Summit, Apex, Space and Allroad
We test the latest from Aether during a weekend in Aspen with Audi
On a trip to Aspen this past weekend with Audi we had another chance to drive the 2013 Allroad plus a couple days on the hill which we used as an opportunity to test out the latest mountain sports gear from Aether Apparel. The two brands made a fine pairing grounded in their shared attention to details, style and performance. While the Audi easily handled the local streets and snowy side roads, Aether kept us comfortable in the elements once on hill.
Epitomizing Aether’s commitment to clean design and superior function is the Summit Jacket. Stark in color (graphite or black) and simple in design, the shell jacket is accented solely with a line of contrast stitching that parallels the front zipper, runs across the chest and around interior pockets. As for function, we dig the wrist zips for getting gloves covered and the cell phone pocket with a handy pull tab. Plus, the three-layer fabric and sealed seams make it fully waterproof, windproof and “mountain ready.” Fit-wise the thin jacket is close to a shell, which worked nicely with the impossibly warm Space Vest—an 80-gram PrimaLoft ONE fill piece that is so light it seems to disappear when you put it on.
For bottoms, we went with the Apex Snow Pant in the same colorway as the Summit. Equally as waterproof and windproof, the Apex also have a great fit and silhouette. While the Apex’s material construction kept us dry and sheltered from the elements, nothing can protect from unexpected dangers on hill, like avalanches. Thankfully the Apex is equipped with a RECCO rescue reflector—one of a two-part avalanche rescue system, with the second hopefully housed in your local ski resort’s patrol lodge. In the unfortunate case of getting caught in an avalanche, your pant’s RECCO will reflect electronic signals sent out by patrollers, indicating your buried location.
In addition to the kit previously mentioned the Cloud Jacket was a welcomed piece on the coldest day with its 170 grams of PrimaLoft insulation. Similar in looks to the rest of the minimalist Aether line, the Cloud was warm, dry and an all-around solid choice for when the mercury dropped.
With the weekend in the rearview mirror it made perfect sense to have tested Aether Apparel alongside the 2013 Audi Allroad. Coincidently, it turns out that Audi is also keen on Aether as one of the gifts they presented to guests on the trip was a very subtly branded Alto jacket which was a perfect piece for wearing around town.
Images by Josh Rubin
