I haven’t owned a down puffy since before the term “puffy” came into vogue but since I was planning a short hiking vacation to Santa Fe, NM in December, I thought I’d do a bit of gear research and buy some new down. I scoured all my traditional haunts like Patagonia, Marmot and Mountain Hardware, which based on the lack of space in my closet, have all been good to me over the years. Then I happened upon a short story on Gearjunkie about a company named Live Out There and decided to give their line a look.
Live Out There’s Mission is “Get The World Outside.” CEO Jamie Clark, has been a successful “brick and mortar” retailer from Calgary, Alberta Canada for years and he has come to believe that the main obstacle keeping people from going outside is the high cost of the gear. He wants to make great gear at fair prices so people can pursue their outdoor passion wearing quality gear while having a few bucks left over to actually use getting outside! In order to do that, he’s leading a retail revolution, cutting out the middle man and selling directly to his customers online.
He is also giving customers data to make an informed purchase, which I find quite refreshing. “Transparency is Power” and I applaud Jamie’s approach. So a few days before flying off to Santa Fe, NM, I received my Chamonix Down Jacket.
My wife is a Patagonia fan and she certainly rocks her Patagonia down sweater but I’m sporting a puffy that I think competes head to head and is cheaper by about the price of a really nice meal at il piatto , an Italian farmhouse kitchen off the square in downtown Santa Fe! In addition to the pricing, I also like the product comparison tables on the Live Out There website. Check it out; it’s an education in supply chain economics.
Filled with 800 Fill power, 100% Traceable Goose Down insulation with a water-resistant shell that conveniently stuffs into its own inner stash pocket, I have been impressed with the jacket. I appreciate the attention to details like hem shock cord adjusters which cinch up the bottom of the jacket on those windy days and a zipper garage that keeps the cold metal zipper off your skin when you zip up the collar.
I’d encourage you to check out LiveOutThere.com when you’re considering making your next gear purchase. Get some great gear and save a few bucks. See you Outside!
P.S. While in Santa Fe, Tammy and I stopped by and visited with the nice folks at Outside magazine. Thanks Will!
Daly Wanderings 