NeedEssentials

[kootenayskier]

https://www.needessentialsusa.com/collections/mountain

Came across these guys on a surfing podcast (they also make wetsuits). Seems like nice simple, high quality, reasonably priced, unlabelled, black (only) ski clothing.

[NorCalNomad]

Their wetsuits are decent but the patterning on that harshell sucks balls. You can already see the bottom seam of that jacket lifting up when he puts the hood up. Seam tape is big by today's standards. Bottom hem channel is huge. Using bar tacks to close off zipper garages introduce more holes into the laminate. Also just the cut of the jacket is bulky.

The down jacket and insulating jacket also has a shitty looking fit to it. That picture of the back of them shows how boxy and not refined they are. Also the bottom hem of the down jacket lifts just from zipping it up.

Yes getting at the factories that make product for The North Face, Patagonia, etc is easier than ever but those companies have more people working on just fit in just one category (ex. snow sports) than Need Essentials has in their whole company. That isn't a dig on Need, but you're WAY better off spending you $ on used gear or wait for the sales from the people who know how to actually craft it.

I love that they're supporting Surf Splendor, but man does that apparel need work.

[NorCalNomad]

Holy shit just actually watched the whole down jacket video.

"With goose down the warmer the jacket is, the lighter the jacket will be, the longer it will retain it's loft and firmness" That's wrong so many different ways.

1. Generally lower fill power down feathers hold their loft for longer and don't pack down as small. Per volume they are colder though. That doesn't mean lower fill power = colder jacket, as how much filling get's put in plays into that equation too.
2. Didn't know that my 800 fill down parka weighs less than my 800 fill down layering piece...