Winston-Salem, N.C.-based athletic apparel manufacturer Champion USA has presented the prototype of
its Champion Supersuit, which the company reports will be the thinnest protective apparel for
extreme weather ever designed and tested in Mount Everest’s high-altitude environment. The
Supersuit features a nanotechnology insulation layer and a proprietary radiant warmth system, and
has insulation that is 3 millimeters (mm) thick — compared with a typical goose-down parka with
40-mm-thick insulation — but provides comparable insulating properties, increased mobility and
better wind resistance, according to the company.
“We were given the challenge to develop a summit suit that would advance the state of
cold-weather gear, that wouldn’t look like anything else on the market, and that would protect
climbers against extreme temperatures and conditions on Mount Everest,” said Mike Abbott, director
of research and development, Hanesbrands Inc., parent company of Champion apparel. “The Champion
Supersuit uses advanced technology to conserve, capture and return heat unlike any other
extreme-weather apparel currently being used on Everest.”
In April, Champion will suit up a Mount Everest climbing team led by mountaineer Jamie
Clarke, providing socks, base layer, insulating layers, soft- and hard-shell jackets and pants, and
the Champion Supersuit. Clarke has been testing the gear and will wear a one-piece full-body
Supersuit on Everest.
“We have worked with several technology partners in and out of the apparel industry,
including Element 21 Golf Company, which supplies the nanotechnology insulating material for the
Champion Supersuit,” Abbott said. “We have made some significant breakthroughs, including the
ability to use the nano insulation in commercially viable apparel products for the first time. By
developing the Supersuit and other garment layers to be used on Everest, we have identified new
Champion products to roll out and new features and enhancements to potentially add to our everyday
line of Champion Athletic Apparel.”
January 26, 2010
