Columbia's Peak 2 Peak Jacket: A Pricey Bargain

High-end jackets are a tough proposition-unless you've got Charlie Sheen money, buying one is a major event. I mean, if you're going to cough up $300+ for a shell, it had better be an awesome one, right?

I've been testing out Columbia's Peak 2 Peak Jacket ($350), and it lives up to its price tag. It's a storm shell, so its main purpose is to keep wind, rain, and whatever else nature is going to hit you with (maybe not lightning) at bay. And it does so in spades.

The Peak 2 Peak utilizes Columbia's Omni-Dry fabric, which is touted to be 100% windproof and waterproof, yet is able to diffuse the sweat that you'll work up during intense activity. As a stormshell, the Peak 2 Peak's bonded liner and taped seams held up like a champ in rain and snow, not letting in a drop. The "Invizzip" zippers are completely waterproof as well, so anything you stow will stay as dry as you do.

Snowshoeing the Peak 2 Peak to the peak. Photo by Matt Moseley

As far as wind goes, I had a great chance to test it out on a snowshoeing trip up Mount Shasta. It was warm enough at the lower altitudes, but once we got past the treeline, the wind really picked up and started making things miserable. I slipped on the Peak 2 Peak, and I didn't feel a thing for the rest of the ascent.

Making a stormshell that keeps the weather out is one thing, but making one that doesn't collect your sweat while you're working is a whole other beast. I worked up a wicked sweat on my way up Mt. Shasta and the the Peak 2 Peak handled it. The Omni-Dry fabric kept things from getting too clammy inside, and when things started to really heat up, the pit vents did a good job of letting the excess heat escape.

Add the jacket's slim cut and articulated elbows to keep the jacket from getting in your way, the adjustable storm hood, the drawcord hem, and the fact that the whole deal weighs less than a pound (14oz) and you've got a jacket that'll work for every penny you spent on it. Heck, you might feel like you ripped Columbia off.

Take a closer look at Columbia.com.

Gearing up for your Goals: Asics GT-2150

"Gearing Up for Your Goals" posts are reader testimonies on their goals and the gear they're using to achieve said goals. Special thanks to Jered Ratliff for letting us run with him.

by Jered Ratliff

J-Rad went from "Fat Jesus" to a 20-mile-a-week runner

It was mid-January.  My brother-in-law sent me an email about a race in the tiny town where I live.  It wasn't so much that he sent an email to me about it, but the tenor he took in the email that got me off my butt.

"Which one are you going to train for?" he asked.  My options: a 5K, a 10K, or a half-marathon.

"Who do you think you are, trying to get me off my duff and into racing?" I said to myself.  "After all, you're running nearly 100 miles per month."

Naturally, then, I chose the 10K.  I had just under 4 months to train.  Simple for some, ridiculous to others ("how much is a 'k,' like a few miles?").  I was closer to the latter.

I'd run before - I participated in my first 5K (37 minutes and change) after a structured 10-week training program, and continued running until a 5-mile race about 2 months later.  That was 2008.  I had another short stint in 2009, but life got me distracted, and apparently I felt better getting less thin and not pushing myself.

When I got Matt's email, I weighed 283 pounds.  I lost my breath when playtime with the kids (then 5, 3, and 4 months) exceeded a few minutes.  It was the dead of winter in the mountains.  By the time I got home and had time to lace up my shoes for a run, I'd be lucky to see anything above 40º.  But - thinking this might happen someday - I'd spent Christmas money the year before on a Garmin 205, and Christmas money weeks earlier on running gloves and a neoprene face mask.  "There is no such thing as bad running weather," I read soon after, "only weak people."  Over 50 pounds later, I’ve successfully tested this quote many times.

With this in mind I began a fitness journey for the last time in my life.  My first running journal entry was on January 24:  what a wonderful feeling. 30º outside currently, 25 minutes under a cloudless starry night. Feels awesome to have finally gotten a workout under my belt.

1.91 miles (a 13:04 pace), and I couldn't have been prouder.

Four months and about 150 miles later, my make-shift Starters ($25 at Wal-Mart) clearly were not cutting it anymore.  And the good folks at Fleet Feet in Redding could not agree more.  After spending some time with me, and conducting one of their famous gait analyses by having me run back and forth in the store a few times, I became the proud new owner of ASICS GT-2150 ($74 at EasternMountainSports.com) running shoes.  My very first pair of real running shoes.

 Jered's weapon of choice: Asics GT-2150

The first time I strapped them on, I felt like my feet were getting a custom-made bear hug.  The difference between running in any old shoe and running in shoes made for my feet made me feel like I might as well have been running in socks.

Turns out that the real difference for me was ASICS's DuoMax support system.  When I brought in the shoes I'd been wearing, the helpful shoe lady expert took the shoe and bent it in half.  "Your shoe," she explained, "should not do this."

"This shoe," she said, while trying to duplicate the trick on the 2150's, "does not."

Because ASICS had modified the model slightly and moved to the 2160 at this point, the 2150's were a steal at $70 (plus tax).  I was assured that the 2160 model has all the midfoot support I need to assist my running gait and keep me on the move.

And I had every intention of testing this theory by making the 2160's my following purchase.  There was no reason to back away from ASICS - especially once I learned that Ryan Hall is a sponsored athlete.  The only problem with this plan was that I found a near-clearance priced pair of 2150's at Big 5 in Medford in August for under $60 (no tax).  So now two identical pairs of shoes rest in my closet.  The way I currently tell them apart is that the part of the shoe that rests against the ankle has started to wear on the older pair (affectionately referred to as "#1", with nearly 300 miles on them).  The newer pair ("#2," just topped 40 miles) gets use about 2 out of every 5 runs at this point, and I will use the next couple months to gradually phase the original pair out.

However, a look at the sole of the older pair shows no balding, no unevenness in wear, and no ripping or tearing (yes, all similar litmus tests as an automobile tire).  And just like my personal goals in my newfound fitness journey, I will also set no specific boundaries on my 2150's.  So far they've given me no reason to.

  

After being dubbed "Fat Jesus" by his high school students, teacher Jered Ratliff began running in 2008.  He redoubled his efforts after topping out at 303 pounds in the late summer of 2010. Through a combination of exercise and proper nutrition, Jered has shed 70 (and the Jesus beard). He has also transformed from couch potato extraordinaire to high school cross country coach.

Jered is currently running 15-25 miles per week, which he plans to increase at the end of the cross country season. After participating this year in two 5K's and two 10K's (his first) in 2011, as well as the 6.3-mile anchor leg of the Whiskeytown Relays, he will begin ratcheting up training in December for a marathon relay in Redding (January 2012), a half-marathon in Chico (March), culminating in the Avenue of the Giants Marathon in May. After that, he hopes to pursue other varied events as he continues his fitness journey. He entered 2011 with a lifetime running odometer of 165. He will easily hit 600 miles this year and plans to surpass 1,000 in 2012. 

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market: Demo Day

Held at Jordanelle State Park about forty minutes outside of Salt Lake City, Demo Day gives Outdoor Retailer Summer Market attendees a taste of how gear is going to work in the field. Paddleboards and kayaks cruised the lake, fly rods were flung, and Probars and coconut water were eagerly consumed, with Skullcandy's dj supplying the tunes all day long.

Music courtesy of Skullcandy

Since I'm here scoping out gear to review for Wired, I tried to focus on the techier pieces of gear, and there were plenty of those out there. Eton Corporation was showing off their Soulra XL solar iPod boombox case and the Mobius iPhone 4 solar charging case that's coming out in September, both of which looked like solid entries.

Eton showcased its Soulra XL boombox and Mobius solar case.

Headphone company Yurbuds also had an eye-catching new piece-the Inspire Pro headset. It uses a twist-and-lock action to stay in your ear, it sports a water (and sweat, and rain) resistant microphone so you can make calls on the run, and they're guaranteed  to never fall out. That's a ballsy guarantee. I'll try to snag a tester tomorrow at the Salt Palace, so I can let you know how well it works.

Yurbuds headphones provide a non-slip fit.

Not as techy, but still on my radar are fly fishing outfitter Redington, who's breaking in with starter kits, lightweight backpacker's kits and a slew of new fly fishing techwear;

OluKai's high-end Hawaiian footwear;

CocoHydro's instant coconut water mix,

and Nathan Sport's Endurance 2-liter hydration vest.

All are definitely worth a closer look this week. I'll keep you posted.