Ok, so apparently hiking boots aren’t the only pieces of outdoor clothing getting juiced these days. Mountain Hardware has two jackets - the Radiance and Refugium - that make use of the Ardica Moshi Power System to heat the jacket AND charge and run your electronics on the go.

The Ardica power supply is basically an array of flexible lithium ion batteries and is sold separately from the jacket. The battery array has two power outputs - one to power the two USB ports for gadgets (left and right pockets), the other connected to the integrated heating elements within the Mountain Hardware jackets (3 elements, 2 front, 1 rear).

The power pack is recharged by plugging into one of the USB outlets in the jacket and LEDs mounted in the wall unit let you know when the battery is charged. Just don’t forget the battery when you toss the jacket in the wash. I wouldn’t want to fall into a lake or get caught in a downpour in this jacket either.

Word is the entire battery system weighs just under 300 grams which is great news. One charge will get you 3-9 hours of heat or 20 charges for your iPhone (or whatever device you’re packing). The jackets start around $230 and the battery array will set you back another $150. Cool… er, warm.

Related posts:

1. Heated Hiking Boot Uses Electricity to Keep Feet Warm
2. Hikers on Bald Mountain warned to watch for skiers
3. Mountain biking in Albuquerque
4. Marmot Leadville Softshell Jacket Review
5. 2008 Camping Gift Guide

Tags: ardica, iphone, mountain hardware, radiance, refugium, tech

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 10th, 2009 at 7:08 pm and is filed under outdoor gear. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.