Feb 29, 2008: Sell the house, live in the Cold Fusion Women's Jacket

"My Cold Fusion Shell Jacket is by far the best jacket I've ever owned. I've been living in it, and also have had tons of compliments on it!"

Feb 26, 2008: The Huntin' Fool

Arguably the best group of guys we hung around with at the recent SHOT Show, Jason, John, Bryan, Adam and Garth from The Huntin' Fool were kind enough to send Beyond a complimentary membership. Along with was 3 issues of their beautiful magazine (can you describe a hunting mag as "beautiful"...just goes to show John can lay out a good read!)and a very manly (there, testosterone levels back up) Browning knife with The Huntin' Fool logo. Everything about THF points to the fact they are THE experts for western big game hunting.

Feb 25, 2008: Official outdoor clothing sponsor of...

The ink isn't dry and we're waiting for the deliver of a logo, but it's official: Beyond is THE clothing sponsor of a state and collegiate "something-something" series. We'll spill the something-something details when everything is signed, sealed and delivered, but it's totally cool. And yes, there may be hats involved; geez, enough with the hats already!

Feb 25, 2008: Product suggestion so top secret

So top secret I would be dead if I printed the guy's name or where he worked. But I'll take the chance with the copy/pasting of the email body just because I'm so happy it wasn't another "you guys should do hats."

"I am a special agent trainee for the (take out name of agency so I don't wake up staring into an interrogation light). I spent the last 11 years as a helicopter door gunner where I had the opportunity to put your products to good use. However, my new career path has changed my clothing needs dramatically. As such, I cannot think of another company that might be able to help myself and some of my class out.

There exists a gap between current overcoats and the technical market. As special agents, we spend large amounts of time wearing suits while performing protective details. However, current raincoats/greatcoats do not provide prolonged protection from the elements. They either are warm or waterproof, but rarely both. So, having used your garments previously, I feel that if you could make a greatcoat in the Cold Blooded fabric, you might well cover both needs in one shot. With a few interior pockets to handle gear needs, you guys could fill our needs perfectly. Color would need to be a darker gray, black, or dark blue. There is no need for a zipper in the front, with several large buttons taking that role. Length would be down to the knees.

Would you guys be able to help us out on something like this?"

Feb 22, 2008: SNEWS Review Launch

Therese from SNEWS/Gear Trends was kind enough to take us up on our offer to review some product; she requested a soft shell pant for hiking and trail in the spring and first part of summer.

Our Cold Play Soft Shell Pant has been called up. We'll let you know when her report drops (that's music industry lingo I picked up while watching American Idol, yo.)

Feb 20, 2008: Pack your bags for Tampa

Email from the head honcho....

"Beyond is now registered for SOCOM in Tampa, May 20th-22nd. Booth number 836. Search attachment in Acrobat to find easily."

SOF_2008_FloorPlan%5B1%5D.pdf

Tampa in February is nice. Tampa in May is the equivalent of turning my oven to broil, crawling in and holding my breath. "Humid and uncomfortable" is a good way to describe the big T. Luckily these conventions turn their AC down to about 55 deg F. Not good on the ol' half-Asian hair either way. Want proof? Here I am after just 5 minutes at the recent SHOT show in Vegas. Humidity nowhere near as bad as Tampa, but the AC kicked my ass!

Feb. 19, 2008: Help Wanted - Amazing Race Partner

The Amazing Race. I need a partner to do it. We'll send in a 3 minute video. Expect travel time to be 30 to 40 days. Have a passport, no felonies or restraining order? I'll eat the "stuff" no matter the texture, and we'll be sporting Beyond Clothing from Antarctica to Zimbabwe.

Pictured are contestants Brandon and Nicole reading a clue as a fire-spewing UFO races by.

Feb 19, 2008: BusinessWeek TV "Made in America, Maybe"

Did you know America's favorite mushroom - Pennsylvania Dutch Mushrooms - are a product of China? All these years I thought I was feeding the neighbor's dog leftovers that were grown and packaged within the vacinity of Dupont, Pennsylvania, but Business Week TV aired a great piece on products that claim to be "Made in America" but are not thanks to some crafty marketing lingo.

For the record, every single Beyond product is designed, cut, sewn, boxed and shipped from Washington. Not Washington, China, but Washington State.

Feb 14, 2008: Fingers crossed your $159 sweater fits

My friend wants to order his favorite bicycle company's new wool sweater. I've seen it online, and it's snazzy. The bike company is even honest about they don't make it, just slapped their name and a big logo across the back. But the sizing is a bit odd, and the company's web copy has him scratching his quickly-disappearing hairline about which size to get. It reads:

"Sizing on these puppies tends to edge toward the new American sizing (i.e. we're getting fat, people). In other words, if you normally are between a medium and a large, order the medium."

$159 for sweater which may or may not fit. Add $10 for shipping. Another $10 s/h to exchange.

Feb 11, 2008: Remember when a medium was a medium no matter what?

A recent product write-up I came across online. Company's name replaced with *** because I don't want to spend my days putting out fires. If the reviewer had a public profile I'd contact him and chat about customizing a Beyond soft shell. Anyone know a "DS from Bend, Oregon"?

"Alas, ***, seemingly other companies as well, has succumbed to the size inflation game. Perhaps it is the expanding waistline of America that is fueling this, or maybe it is the tendency of a larger waistline of the newer core demographic as *** spreads out to a larger audience. I looked recently replace my *** with a new one from *** The new *** is huge! A medium no longer fits my 5'9", 155 lb., frame. The sleeves are too long, the chest is baggy, and it is just frumpy, for lack of a better term. Moving to a small would seem to rectify this, but the small is, well, too small. My medium from 4 years ago fit great. What happened from then until now?"

Feb 11, 2008: Beyond Clothing question(s) o' the day

We get lots of mail here at Beyond Blog headquarters. Mostly it's about special blue pills from Canada for pennies on the dollar or the lure of riches from a dictator's estranged cousin promising us millions (BTW, Prince Calamari the Third, we're still waiting on our 7 mill! We sent the truckload of Grid Pullovers and it's your time to settle up), but once in a while they're legit. Here's a recap of the weekend's Q & A.

4:20 pm, Friday: I'm visiting Seattle. Where should we eat?

Um, that has nothing to do with Beyond Clothing. Ask us about convertible pants or who the new Schoeller USA PR person is. Having said that, you can't go wrong with any of Tom Douglas' restaurants. A few miles up the road from 216 S. Brandon, try the ravioli at Palace Kitchen. $18 for the large plate.


8:37 am, Saturday: Do you make soft shell swimwear for women?
Double "what?!" No. Try Patagonia.


7:17 pm, Sunday: When will Beyond launch customized flyfishing clothing? I cast near Mile Marker 39 on the North Fork of the CdA River, and would be a good product tester.

Sigh. *shaking fist at sky* Beyond Clothing has no plans to produce flyfishing gear. We don't have the manpower or time to babysit new projects. Never, ever.

7:21 pm, Sunday: Hi, I sent an email a few minutes ago about custom flyfishing gear, but forgot to attach a pic of me at the river.

Beyond Clothing is pleased and excited to announce the launching of a new women's specific flyfishing clothing line! As with every Beyond product, we will extensively field test each item via select Gear Ambassadors, and be there to assist them with any product questioning or fit customization no matter how long it takes.

Feb 7, 2008: Testing PrimaLoft with Pasta

Frank J is a Northwest-based climber and all-around hardcore mountain man. He's also a 2008 Beyond Gear Ambassador, and recently put his new Cold Fusion Shock Pants and PL5 Jacket and Pro2OH jacket to use during a Level 1 Avalance Training class. In addition to the 30+ adventures he partakes in, Frank has a gnarly collection of photos. The goat (I'm sure there's a college kid from Montana reading this who knows exactly what kind of mountain goat this is...if so, please let me know) is my favorite. It's just there. Doing nothing. Here's Frank's report about doing something...

"Spent last weekend at Stevens Pass taking a Level 1 Avalanche Training class. Saturday was a lot of snow layer analysis and tests and demonstations - therefore a lot of standing around in the snow. Spent the night up above Stevens Pass. It was 13 degrees when we were having breakfast, so I guess it was 10 degrees or colder where we camped during the night. Spent Sunday doing avalanche rescue scenarios and beacon searches. This, of course, involved a lot more standing around in the snow. Did all of that standing around in the Cold Fusion Shock Pants and the PL5 Jacket (our link is currently being reworked) and the Pro2OH jacket. I like the jackets a LOT. Designed well, warm, good stuff. Lighter than I expected. The pants are heavy, but good for the cold days. The pants shed the snow well and dry quickly. Haven't gotten the jackets wet, other than spilling pasta all over the PL5 during dinner. But the Pro2OH sheds the snow well.

Feb 6, 2008: Bet the house on the Camber Layering System

Here's a Camber Layering System ad proof (in pesky Adobe PDF) for the year-long issue of Rock and Ice's Gear Finder special coming out in March. Jolene from R&I approved it today, yea!

camberlayeringsystem.pdf

Feb 6, 2008: Hillbilly Vogue

We get some fantastic product ideas from long-time Beyond customers and curious lurkers. And then we get ideas like this....

"I was running around in my underwear yesterday and thought of you.

Now that I have your attention. Here goes. I think someone (that would be Beyond) needs to make a knicker longjohns. Your socks already come up to your calves, so why do you need a double layer there? I want a pair of longjohns with legs that stop right below the knee.

This isn’t just a fleeting thought. I went snowshoeing and my longjohn bottoms kept sliding down, as usual. It always happens when I am hiking. I went home and cut them off right at the knee, and they were more comfortable and stayed up.

So here’s a golden opportunity. Longjohns that fit right. Pitch that at your next sales meeting. Tell them they will sell at least one pair (but not for $80.)"

Scott probably doesn't want me to reply in an official capacity so here is my unofficial what-the-hell-are-you-thinking comeback:

Beyond had plans for a similar product. Our "Jed Clampet Longjohns That Fit Right" product line was going to be a Schoeller soft shell/Polartec fleece collaboration, and yes it did stop right below the knee, and yes it did have no fewer than 4 sets of zippers, and yes it came with a butt flap. But we couldn't get a majority of Kentucky's citizens to sign over the licensing agreement. I'm not even sure how to spell "Clampet," and seeing as how I need to finish rewriting the existing Beyond product copy, I don't have the time to Google it. Beside, our Grid Fleece pant (available separately or as part of the Camber Layering System) is a pretty darn popular product even though it doesn't have a butt flap (please keep all jokes to yourself).

Notice the suggestor wrote how his longjohns fall down while hiking, but they performed much better after he cut the leg bottoms off. Dude, there's an easier fix! Quit hiking. Hiking ain't good for you anyway. It makes you sweat. Sweating sucks. Save an innocent longjohn - don't hike!

Feb. 5, 2008: Team Red Bull KTM David Kamo

My brother's teammate for the 2006 running of the "25 Hours of Starvation Ridge" was Team Red Bull KTM racer and US Junior Team member David Kamo (the victorious Fastway Performance Open Expert team also included Rich "Brokeback" Libengood, Brian "Yes, I'm Still Dating Her...Why?" Caldwell, Ronnie "I Used to Ride Vet Pro" Wehr and Burton "My Son Drives a Van" Frieze). To make a long story short, and because you can read everything about the off-road star on his site, Beyond is hoping to set David up with our Base Line and Silk Line undergarments. What better way to hammer the goods since David races in one-day events throughout the States and week-long torture tests in Europe and South America. Nothing like battling through heat, snow, dust and rain to see if a company's products are the real deal or just a bunch of marketing hype. Bonus: David and his mom frequently update their friends, family and fans via a great blog and newsletter.


Here's a tiny clip of Kamo in the final moto at IzDee (ISDE). Keep in mind his ass just took a pounding for six days, averaging 120 miles a day, and he's still got the schnutz to put the Sidis together! Last time I tried that I woke hearing the words "Do not move or your CAT scan will have to be repeated."

Feb 5, 2008: Hardcore Military Moron writeup

We met the man behind the much-read and respected Military Moron tactical gear site at the SHOT show. MM spent a month or so using and reviewing a few items, and his in-depth editorial is simply amazing. Pull up a imitation leather slot machine chair for the full read...or if you're slowly dying, too, while listening to the Wheel of Fortune's cryptic message of GAMBLING IS GOOD, and don't have the strength to click over, here's the cheater version:

"In summary, Beyond offers something no one else currently does - custom fit and semi-custom features on high performance and tactical wear with prices on par with off-the-shelf garments...They've got this custom thing down to a science, and it's pretty impressive."

Feb. 5, 2008: Aaaand we're back!

So what I was trying to say was Beyond athlete Namrita O'Dea is in the cyclingnews.com press release. We're super pumped that technical editor James Huang (arguably the most knowledgeable writer/reviewer/bike geek around; we've followed him since the Angry Asian fork tuning days) gave us the time of day. Not to shabby considering he slid us in with the likes of Cannondale, Specialized and some international powerhouse teams.

Visit James' tech section, and spread the word to all your skinny tire friends.

Okay, this is enough! Somebody please unplug that damn slot machine!!!!!!!!!!!!

Feb 5, 2008: Namrita O'Dea and Cyclingnews.com

What is going on?? I'm sitting at McCarran International Airport in Vegas, and their WiFi keeps screwing up my posts. And to make matters worse my iPod is almost dead so if this electromagnetic security issue isn't resolved I'll be forced to listen to that damn Wheel of Fortune slot machine song for the next six hours til I depart to Phoenix.

Feb 1, 2008: Beyond Clothing reviews galore

Between the post-OR show and pre-SHOT show madness - and the new season of LOST (Jack is one crazy dude!) - the near-daily blog posts have slipped, but we'll make it up to you.

Sometime between packing for today's 5:24 pm flight departure and running around Vegas on Super Bowl weekend, we'll put up new reviews for both the tactical and consumer side. Our jackets and pants were put through the ringer, yanked back out, abused even more and then written about.

And I think the new Rock and Ice Gear Finder ad is almost done so hopefully a preview will be in order.

And stickers. The stickers are going through testing: we hire a local UW student to slap some samples on his water bottle, tie it to the back bumper and drives 'round campus like a wildman. If you think that's a bit much you should see how we test soft shells!

Lots going on!