The GORE-TEX and American Alpine Club Peek Event may be coming to a city near you. This is your chance to see the latest GORE-TEX products, meet the vendors who use it and actually put their gear to the test for free. Food, drinks, an opportunity to mingle with outdoor enthusiasts and inspirational presentations are icing on the cake. I recently attended the Peek Event at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA.
Brooklyn Boulders is a brand new climbing gym that created the perfect setting for an event like this. I walked in to find displays from Adidas, Arc’teryx, Mammut, Patagonia, Outdoor Research, The North Face and Marmot who were showing their latest jackets with GORE-TEX Pro. There was also an American Alpine Club booth, a GORE-TEX Pro Technology lab and, my personal favorite, a Ski Simulator Storm Room. The GORE-TEX representatives want you visit each booth so each attendee received a Peek Event Passport. Each booth stamped your passport and gave you a raffle ticket to win a GORE-TEX Pro jacket at the end of the event.
GORE-TEX Pro is the company’s newest product and I sat down with Tom Boyle, a marketing associate at GORE-TEX, to see what it’s all about. He told me an amazing story of how GORE-TEX actually started as a cable insulator and an industrial filtration product before being used in outdoor garments. GORE-TEX Pro is the company’s most advanced product designed for mountaineers and skiers. There is a whole lot of science and years of research behind it but what I liked most is that it is designed to be 28% more breathable, extremely water resistant and much more rugged than previous GORE-TEX generations. I put the water resistant claim to the test by wearing a GORE-TEX Pro jacket in the Ski Simulator Storm room where I was blasted with water from all directions for several minutes; yet I stood totally dry. If you are someone who demands a lot from your gear then GORE-TEX Pro is worth a look. I was given a GORE-TEX Pro jacket to test so I will let you know just how much more breathable and durable it is soon.
If you want to impress your friends with the details on deniers, breathability and ePTFE- based membranes then you should visit the GORE-TEX Technology Lab
If you want to put these products to the test then you should step into the Ski Storm Simulator Room. This is your chance to try on the best hard shell jackets and pants, from your favorite brands, then get sprayed with water to see how they perform. It is also an awesome opportunity to check out the fit and features from each brand; which is helpful if you ever shop online.
The event finished off with presentations by AAC grant recipients Jeffrey Longcor and Tim Keenan who told us about their climbing adventures and first ascents in places like Kyrgyzstan. This got me pretty excited to get out there and do some climbing. I left the Peek Event eager to try the new GORE-TEX Pro product on the trail. Check out if a Peek Event is coming your way
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