Fortress All Weather Gear’s cutting-edge insulated technology offers warmth that regulates body heat down to -35˚F with only 1-2 layers, so there’s no sacrificing warm comfort for performance!
Fortress Clothing® All Weather Gear
Description
One trade-off for Raynaud’s sufferers involves style vs. warmth – but even stylish warmth generally means layers upon layers of insulation for a product that delivers significant benefits for us Frosties. Fortress Clothing® has designed apparel that directly addresses this issue: Their cutting-edge insulated technology offers warmth that regulates body heat down to -35˚F with only 1-2 layers, so there’s no sacrificing warm comfort for performance!
Here’s another issue Fortress Clothing® solves for people with Raynaud’s: Most of the products we test are designed to help provide warmth outdoors on the coldest of days. For gloves, mittens or jackets, that means you put them on before going outside, and take them off when returning to a warm indoor environment. But for socks or base apparel, it can mean stripping down when you return indoors to stay comfortable. That may not be an issue at home, but what about hopping on a commuter train? Or sitting in a restaurant or a movie theatre? It’s a complicated problem for people with Raynaud’s to be warm enough outdoors, but still comfortable when indoors in public places where you can’t easily disrobe. Fortress claims to have the solution to this dilemma with their patented disruptive technology that allows Fortress’ apparel to keep you comfortable in and out of the cold.
The manufacturer shared with us an extreme example to demonstrate their case: Air Force F22 pilots were wearing a 6-layer system in order to stay warm enough at top altitudes, but this apparel was way too warm when flying at sea level. Fortress’ system proved to offer superior warmth at -50 degrees for the Air Force team when tested against 120 other products, but still remained comfortable when pilots returned to warmer temperatures. OK, the average Raynaud’s sufferer isn’t going to be challenged by such severe weather conditions, but the company does get terrific feedback from fellow Frosties. One testimonial from a person with Raynaud’s reported that Fortress’ base layer system worked so well that they often didn’t need gloves outdoors, and that’s a pretty amazing claim!
We received samples from Fortress in the warmer spring months, so it was difficult to give their base layers a good challenging trial. But on a cooler late spring day our “hands in the freezer test” provided an opportunity to try the brand’s Everest Mittens (love the name!).
I was able to grab frozen foods without feeling any cold sensation on my hands. Then I tried picking up some ice and felt no chill. Taking it further, I laid my hand fully on top of the ice drawer for some time and felt absolutely nothing, not even a sensation of touching something wet (their fabric evacuates moisture). Wondering if there was something wrong with our freezer, I put the mitt next to my cheek and got a cold blast! The freezer was working fine – my hand was totally insulated against the cold wearing the mittens.
In addition to their cold protection, we liked other features offered by their mitts:
- The fleecy lining is really soft and comfy.
- The fabric molds well to your hand – it’s pliable enough to pick up items with them on. Considering the mitts resemble ski mittens and appear pretty thick around the hand and palm, that was a surprise. They actually don’t feel that thick when wearing them, but they do look like they wouldn’t offer much, if any, dexterity.
- The polyurethane palm and sections around the edge of the fingers feel soft like leather and add to the comfort, gripping capability and good overall fit.
- They are really lightweight for offering such powerful protection! We didn’t expect that this much insulation could be so light. Again, this adds to their comfort.
I tested the mittens on another occasion when walking my dog during a winter snowstorm and it reinforced my freezer test results. The mitts were pliable enough to easily hold the end of a dog leash with full control. My fingers were warm and cozy through the entire dog walk. And I never felt the wet snow penetrate through to my fingers – they stayed nice and dry. Based on this experience, these mittens should be great for X-country skiing and may be replacing my heated fleece gloves (no more futzing with the batteries…).
I waited for colder conditions to try Fortress’ base layer apparel – specifically their Basepro Crew top and pants. It wasn’t a blustery winter day, but the cold, rainy weather was enough to prove uncomfortably chilled and turn my fingers purple. The result of my trial was positive – the base layers did do a good job of taking the chill off, which didn’t surprise me. What I found more surprising is how the apparel felt: The fabric is thick, but very lightweight and soft, plus the built-in quilting made me feel surrounded by pillows. While stretchy, the fabric didn’t cling and was quite pliable – for example, I could roll up the pants leg to add/remove socks. While the waistband is thick in its coverage, it isn’t confining. Overall, these were the most comfy long undies I can remember wearing!
The manufacturer tells us it’s important to acclimate your body to wearing their apparel in both cold and warmer conditions in order to gain the benefit of being able to wear them comfortably indoors as well as outdoors. On my initial test, I found after wearing them a short time indoors, I was beginning to feel too warm. But, based on the manufacturer’s input, if I’d kept them on longer, I’m told my body would have adjusted to being comfortable. So, I gave it a try on a wintery day after a large snowstorm, and they were right. I was very comfortable wearing the Basepro layers sitting in my office all afternoon.
One good thing about the design of Fortress’ layers is that you can wear them indoors without feeling too conspicuous, as many of their products look like standard apparel. For example, the base pants work well as leggings under a tunic or a long sweater. The jackets, hoodies and Extreme Pants can be worn anywhere without someone knowing what’s “under the hood.” The Basepro layers are nice looking for long undies, but I did add a lightweight wool poncho just for the visual coverage during my test.
Special Offer for Raynaud’s Members
Members Receive a 15% Discount
Use Discount Code: ray15
The company’s product line offers both outer and base layer jackets and pants in men’s and women’s sizes, plus many warm accessories including gloves, mittens, socks, facemasks and hats in basic black and grey shades. Most products are in the price range of $79 to $219.
Plus, as a proud Sponsor of the Raynaud’s Association, Fortress is offering our members a 15% discount on all styles. To qualify, simply enter the discount code ray15 and click “Apply” during checkout.
Fortress’ product line offers those with Raynaud’s a lightweight, comfortable option for tolerating the coldest conditions. To see these products in action, check out their Shark Tank presentation that includes product demonstrations under the most extreme conditions. It’s easy to see why the company’s tag line is Warm to the core™!
Fortress Clothing® All Weather Gear
Fortress Clothing®
1175 Blackhawk Road
Mount Pleasant, UT 84647
