“Oh God,” I groaned to myself as I opened the news story about a new pair of exoskeleton hiking pants designed to “power” people uphill. We’ve already got folk using helium balloons to carry their backpacks uphill – do we really need external muscles too? What’s next, escalators up the mountain?
On second look, however, I realized that this particular product was a collaboration between a mobility technology company named Skip and the renowned outdoor brand Arc’teryx. I’ve spent a fair amount of time with Arc’teryx in recent years, at their Alpine Academy in Chamonix and more recently their Climb Academy in the Lake District, and I’m pretty sure they’re not in the business of helping people slack off when they’re in the mountains. Gear I've tested, like their Beta Jacket, is generally extremely high quality – albeit expensive – and technical. It’s designed for serious explorers, even if you just want to wear it around town.
