Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Heat, Power, Charge  (Read 2630 times)

wolfnowl

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5824
    • M&M's Musings
Heat, Power, Charge
« on: December 02, 2009, 10:09:52 pm »

Hi Folks:  Came across this today: http://www.mountainhardwear.com/ardica/default.aspx

Mountain Hardwear has teamed up with Arcadia Technologies to provide a jacket that comes with its own Li-ion battery pack and a USB cable.  I don't know if it will keep you warm or charge your MF back if you're following Bernard around the mountains of Japan, but if your cell phone is important to you, it might be worth a look.  The battery pack can power/ charge any USB-chargeable device, and the jacket has stainless steel fibres woven into the lining to provide the heat.  My only concern would be that if you have it on high heat (3-hours, according to them) and find you're out for four hours, all of a sudden you might find yourself very cold.  Can't factor in the intelligence quotient however.  If it's raining/ snowing you can wear it under a weatherproof shell.

Mike.
Logged
If your mind is attuned t

bill t.

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3011
    • http://www.unit16.net
Heat, Power, Charge
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2009, 10:41:59 pm »

Or you can spend the money on Hershey Bars and carry around a lot of extra weight to pump up your body temperature quickly with minimal exercise.

Who wants to be a walking USB charging station?  FAT technology is 100% biodegradable, renewable energy.  Up to a point.  

Logged

Justan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1928
    • Justan-Elk.com
Heat, Power, Charge
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2009, 02:14:58 am »

I bet it will be popular among women at ski resorts and the battery life is more than enough to make supplemental heat while on chair lifts. I saw they have a dealer in Florida. I don’t know how big a seller this would be in that region

There is a pretty big market for battery powered foot/boot warmers. The same market will love this kind of jacket.

Didn’t see the weight but if the heating bands are subject to corrosion it may not last very long in a often sweaty environment. But then, people who actually sweat are probably not gonna buy something like this.

wolfnowl

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5824
    • M&M's Musings
Heat, Power, Charge
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2009, 02:26:01 am »

Well, when I first saw this I was thinking about my son.  He works in the film industry - both indies and feature films - camera work, rigging, lighting, etc.  His cell phone is a permanent fixture for him, and he often spends hours outside, standing, sitting, etc. without much movement to keep warm.  Whether or not he buys one is up to him, but to a point I can see the value.

Mike.
Logged
If your mind is attuned t

NikoJorj

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1082
    • http://nikojorj.free.fr/
Heat, Power, Charge
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2009, 03:30:08 am »

Quote from: Justan
Didn’t see the weight [...]
This page announces 295g (11oz) for the battery alone... I'd compare it to all the warmth 295g of good quality down can bring me, with no time limit!
Btw it's almost the weight of my Rab pullover (less heat/weight ratio than down, but more resistance to moisture).
But (hold on to your seat if you care for gear weight) the weight of the jacket itself is 3lbs, 11oz / 1680g . It's heavier than an expedition down overall... Not for the weight conscious, definitely.  

For other uses, like sitting on a chairlift cooling after a ride, why not? Ski resorts will soon have to include power outlets on the chairs...  
Logged
Nicolas from Grenoble
A small gallery

Justan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1928
    • Justan-Elk.com
Heat, Power, Charge
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2009, 10:46:18 am »

Quote from: wolfnowl
Well, when I first saw this I was thinking about my son.  He works in the film industry - both indies and feature films - camera work, rigging, lighting, etc.  His cell phone is a permanent fixture for him, and he often spends hours outside, standing, sitting, etc. without much movement to keep warm.  Whether or not he buys one is up to him, but to a point I can see the value.

Mike.

Fwiw I spend a lot of time in moderately cold temps. My own preferences are for polypropylene or similar for the inner layer and fleece on top of that with a good wind layer outside. REI, Patagonia, NorthFace and Outdooor Research all make/sell great products along these lines. They sell a variety of options based on the intended use. I haven’t bought for a few years but REI used to use the term “expedition weight” as their warmest under layers. I bought some and the stuff was too warm for me. OTOH the always sensitive to cold, lady J loves the heaver stuff.

Since going this route, I abandoned using any kind of insulated outer layer other than as a really good wind layer.

A possible problem with a heated jacket is that given someone does wear layers, the jacket may be too far from the person’s skin to do a lot of good.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2009, 10:52:48 am by Justan »
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up