There are three big technology stories for 2016 Winter Market from Arc’teryx.
First up is the Procline SV Boot which is a combination climbing/ski boot. We mentioned this new design when it was first unveiled last month.
Next is the Voltair Avalanche AirBag. This thing is amazing. They’ve introduced a couple of new technologies to make it happen. First off, unlike other Avalanche bags, there’s no one time use CO2 cartridges. They’ve developed a centrifugal blower system run by a battery that rams air into the 150 liter bag for rapid inflation allowing the wearer to float atop the avalanche. Additionally, the battery is optimized for cold weather use. It offers 10 inflations at -10 deg C and at least once at -30 deg C. This means you can train with the system prior to every needing it. Finally, the bag itself is very nice and made from the Arc’teryx AC2 fabric.
The final new item is an update to the Alpha SV jacket. First introduced in 1998, this jacket has received multiple material and construction updates over the years yet kept its core looks.
First off is a move to a new, lighter 8 oz N100p-X GORE-TEX fabric. You’ll also notice that there are no more zipper garages. This is thanks to the new WaterTight zipper and RS zipper slider which self seals at the top of the zipper.
They’ve also swapped one of the welded internal chest pockets for a mesh pocket fit for a water bottle.
This change is really cool. The hood and hem adjustments have changed from barrel locks to the new Cohaesive cord adjustments which can be adjusted by a squeeze of the thumb and forefinger.
