be comfortable of 24.0" - 609.6mm to 26.0" - 660.4mm or slightly greater....

Use for USA Hat Sizes:  7 3/4 - 7 7/8 - 8 - Size 8 ++

Size XXLarge - BLACK Sku#:  20081008HXXL

In Stock

Size: XXL - White

SIZING:  Minimum circumference measured around your forehead to be comfortable of 24.0" - 609.6mm to 26.0" - 660.4mm or slightly greater....

Recommended average temperature ranges for wearing:  +10 F to -80 F (-12C to -62C)

In Stock

Size: XXL - Red

SIZING:  Minimum circumference measured around your forehead to be comfortable of 24.0" - 609.6mm to 26.0" - 660.4mm or slightly greater....

Recommended average temperature ranges for wearing:  +10 F to -80 F (-12C to -62C)

Out of Stock

XWick 3.4TRH Expediton Windblocking Thermal Wicking Rear Neck Flap Hat - Hardfaced Outer Shell Layer -  Recommended Temperature Range to -60F (-51C)+ below zero

The XWick 3.4 TRH Expedition Rear Neck Flap Hat is especially built for high exertion outdoor Winter activities, where there are periods of exertion and periods of rest during varying winds and temperatures, so the body is either generating excessive heat or is cooling off during the rest periods.  A Hat in this classification needs to thermally block the wind penetration, provide a medium heat or warmth feel when on the head and at the same time must provide superior moisture wicking to remove the sweat that builds up when chugging through the deep snow in altitude when you're heading to the summit and this hat does it all.  It also has a built in rear neck flap to keep the elements and cold air off of the back of the neck when a neck gaiter is not being worn and it has a rear external strap system for locking in your goggle or headlamp straps.

The XWick 3.4TRH Expediton Series Rear Neck Flap Hats pack a combined thermal insulation value of R-3.4, which comes from the combination and function of each of the three layers together, which allows in to better regulate the heat, especially when your day is consisting of 50% or better of physical exertion as your climbing to the summit.

With the interesting stretch of the 3 technical fabrics and the design cut, we've been able to configure this as a "one size fits most unit".  We also built in a "turbo flap" on the inside front edge of the hat that flips up or down and it has been put there for when you really need to seal out the cold from the head winds that are pounding on your upper forehead and you want even more windblocking and warmth protection in that area.  Click here for more information>>>>>

Price Each:  USD$38.99

Dimensions Laying Flat:  
- 9" - 228.6mm top of hat to bottom edge of main hat tall
- 15" - 381mm Total length of the hat from top to bottom edge of the rear neck flap.
-11.5" - 292.1mm maximum width of rear neck flap at widest point near the lower edges
- 11" - 279.4mm outer width at head opening edge
- 10 1/2" - 266.7mm inner width diameter at head opening edge

NOTE:  Maximum head circumference measured around your forehead to be comfortable of 24.0" - 609.6mm or less.(Average head circumference range for this hat is 22.0" - 558.8mm to 24.0" - 609.6mm)

One Sized per above Dimensions - Black Sku#:  20080908XWEH

In Stock

Extreme Element Wind Therm Base Layer Tops & Bottoms - Womens & Mens Sizes Available - Built w/Thermal Windblocking Inserts - With Proper Layering good to -100F (-73C)

Womens:

   Front View     Backside View                Larger TOP Front Side View                            Larger BOTTOM Front Side View

        Larger BOTTOM Backside View

Serious Mountain Climbers & Expeditioners "demand" the warmest, most versatile and innovative Base Layer tops & bottoms that they can find any where in the World and that's exactly why Technical Advantage Gear designed, tested and built the Extreme Element Wind Therm Base Layer System.  Our engineered and developed design features a main technical fabric base material that provides "heavyweight" thermal insulating warmth, superior excellence in moisture wicking and transfer and the technical fabric also does an excellent job in regulating the heat that is generated from the high & low temperature extremes that occur during and expedition, therefore leaving you comfortable and dry during the length of time that you have them on.  Some of our testers had them on for (9) nine days straight and others for as much as (13) days straight and the concensus was always the same, comfortable and dry during above zero F temperatures and warm and dry during sub-zero temperatures.  You won't see them when you look around at others because they're covered up with other layers, but guys and gals running the Iditarod, climbing in the Himalaya's and working down in Antarctica have them on, so look for the smiling face at -50F + and you'll know who's probably got them one, besides many everyday other less adventurous people as well around the World.

As we like to break down the barriers set by the '"status quo" brands in the market and set the new standard for serious cold weather gear, we have yet again done this with our new Base Layer System.  We previously mentioned the excellence of our main base technical fabric, but we've now pushed the limited in innovative design with the addition of the sewn on "inserts" that have been added in strategic locations.  The black colored inserts provide Thermal Windblocking Protection, have great Breathability, Abrasion Resistance and are also DWR Water repellent.  The stategic locations for additional thermal warmth and windblocking protection are the Chest Core and Bi-cep/Tri-cep areas on the Tops and the Groin, Thighs, Buttock & Hamstrings on the Bottoms.  Imagine less stiffness in the thighs and hamstrings and always a warm and dry butt on your next expedition?  We also cut the lengths of the tops longer so that they will "never" pull out and expose your lower back to the chilling winds and the sleeves are longer as well.  The inseams run longer them the "status quo" designs on the bottoms and we also double stitich the armpit and crotch areas so that you'll never have to worry about blowing out one of those critical seams.

We have blended sizes available for women in the color combination of Aloe Green with the Black inserts as pictured above and in a Moss brownish green, Grey & Black colors for men, with three sizes available currently for women & four sizes available for men.  The womens Base Layer is designed and cut especially for womens bodies and the men's design and cut is specifically for men.  Click here for more information>>>>>>

Price Each:  USD$75.00  Womens Tops ANY Size

Price Each:  USD$75.00  Womens Bottoms ANY Size

Small/Medium Womens Bottoms - Aloe Green Sku#:  20091108WTWSMB

In Stock

Medium/Large Womens Top - Aloe Green Sku#:  20091108WTWMLT

In Stock

Medium/Large Womens Bottoms - Aloe Green Sku#:  20091108WTWMLB

In Stock

Large/XL Womens Top - Aloe Green Sku#:  10910WTWLXLT

In Stock

Large/XL Womens Bottom - Aloe Green Sku#:  10910WTWLXLB

In Stock

MENS:

Price Each:  USD$75.00  Mens Tops ANY Size

Price Each:  USD$75.00  Mens Bottoms ANY Size

Small/Medium MENS Top - BLACK w/black inserts - Sku#:  10610EEWTSMB

In Stock

Small/Medium MENS Bottom - BLACK w/black inserts - Sku#:  10610EEWBSMB

In Stock

.    

Large MENS Top - BLACK w/black inserts - Sku#:  10910WTMLTB

In Stock

Front View                                                                   Back View

Large MENS Bottoms - BLACK w/black inserts - Sku#:  10910WTMLBB

Out of Stock

X-Large MENS Top - BLACK w/black inserts - Sku#:  111210EEWTXLB

In Stock

                                                                                                                  Front View                                                   Rear View

X-Large MENS Bottoms - BLACK w/black inserts - Sku#:  111210EEWBXLB

In Stock

XX-Large MENS Top - Black w/black inserts - Sku#:  101210EEWTXXL

In Stock

Front View                                                                 Rear View

XX-Large MENS Bottoms - Black w/black inserts - Sku#:  101210EEWBXXL

In Stock

Well, these are our top choices for gear items that will get you to the summit and will also bring you back down again with a minimized amount of frost bite, assuming they are worn and used correctly.  We list other items within our Products Tab that will also work in keeping you warmer -longer, however the above listed items are our to suggestions for items that were especially designed for cold weather - high exertion activities such as Mountain Climbing Expeditions.  It would be ashamed for the amount of money that a major expedition costs today if you by-passed the opportunity to buy some of our Technical Advantage Gear, that is unique in design and manufacturing process and actually built to work, just because you think that you already have that "should do the job".  Why not purchase some gear that "will do the job" and was extensively tested before we decided whether or not to make it available for sale.  Our mission is simple....we engineer, design and test our gear to set new standards and designs for the World of outdoor adventures, extreme or otherwise and only build and sell it because it "actually works" and it works better then anything else out there on the Planet.  If the competition builds something with one layer of some fabric, we probably use two layers of the highest quality technical fabrics that are made in the World.  If they use two layers, we probably use three or four and if they use three layers depending on the item, we my use five, six, seven or eight layers of fabrics.  We're not looking to be the biggest gear accessory company in the World, manufacturing the product in the Far East so that we can market and sell to the masses, rather we are looking to build unique gear designs that actually work better then you anticipated for the money you invested and we gladly accept one new customer at a time.  Will you be one of them?

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