A co-worker of mine commented the other day: "I don't know why anybody would want to try to break into the outdoor gear industry right now." Or ever, for that matter. I guess if you make solid products, you're a little more motivated.
Core Concepts is a Boise, Idaho-based company doing just that, shooting for those of us who don't want to shop at The North Face store or Patagonia. A friend had told me to check them out. They sent me the
Cowboy Pow Full Zip, their best-selling product, to review.
If you buy a Cowboy Pow, it's your fall/spring hiking/running jacket or
your winter mid-layer under a hard shell. In a nutshell, it's what
fleece always wanted to be when it grew up.
I took it on a sunrise hike up Mount Morrison near Denver, and at the
top, was greeted with a stiff cold breeze. The Polartec Windpro is not
windproof, but pretty wind resistant. Another day, I walked a half-hour
in the rain with it (not because I was testing it; because I'm stupid
and didn't bring a rain jacket) and found the Polartec Hardface DWR
finish shed water all the way home. If you have shorter arms, you might
find the sleeves a little long -- or you'll find that you can wear this
on a bike and not have a two-inch gap between your jacket and gloves.
And I'm not trying too hard to look good, but I'll say I took two trips to the coffee shop and got two compliments.
Retails at $150.
