LIFA INFINITY PRO™ - Your New Backcountry Partner

Below are my five non-negotiable virtues that every backcountry ski partner has to encapsulate; and how LIFA INFINITY PRO™ shares those same virtues:

A great ski partner intuitively understands that to be more efficient is to be more effective. Common sense is never underrated in the great outdoors.

Most waterproof/breathable shell jackets are made up of three layers: a backing, a membrane or film, and a face fabric. For LIFA INFINITY PRO™ two of those three layers are superior in construction, with a 100% LIFA INFINITY™ membrane and the woven 100% LIFA® hydrophobic face fabric. Anyone worthy of my time in the backcountry would agree, why use standard layer technology for two layers, when there is tech for those two layers that is better?

A great ski partner assesses the situation, stays calm, and makes astute decisions as conditions/circumstances change. The backcountry is wild - the one thing you can count on is that it will be unpredictable, so we ‘best be flexible.’

A waterproof, wind-resistant jacket is a must, but what sets apart the best from the “good,” in my opinion, is a jacket’s breathability. The microporous membrane of LIFA INFINITY PRO™ is highly breathable, it is nearly 75% air by volume. No wonder I was regulating my temperature so well… when something is 75% air, of course it breathes!

Once the membrane is formed, it is then stretched in different directions through a series of different temperature zones. This unique membrane is responsible for the jacket’s excellent breathability, waterproofness, and wind resistance. I was blown away with how the jacket kept the wind and the wet out, but how it never caused me to overheat, whether I was hiking or skiing.

A great ski partner brings the important things: the presence of focus, the ability to communicate, the desire to laugh - and nothing more. Nature is their outlet to unplug and connect to something grander and greater than themselves.

My jacket showed up for me over and over again (through powder, branch snags, even rain), without ever requiring any special treatment. 

The construction process of LIFA INFINITY PRO™ ensures a highly durable fabric with an everlasting water repellency that is a breeze to care for, without any chemical treatment at all. No more tumble drying your jacket to reactivate the DWR! No more reapplying DWR after it has faded! Sure, I had a few rogue mustard smudges or mud mishaps that required a quick spot clean, but other than that… nothing! My jacket is as waterproof today (after a full season of winter charging) as it was the day I got it.

A great ski partner can always be counted on to lend a hand, a pole, sunscreen, an extra snack, a word of encouragement, etc… When things go awry, it rarely escalates because they’re a step ahead of the chaos.

It’s the little details on a jacket that can make a big difference. The design elements of the Elevation Infinity Shell Jacket came in handy early and often. The hi-vis hood was not just a snappy pop of color... a handful of times I was spotted through the fog or storm because of my flashes of neon. And the Life Pocket+™, an insulated pocket that keeps phone batteries alive longer, bailed my friends and me out more than once. There are few things that boost morale more than the GPS or LTE on a phone when you’d like to check your location in the backcountry.

A great ski partner has a deep respect for the mountain and feels a responsibility to protect them.

LIFA INFINITY PRO™ technology is an amazing combination of elite performance and advanced sustainability. 

Most standard outerwear face fabrics are treated with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) coating on the outside that contains Perfluorinated chemicals (C6) or Hydrocarbon chemicals (C0) to achieve water repellency. The DWR coating is what makes water droplets bead up and roll off. These harmful chemical additives have been used for decades in manufacturing, but are quickly being phased out of the industry, as more studies show their negative impact on the environment. These chemicals are persistent in the environment once they flake off the fabric… that means they never leave the environment, and they make their way into soil, vegetation, animals, and on up the food chain. 

The LIFA® face fabric does not utilize a DWR of any kind, on any spectrum, because it simply does not need a coating to achieve repellency. The material itself and the construction process achieve long-lasting, high-performing repellency without it, causing the water to bead up and roll off. Plus, the face fabric is solution-dyed, which means about 70% less water is used during the coloring process. Another environmental bonus!

Just like I am proud to scale mountains and ski down them with partners that embody the mountain ethos, I am proud to wear a product of integrity and innovation. 

Your backcountry partner checklist may differ from mine, but as you prepare for this winter, make sure you find friends - and gear - that you can trust.