Feathered Friends Blog
A waterproof and windproof hardshell is the heart of my outdoor adventure kit. It is a piece of gear that goes on every single trip from a short day hike on my favorite local mountain to week-long backpacks in remote areas. Over the last year I searched for a new favorite hardshell, and I think I finally found it in the Arc’teryx Alpha SL.
At the end of September I took the jacket on a slew of day hikes and a multi-day backpacking trip. Fall hiking in Washington guarantees a mixed bag of weather, and we got a little bit of everything from rain to cold wind and sunshine. I was happy through it all in the Alpha SL.
The first thing I noticed about the jacket is how LIGHT it is. The women’s jacket (size M) clocked in at a pleasant 9.3 oz. This shaves significant ounces off the other jackets I usually carry, and I barely noticed the jacket while wearing it. The GORE-TEX® PacLite® fabric is not only light, but is less crinkly and compresses into a stuff sack that came with the jacket. Lightweight and packable, it was a no brainer to take it with me everyday.
Get decked out for late summer and autumn adventures during the Labor Day Sale at Feathered Friends. Drop by the Seattle store for the best selection on great deals on apparel, gear and footwear till September 5th
As we celebrate the 4th of July, we bring you a little reflection on what it means to design and make our gear in the USA.
Seattle has been our home from the beginning. It all started in the basement of our founders’ home, and continues in our factory in the SODO neighborhood of Seattle and our retail space in South Lake Union. While the city has gone through major changes since we started in 1972, our philosophy hasn’t.
To the greatest extent possible, we create each garment, sleeping bag, and comforter at our Seattle facility. Some of our pieces, like the Snowy Owl sleeping bag, take years of training and are completed by only one or two of our specialized sewers. Other items may take less time to sew, but every piece that comes out of our factory receives the highest level of care and attention to detail.
In most cases, each piece is finished with a specific person in mind, their name scrawled across a tag as the item moves from the cutting room to the sewing floor, on to the stuffing station and through inspection.
It’s that time of the year… to gear up for your summer adventures!
Our in-store Memorial Day Sale starts on May 19, and goes through May 30th.
Whether you are going on your first backpacking trip or preparing for Mount Rainier, our sale and clearance items will help you get out there and send your adventure.
BD.TV Spring Film Tour @ Feathered Friends | May 12 Mark the calendar – it is time to get amped up! The BD.TV Spring film tour will be coming through Seattle on May 12th! Back for a second year, the BD.TV tour will highlight some of the best in climbing from Black Diamond athletes.
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