Drop 001 — in development
Drop 001
Our first product: a technical mountain midlayer, being developed in the open. It isn’t finished and it isn’t for sale — this page is where you can follow it.
The problem we’re exploring
On a steep climb you heat up fast. Stop on an exposed ridge and you’re cold again. Most of us deal with it by opening the front zip, stopping to swap layers or taking the pack off to get to them.
We want to find out whether a warmer midlayer can manage that heat while you keep moving — so you spend less time stopping to sort your layers.
The working idea
A technical fleece-style midlayer with ventilation you can open and close on the move — including under backpack straps and with gloves on — so it stays useful from a cold start, through the hard uphill, to the exposed bits.
It’s a hypothesis, not a finished design. The honest test is whether it does anything better than simply opening your front zip. If it doesn’t, we’ll say so and change course.
How we’re developing it
Step 1
Problem
Talk to hikers, climbers and mountaineers about when they overheat, when they get cold and how they manage layers — before showing them anything.
Step 2
Prototype
Modify cheap donor fleeces rather than paying a factory up front. Rough, quick and cut apart on purpose.
Step 3
Mountain testing
Take them uphill and compare vents closed, the front zip open and the vents open — with a backpack on, with gloves, and under a shell.
Step 4
Feedback
Hand prototypes to testers from the community with different builds and backpack setups, and ask them what fails.
Step 5
Improve
Change the one thing that matters most, then test again. Only a design that keeps earning its place gets a proper sample.
What we’re testing for
- Heat management on long climbs, compared with just opening the front zip
- Backpack compatibility — shoulder straps and hip belts shouldn’t block anything
- One-handed use with gloves on
- Comfort under a waterproof shell
- Staying warm with the vents closed
We won’t publish performance figures until real mountain testing supports them. When we have results — good or bad — they’ll be shared with the community first.
When you’ll be able to buy it
Not yet. We’ll only open a Founder’s Edition preorder once there’s a stable sample, realistic manufacturing, a clear delivery window and proper refund terms. No stock ordered on the strength of likes.
Other problems the community raises — like keeping water out where your jacket meets your trousers — stay on the list for later drops.
Follow the build.
Prototypes, mountain testing and every change get shared in the WhatsApp community first.