Sierra Designs Tov Jacket with DriDown and Ymir 55 Ski Pack Win 2012 Editors’ Choice Snow Awards from Backpacker Magazine
OutdoorHub 10.10.12
Sierra Designs is honored to accept two Editors’ Choice Snow Awards from Backpacker Magazine in recognition of the Tov jacket with DriDown hydrophobic insulation and the Ymir 55 ski pack. Both the jacket and pack are new for fall 2012.
Featuring the game-changing DriDown insulation, the Tov down jacket won praise for its ability to retain loft and stay warm even in damp, snowy conditions where untreated down loses insulating efficiency. The Ymir 55, a ski pack with features and sizing ideal for backcountry hut travel, caught editors’ attention because it hauls gear comfortably and fills a previously empty niche in the world of ski packs.
“We are beyond thrilled to have two of our products win Editors’ Choice Snow Awards from Backpacker Magazine,” said Michael Glavin, VP with Sierra Designs. “Sierra Designs has always strived to create innovative, functional outdoor gear to help backcountry enthusiast get more out of any outdoor experience and this recognition is confirmation that we are succeeding.”
For all the warmth of a puffy down jacket with the superior performance of DriDown™, the Tov jacket ($259) delivers. Insulated with 600 fill DriDown™ hydrophobic down insulation, the Tov takes the chill out of the coldest, wettest days. A helmet compatible, adjustable hood with separate collar adds warmth while a two-way zipper makes it easy to access a climbing harness.
Melodie Miller, Sierra Designs Director of Product Development for apparel, is responsible for conceiving, designing, and bringing the Tov to market. Melodie has since moved on to pursue new opportunities and Sierra Designs would like to thank her for her contributions and wishes her the best of luck in the future.
For extended tours, the Ymir 55 ($199) is a multi-day load hauling machine. Perfect for a hut trip or overnight ski mountaineering adventure, the Ymir features an assortment of quick-access pockets and compartments, making it faster and easier to access all your gear, including essential rescue equipment, skins, and extra layers. Features include a snow-safety pocket for shovel and probe, a snow-shedding back panel, and ski/snowboard carry system.
In total, twelve manufacturers were honored as recipients of the Editors’ Choice Snow Award. Using the same rigorous gear testing practices as the annual Editors’ Choice Awards announced in the spring, the Editors’ Choice Snow Awards are a prestigious honor in the outdoor industry, given to cold-weather season products in recognition of their outstanding innovation in design, materials and performance.
“There’s no other magazine or website that conducts in-depth field-testing as vigorously or impartially as the crew led by Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter,” says Backpacker Editor-in-Chief Jon Dorn. “With a core team that has several centuries of combined trail time and expertise in every backcountry discipline, Kristin puts products through an unprecedented level of real-world abuse in every terrain and weather imaginable, including snow and ice. Because of that, extending the coveted Editors’ Choice Awards to account for the winter season allows us to lead consumers to even more products that show best-in-class performance.”
