Sailing Magazine
By Richard Crockett
I still very clearly, and fondly I may add, remember my first forays into coastal passage making and overnight races way back in the mid-‘70s. Those were the days BEFORE GPS, sat-coms, radar – and of course really good ‘foulies’ that did not leak and let the wind through. RDFs (Radio Direction Finders – what’s that Dad!!) and depth sounders, plus good log-keeping were the navigators best friends.
It was the keeping warm and dry bit back then that was always challenging, plus the ability as a student to fund the best ‘foulies’ one could afford. My first were a pretty thin set of NCI jacket and trousers that after a few waves were as wet inside as they were outside. I hit a luck some time later with a really good Henri Lloyd smock jacket at a Wilbur Ellis sale, so at least the top half was pretty much dry and warm, even if the nethers weren’t. Then came some Musto gear when it was still Musto & Hyde, and so it went.
Which is why this press release, headed “World’s First Heated LED Illuminated Jacket” caught my eye.
Even better it went on in the opening paragraph to say: “Rechargeable Heated Jacket With Integrated LED Lights For Visibility And Built-In Heated Gloves”.
Now that’s my kind of foulies, and how I wish I had these way back when!
These are maybe not the future of ‘foulies’, although maybe a reality at some time due to the rapid pace at which technology advances.
Here’s the Overview
We all have loved ones who put themselves in danger by not being visible enough in low light situations. Whether you’re trekking across campus, walking the dog, riding your bike or on an evening commute, our heated LED athletic jacket not only provides an adjustable level of heated comfort, but also lights up, illuminating our customers so they can safely enjoy outdoor activities. The water-resistant jacket has built-in gloves that also heat up, and can even charge your cell phone in a pinch.
The Story
We initially set out to make the best heated athletic jackets for men and women. Jackets that not only looked and fit good, but that were made from a high-end water resistant material that was lightweight, breathable and stretched. Also high on our wish list were thin, built-in, hidden heated gloves for those cold morning starts. We wanted the gloves to be easy to tuck away when not in use but to always be there in a pinch if needed.
Then a lightbulb went off in our head! It was a very early dark morning during some official product testing when it hit us, (or when we were almost HIT!)… It’s dangerous out there! For safety sake, we decided right then we NEEDED to add wearable lights to the jackets. With our battery already integrated into the jackets we were halfway there. After months of research and development, samples, testing and more samples, we finally have jackets that are beautiful, functional and dependable.
It all sounds too good to be true, and at some $2000-plus, is simply not feasible for most, especially as there is not a jacket, nor trousers for that matter, in the pipeline for offshore yachties.
Such a pity as the weather rail on a dark and stormy cold night would be a far more pleasant experience!
