L9 Development - Before the story can continue...

Beyond Clothing - PCU – Level 9 Development Background


1) What is PCU?
2) What makes up the first 8 levels?
3) Why am I helping to design the new L9 platform, and how did Beyond get the opportunity?
4) What fabrics will the L9 be made of?
5) Will it be made in AOR1 and AOR2?
What is AOR1? For that matter, what is AOR2?


What is PCU?

PCU is an acronym for ‘Protective Combat Uniform’. A seven layer system for extreme cold weather use, originally fielded by US Special Operations in 2003. The first three layers are long underwear and fleece garments, layer 4 is a windshirt/vapor barrier, the fifth layer is a soft shell that is highly water resistant and wind resistant. The 6th layer is GORETEX, and the seventh layer is Primaloft.
The system is made to be used in temperatures as cold as negative 50 degrees F, while not moving. Never used simultaneously, each layer is worn to maximize comfort, and breathability, while protecting against almost any frigid or wet environment.

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SOCOM - L9 Tactical Uniform Development

On May second I flew back into El Paso, TX. A town, more in New Mexico, and Mexico than in Texas. I was there to be a part of the U.S. Special Operations Command’s development of the new tactical uniform. The government was bringing in 20 Medium special ops guys from all branches of the community; SEALS, Marines, Army Special Forces.

As I went to sleep at the hotel the first night, not having met them or seen them yet, I figured that we were probably in the safest hotel in El Paso, if not Texas. In the morning I figured I was right. At their first meeting, the cases holding their weapons were organized to be placed in the local police academy’s armory for safe keeping. An impressive set of cases all holding similar weapons.

The guys with their kit, and these weapons were going to spend 11 days, in 12, training hard under a 95+ degree sun wearing multiple generations of what would become U.S. SOCOM’s next advanced tactical uniform. Shootin’, fightin’, cussin’, and a whole lot more, they put each uniform through its paces to get the most information out of them as to the Fit Form Function of the new garments.

Would we really get a lot of information out of only one set of uniforms? How would we know what worked and what didn’t? This challenge was taken care of by a local production facility called Ready One. A sewing facility on the east side of El Paso that employees 1500 sewers, and 75% of them are recognized to be handicapped. An incredible organization. During the 12 days, a small team of sewers, created multiple generations of each garment. Taking the feedback of each individual soldier, along with the special consideration of Bruce from Anthrotech, Cyndi Davis from Patagonia, and myself, the sewers implemented huge changes to all three garments that were being designed.

You might have caught the fact in the beginning of this blog that all of the guys were Medium. This was to allow for only one size to be made, and to verify that that one size was truly a medium. Bruce and his team scientifically measured each individual the first day. Incidentally not every soldier was a perfect medium, nor even a medium at all. That was ok though. It made for some pretty interesting video.

I'll be writing about the rest of the experience, and will post first views of the products soon. Teaser: Once finalized, and ready for custom production Beyond will roll out the new garments in multiple fabrics. They will include NYCO in Multicam, and WTX FR Cotton.

Beyond's Version of Philosophy

Is it called a vacation or a trip?

Scott says trip because taking trips is a lifestyle whereas a vacation just means you want to take a break from your life. Seems like a reasonable distinction to me. However after a summer of on and off rain and the last week feeling like December in Seattle with all the gray skies and poor weather, I am indeed ready for a vacation. In particular SUNSHINE!!!

I’ve never gone anywhere warm (unless you count the unfortunate trip to Orlando for a high school band competition. Yes I was a band geek and I’ve already heard all the jokes), but always said I would some day. One day Scott mentioned he wanted to take a full week off of work and had never been to Mexico. So I found some cheap tickets and we head out in October. Our luggage quota has to go to kites and boards so our clothing has to be light and compact to fit the carry on restrictions. To that end Scott is going to produce some new items including a dress and skirt for me.

So check back to see what clothing Scott designs and how it turns out. Also tickets are only cheap because it’s still hurricaine season in the Yucatan that time of year. I’m hoping for an uneventful trip but events mean stories so not all is lost provided you have a good sense of humor.

Stay tuned!

Sea Fair and Skiing in August

Here in Seattle summer means many things, bonfire nights on the beach, kayaking, mountain biking, among a host of other activities. Really the options are endless and most I have embraced with open arms. However there is one tried and true Seattle activity which I have made a concerted effort to avoid for the last eight summers I have been here. So much so that last year found me off backpacking in the mountains with a broken rib, concussion, and hyped up on vicodin (good times - just ask my partner). What could drive a person to these lengths? I have one word for you: SeaFair. Now it isn't so much SeaFair itself which provides a month of neighborhood fairs, celebrations, and events. It's the closing weekend which caps the whole
thing off. In one weekend we get a massive air show complete with the Blue Angels, Hydroplane races (imagine Nascar on water), and a huge fair in one of the largest city parks. We endure closures of the major I-90 bridge over lake Washington, the noise of the Blue Angels taking off several times a day for several days in a row (they actually take off right above the Beyond facility), among other slight if irritating inconveniences. At least that was my feeling as a transplant who had never taken the time to go. So you can imagine my reaction when Scott e-mailed all excited because he had gotten free passes to not only the event but into the
pits where the hydros are. Now I have to admit I was curious and this was going
to be a close-up view but with a ton of snow still sitting on Mt. Baker skiing seemed like a much better use of my time. However it is good to be social so we came up with what we thought was the perfect Seattle summer weekend: riding our bikes to SeaFair with a couple of friends and their son; checking out the fair and the pits; heading to their friends house for a party; then riding our toushes off back to Scott's car, driving to pick up the dog and my car which was fully
packed with camping and skiing gear, driving up to Mt. Baker, camping at 'our spot', and skiing Sunday.

SeaFair wasn't exactly what we hoped but it was interesting to see the boats up close. However all I kept thinking was "I wonder how much the fuel bill is?" I'm guessing this guy was thinking the same thing:

May be time for a new sport

After experiencing all SeaFair had to offer for us we headed up to the party.
Our host loves the Blue Angels. Conveniently his house is located up on a hill
right above the fair and right in the path of the airshow.

He has a great view which is made even better by the fact he installed a full
set of bleachers on his roof specifically so people could come watch the show.
I can't think of a better way to see the Blue Angels. Kegs of beer, tons of
great BBQ, an endless assortment of sweet treats, comfy seating, and the best
part; a real bathroom! Some people may have been inclined to linger but we were
on a mission to stick to the plan. We managed to pull it off and found ourselves
installed at our campsite by 9:30pm. It wasn't one of our finest car camping
excursions what with no happy hour or camp chairs but we did manage to get through
a chapter of the Monkey Wrench Gang which we read on every tenting excursion
and I made the best camp pillow ever out of my Beyond (black jacket help) wrapped
around a Beyond Primaloft vest. The jacket has to go inside out so as to help
reduce slippage on the Therma-rest pad.

The next morning we headed up to our breakfast spot which is
when we noticed the dog was actually injured. She had managed to completely
expose the quick of her nail and had a couple of torn pads. Now Siena loves
the snow more than any dog I've ever known so there was no chance of her taking
it easy. But we were up there and figured we had to get some August turns in
and I needed to give my L2 Grid its first active test. So we headed out to Blueberry
Chutes which is just a short jaunt from the Artist Point parking lot. It was
perfect spring skiing conditions.

Unfortunately Siena is one vocal dog and whenever one of us
went out of sight she would start barking and pulling wanting to run after.
We had gotten a night in the tent and time in the mountains, and a tenth straight
month of turns.

10 months of skiing and trip 1 in my L2. A great day. Apparently being able to nap the whole ride back to Seattle isn’t good enough.

Beyond Blogger: Liana Herron

A couple of Fridays ago Scott met me for dinner and brought with him my very own Beyond L2 (grid) pullover. Now while I knew this was in the works as we had taken measurements and talked about what clothing I wanted I didn’t expect to see the first result so quickly nor did I know what to expect. To back up a minute; when you meet a guy on the chairlift and he starts talking about a custom clothing company he owns you think to yourself “that sounds pretty cool”. That said it’s still kind of hard (at least for me) to imagine exactly what it would mean if I got a custom made something or other. Scott’s extremely passionate about what he does so I figured the clothes had to be pretty good and I have worn a few items of his which were not custom made for me. Read: I continually steal his fleece hoodies under the premise I forgot to bring a sweater with me. In fact there’s one in my hall closet now but still I’ve never owned a piece of custom gear before and have been fine.

So to continue, I pull the shirt over my head and………….SOLD!!!! You know those kids who decide they are going to stay in their jammies for weeks on end? Yeah that’s me in my L2. It’s been in the 70’s and 80’s here in Seattle and I’m looking for any excuse I can to wear my shirt. Out of the last 14 days I think that shirt has seen wear at least 11. Don’t believe me? Just ask my co-workers.

You might be thinking to yourself what could be that great about a shirt. Well let me tell you; first and foremost it fits. Not it fits okay, not this will do, but it actually fits and frankly it makes me look pretty dang good. At least I think so and that’s really all that matters. Just because you are in the woods or on the slopes doesn’t mean you don’t want to look at your best. Take it from me; chairlifts are a great place to meet people.

Now to the serious bits; for the women out there who have been graced with curves you will understand the difficulties of getting a top to fit. An ample chest means those shirts designed around a more boyish female figure all of a sudden are two inches shorter in the front, there is extra fabric billowing in the hollow of your back, and nothing manages to find its way over your hip bones but instead bunches up around your waist.

With this shirt the front comes down past my waistband, it skims my hips instead of bunching up, I don’t look like a box, and there aren’t bunches of fabric floating around my lower back. I wish someone would have told me about custom earlier.

For the guys with long arms, long torsos, and small waists with big shoulders you too can have something with fabric where it should be, like at your wrists, and not where it shouldn’t be, for example bunching up around your stomach.

It’s also important to not forget that at $64.00US it is less expensive than many of the comparable alternatives out there. And yes that is custom and you even get a neck zipper.

Camber Layering System - Level 3 (Fleece)

Level 3 of the Camber Layering System (CLS) includes a versatile set of fleece fabrics. From the Malamute to the Cold Blooded, each of our fleece products are made with Polartec. In 1996 when I started Beyond, we launched the Cold Blooded along with our Classic Line. The Classic line was traditional Polartec 200 fleece, a fine fabric, yet the Cold Blooded went a step ahead. At about the same thickness as Polartec 200, the Cold Blooded is two layers of fleece with a windproof, water resistant membrane in the middle. The inside layer of fleece is treated to wick moisture and disperse it along the membrane to enhance moisture transfer. The outer fleece layer is treated to be hydrophobic (hates water) and beads up water on the outside even before it gets to the membrane. Along with the great water characteristics, the fabric stretches perfectly for comfort of movement. The two layers of fleece along with the membrane allow for the warmest fleece product available.
The Cold Blooded is a great addition to anyone's CLS as their Layer 3. It is not as compressible as some fabrics though. If you will be wearing a wind proof layer (L4 and above), the windproof membrane of the Cold Blooded is not needed, so for versatility, compressibility and weight reduction, the Malamute is recommended. As a high loft fleece, warmth without weight is at the highest level. A loose weave with lofty 'fingers' creates great warmth on its own without wind, and great warmth under Layers 4-7 with any amount of wind. Due to its loose weave (less bulk), and open fingers (less bulk), the compressibility of the jacket is very high.
Recommended locations and uses: As a mid layer, the fleece is to be used as an addition to Levels 1 and 2 when the temperature dips below a comfortable level. What temperature would that be? We are unable to say, as everyone is different depending on their natural 'furnace', age, sex, fitness level, experience level (stress reduces temperature), and if they are wearing a warm hat. What I can say is that the CLS with the addition of Layer 3 will take you anywhere in the world, in any condition, any time of year, with less weight and bulk than ever before.
We've recently added a product matrix that has weight comparisons for all layers. See it here. Product Matrix.pdf <.5 meg>

Camber Layering System - Level 2

Beyond’s blog is currently progressing through each level of the Camber Layering System. Continuing the progression through the various layers we are on to Layer 2.

The layers progress from long underwear, and next to skin type products in Layer 1 to the warmest, most protective layers in Layers 6 and 7.

Layer 2 includes the Grid products. The Grid, named for its inner fleece that looks like a grid, or waffle pattern, is fleece next to the skin, and smooth on the outer. Even though it is fleece it still includes the same wicking properties as the Base Line in Layer 1, and is still Polartec PowerDry. What does this mean?

1) PowerDry uses a bi-component knit that utilizes smaller yarns on the outside, that creates capillary action to draw moisture from your skin, and the inside of the shirt or pant, and spreads it out over the fabric for enhanced drying.
2) The ‘grid’ pattern is created by cutting away fleece linearly, leaving squares of loft. This increases compressibility, and enhances warmth with more pockets of air to capture your heat.
Otherwise the Grid fabric feels very similar to a 100 weight, one sided Polartec fleece.

I must say that the Grid has impressed me. We offer it in a long underwear style pant with fly, and a ¼ zip shirt. I have used both extensively over the last two years, next to skin and as a secondary layer. The pant as a next to skin works well while telemarking both on lift access, and back country (a Level 5 pant over). The wicking action keeps my warm legs dry, and do not overheat easily.
The Grid Shirt usually has the Base Line T-shirt under it, and has been used in single digit temps with multiple layers over (Layer 5 jacket & Layer 7 vest), and while biking on cool summer mornings (no other layers). The air flow allows for heat exhaust, yet keeps enough warmth to allow for continuous comfort.
The looks are also great. The patterning of the grid texture on the inside shows through to the smooth outer surface. Compliments abound, while it is also easy to transition from the trail to the pub, or bbq without feeling strange.

Camber Layering System - Level 1

It seems like my goal in life lately is to obtain as much experience with our Camber Layering System (CLS) as possible.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be explaining the Camber Layering System, layer by layer. The Base Line being ‘Layer 1’ will be at the beginning. Layers 2 through 7 will come soon after. I hope that through these stories, and production information you’ll begin to understand the layers, how they work together, and to know which are right for you.
My name is Scott Jones. I’ll be your guide through the process, and am also owner and founder of Beyond Clothing.

On Saturday, a skiing partner and I found ourselves on Mount Margaret near Snoqualmie Pass. A few weeks before, we had also been on a mountain biking trip in Bellingham, WA. The two experiences show the versatility of the Base Line.

It is important to know that I am a very warm person. I heat up quickly, and do not get chilled easily. On our ski trip to Mt. Margeret I was carrying a pack with the usual water, ten essentials, shovel, etc, weighing in at probably 15 pounds.

Being a snowy day, yet with spots of sun, I was only in my Base Line Silk weight t-shirt up top. Pants were differing layers, to be discussed in future posts.
While we made our way up through the forest we were working hard. Steep terrain with knee deep snow made the going tough, but Dave’s vocabulary does not include the word ‘slow’.
Sweat appeared on my face, and forearms, creating the appropriate cooling, yet allowing the skin to uncomfortably chill when the sun dipped behind a cloud. My body on the other hand was protected by the silk weight shirt. Not a snug fit, but one that allows for continuous connection with the skin, the PowerDry fabric from Polartec wicked every drop of moisture from my skin. The action worked so well that the outside of the shirt actually beaded up with water. This is significant as many other cotton or synthetic shirts will simply ‘wet out’ or soak through.
By not wetting out, the shirt stayed light, dry, and able to continue wicking for hours to come. This regulated my temperature, and kept me comfortable and dry for the entire trip.