Yeah, it’s a mouthful. In short, the Columbia Outdry Ex Eco Down Jacket is an environmentally responsible, waterproof down jacket. No PFCs, no dye, responsibly sourced down, recycled materials and pulls, and waterproof and breathable. Basically, it’s a bad ass winter jacket that can handle the cold, the wet and judgement from your greenest friends.
It’s cutting edge enough I should run through all that a little slower. The exterior fabric is made from 27 recycled plastic bottles. They’re built up into a membrane, Outdry, that’s only composed of two layers, rather than the usual three. Forgoing an outer protective layer increases breathability and eliminates the jackets ability to absorb moisture. It’s white because not dying the fabric saves 90 litres of water. And don’t worry about staining – no face fabric means there’s nothing to hold a stain. Mud and guts just washes off. Down is a byproduct of the meat industry and sometimes goose and duck farming is not that kind. For that reason Columbia bought all the down fibres for the jackets fill through Control Union, an organization that audits farms.
Put it all together and you’ve got one of the most sustainable winter jackets available. It’s also super warm, totally dry and looks pretty sharp.
RYAN REPORT is a frequent web post by Ski Canada magazine’s technical editor, Ryan Stuart.
